“The joy of life comes from our encounters with new experiences, and hence there is no greater joy than to have an endlessly changing horizon, for each day to have a new and different sun.” — Jon Krakauer
Introduction
As I cram the last pair of socks, one more sweater and my field guide into my pack in preparation for my voyage on NOAA Ship Oscar Dyson next week, I think about how I got here and where I hope my journey helps to lead my students.
I was born a scientist, we all are; filled with questions and curiosity. As a child, I could often be found barefoot, traipsing about armed with a fishing net, a pair of binoculars, matches, a magnifying glass and the Little Golden Nature Guides. I grew up on an island and loved being out on the ocean and everything living within it. I took every biology class my high school offered because it meant weekly trips to the beach.
As a middle school teacher for over 30 years, my goal is to recreate not just that excitement of discovery, but the deep dive into problems when the answers don’t come easy. I encourage leaning into adventures and opportunities even when you feel out of your element or unsure of yourself. NOAA’s Teacher at Sea Program has given me just such an enterprise to lead by example, so come follow me on my great adventure.
Science and Technology Log
All great adventures involve a quest, so who are we searching for? Check out this legendary beast, this is the Alaskan pollock (Gadus chalcogrammus) aka the walleye pollock. That scientific name is like his code name: Gadus means “cod” and chalcogrammus “brass mark.” Check out his ID photo, see that golden brown line of spots, that’s our guy!
Pollock are a close relative of the cod fish we see here on the east coast. They typically grow to be between 12” – 20” in length and weigh from 1-3 lbs. It’s a fish eat fish world out there where, depending on their size and life stage, pollock eat everything from zooplankton to small fishes. In turn, pollock are a favorite meal for others including ocean mammals, such as sea lions, larger fish, sea birds and those of us who love a good Filet-O-Fish. Pollock, like middle schoolers, hang out with their buddies and family in large schools, spending their days on both the ocean bottom and the column of water above it. Although they live throughout the waters of the Pacific Ocean, the largest concentration of Alaskan pollock is in the Bering Sea, so that’s where we are headed. Up to the Alaskan coast starting out in the Aleutian Islands at Dutch Harbor.
Did You Know?
Alaskan pollock may seem new or unfamiliar to you but it has been hiding in plain sight all around you. Go on your own pollock hunt and see how many Bingo squares you can find in your home, school or community.
Current School: Williams Science and Fine Arts Magnet Elementary, Topeka Public Schools (USD 501)
Upcoming School: Jardine Middle School, Topeka Public Schools (USD 501)
Mission: SEAMAP Summer Groundfish Survey
Geographic Area of Cruise: Gulf of America/Gulf of Mexico
Date: June 28, 2026
Personal Log
At the USS Constitution in Boston with a group of History educators from Kansas.
From June 2026, headed from Kansas to Boston.
Taking a group of teachers to learn about Windfarms at Fort Hays, Kansas.
Hello, all, my name is Amelia Black and I am a proud Kansas public school teacher. I have been a teacher for over fifteen years with Topeka Public Schools (USD 501). Transitions, geography, incredible adventures, and connectivity is the theme for this summer.
One big transition for me will be happening this this coming school year as I move from teaching elementary ESOL ( English as a Second Language) to middle school. I will be transitioning to a new school and starting the next journey in my teaching career, teaching newcomers ELs (English Learners) at Jardine Middle School. Newcomers are students who are new to America, who often arrive speaking little or no English. I love working with my students, as well as other educators and helping them both to find their strengths, their voice, and empowering them through learning and inquisitiveness. My favorite part of being an educator are the moments when new understand or a new skill clicks and they have a ‘light bulb moment’. Seeing the understanding dawn is an amazing part of teaching.
Before I set up my new classroom, I am embarking on an incredible new adventure with NOAA (National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration) as part of the Teacher at Sea (TAS) Program. I will leave Kansas on America’s 250th birthday (Independence Day) and I will be trading landlocked Kansas for open waters aboard the NOAA Ship Oregon II!
During this adventure, I will be learning from some amazing scientists and crew members as part of NOAA’s Summer Groundfish Survey. When I step onto the ship, I will be a “newcomer” myself. In addition to learning new vocabulary, scientific language, and marine culture, I will be getting my ‘sea legs’ as I learn how to navigate on a 170-foot fishing vessel. This will be a whole new adventure for me and as a life-long learner something I am truly excited to experience. I want my students to see that it is okay to try new things and step out of your comfort zone, that it is okay to be nervous when you learning something new and in a brand-new place. By stepping out of my comfort zone and working alongside NOAA scientists, I want to model resilience, curiosity, and bravery. Skills that I know my language learners experience as immigrants to America.
You might be wondering, what is an ESOL teacher doing going on scientific exploration? The answer is in connectivity. Connectivity between language, reading, science, and social studies. STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, and Mathematics) AND Social Studies are essential for building background knowledge, academic vocabulary, and conceptual understanding. All components that are integral to comprehending complex texts and bring the joy of learning to the classroom.
As a passionate advocate for social studies, I serve on the board of the Kansas Geographic Alliance (KGA) and as a coordinator of their annual P4 Summer Institute (Plants, People, Places, Patterns). In this role I am given the opportunity to work alongside inspiring educators from across Kansas to explore and advocate for geography and social studies. Connectivity extends geographically: our rivers in Kansas lead to our oceans. The Midwestern watersheds affect our marine ecosystem in the Gulf. In participating in this experience, I will be able to bring back my learning and experiences not just to my students but to educators and others throughout Kansas.
To all my amazing students, families, and friends: I hope you are able to follow along this journey with me and I cannot wait to take you all on this learning experience. So get your maps out and follow along as we set off from Kansas to the Gulf of America/Mexico starting at Pascagoula, Mississippi.
Kansas Learning Log
Part of being a good educator is being prepared, so as I start this journey I want my log to reflect my learning but also the interconnectivity of science, social studies, and many other disciplines. The NOAA (National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration) TAS (Teacher at Sea) Program has a blog format that I will be following in future blogs. The blog outline will start with Weather Data from the Bridge and a Scientific Log before my personal log. Each log will end with a fun learning opportunity or a sneak peak, you will have to read to find out! For this intro blog, I wanted to give you all a look at the Weather Data from Topeka, Kansas as well as a little information about this fantastic landlocked state.
Weather Data from Topeka, Kansas Latitude: 39.0483o N Longitude: -95.6780o W Elevation: 945 feet (288 meters) above sea level Wind Speed: 15mph (13 knots) Wind Direction: South (180o ) Visibility: 10 miles (8.69nm) Air Temperature: 93o F, heat index of 108o F Barometric Pressure: 29.64 Hg (1003.73) Sky: Mostly clear
A Little Bit about Kansas (Science and Technology Log)
You might already know a few things about Kansas. In addition to being a fly over state (thank you, Jason Aldean), Kansas is located in the middle of the United States. Kansas is the geographic center of the 48 contiguous United States (https://www.ngs.noaa.gov/PUBS_LIB/GeoCenter_USA1.pdf). In fact, prior to modern mapping technology advancements a ranch in Osborne County, Kansas was the official geodetic center of North America. This meant that all the maps created for the United States, Canada, and Mexico used this Kansas ranch as their reference point. https://www.penryfamily.com/geographicalcenters/meadesranch.html
Most people assume that Kansas is flat. However, the eastern part of Kansas is part of the Flint Hills and has some breathtakingly beautiful rolling hills and prairies. Additionally, the elevation of Kansas rises steadily from east to west. The lowest point of Kansas is 679 feet above sea level and the highest point is over 4,000 feet above sea level!
Hello and welcome! My name is Guy (Clark) Sturdevant from Northwest High School in Wichita, KS. You join me as I make final preparations for my two-day journey to Dutch Harbor, Alaska. Once there, I will board the Oscar Dyson and join an amazing science team and crew for a month-long leg of the biennial Eastern Bering Sea Pollock Survey.
As I prepare for this incredible opportunity, I find myself reflecting on the amazing science educators and communicators that helped define my relationship with science. From Mr. Patton’s sixth grade life science class through graduate studies in the department of Geology at the University of Kansas, the passion, character, and enthusiasm of my mentors and teachers was infectious. In my seven years in the classroom, I have worked to immerse my students in the hands-on practice of science. NOAA’s Teacher at Sea Program will be another amazing opportunity for me to learn from world-class scientists and technicians in hopes of bringing the exciting world of marine science into my high school classroom.
Check in here for regular updates from the Bering Sea!
Science and Technology Log
Next Monday, I will board NOAA Ship Oscar Dyson in Dutch Harbor, Alaska. The Oscar Dyson is a 208 ft. purpose-built research vessel which hosts the Midwater Assessment & Conservation Engineering (MACE) team for the Summer Pollock Survey. The full survey spans nearly three months and hundreds of nautical miles of the Bering Sea and the Gulf of Alaska.
NOAA Ship Oscar Dyson. Photo credit: Ensign Haley Glos (Photo from @NOAAShipOscarDyson Facebook account)
Did You Know?
The Oscar Dyson is named in honor of a fisherman and sustainable fisheries advocate, Oscar Dyson.
A photo of Oscar can be found hanging in the galley aboard his namesake.
Oscar’s fame, however, is eclipsed by his wife, Peggy. Peggy Dyson acted as the “Voice of the North Pacific”, broadcasting out marine weather forecasts as WBH-29 twice daily for over 30 years. Her voice served fishing communities in the North Pacific, providing valuable information and a familiar voice across the vast span of the open ocean.
Peggy Dyson christening NOAA Ship Oscar Dyson. Photo credit: Ray Broussard.
NOAA Teacher at Sea Jennifer Widdig Aboard NOAA Ship Thomas Jefferson June 17 – June 30, 2026
Mission: Hydrographic Survey
Geographic Area of Cruise: Lake Erie and Lake Ontario
Date: June 2, 2026
A New Adventure Begins
Welcome! My name is Jen, and I call the small town of Minford, Ohio, home. For the past decade, I have had the privilege of teaching a variety of life science courses at Pickaway-Ross Career & Technology Center in Chillicothe, Ohio. While environmental and animal sciences have been at the heart of my teaching career, I am now preparing for a brand-new chapter that is as exciting as it is unfamiliar.
This upcoming school year, I will be stepping into a role that is not only new to me but also new to our school. My focus will be supporting students through online coursework across multiple subject areas while helping ensure they earn the credentials necessary for graduation. It is a unique opportunity to combine education, technology, and student success in ways I have never experienced before, and I am eager to see where this path leads.
One thing I have learned throughout my career is to embrace opportunities that challenge me to grow. That mindset has taken me far beyond the walls of a classroom. Over the years, I have had the incredible opportunity to travel to Belize, Tanzania, Malaysia, and Peru. These experiences allowed me to collaborate with educators and researchers, participate in meaningful projects, volunteer in communities around the world, and gain perspectives that continue to influence both my personal and professional life.
Amazon Rainforest, Peru
Amazon Rainforest, Peru
Belize Classroom
Malaysia
Belize
Malaysia
Orphanage in Tanzania, Africa
Orphanage in Tanzania, Africa
Belize Classroom
Amazon Rainforest, Peru
Now, I am preparing for an entirely different kind of adventure.
For two weeks, I will be living and working aboard a research hydrography vessel on Lakes Erie and Ontario. Unlike my previous international experiences, this opportunity will immerse me in the daily life of a scientific research crew as they collect data, map underwater features, and contribute to our understanding of the Great Lakes. It is a chance to experience science in action, learn from experts in the field, and gain firsthand knowledge of the technology and research that support navigation, environmental monitoring, and resource management.
As someone who has spent years teaching science, I am excited to step into the role of learner once again. There is something humbling and inspiring about leaving your comfort zone and diving into an entirely new environment especially when that environment happens to be a research vessel floating across two of North America’s most significant freshwater ecosystems.
As I prepare to trade lesson plans for lake charts and classrooms for the deck of a research vessel, I am reminded that some of the best learning happens when we step into unfamiliar territory. This blog will serve as a real-time account of that experience. I’ll share the sights, the science, the challenges, and the unexpected moments that come with living aboard a hydrographic survey vessel. From learning the day-to-day operations of the crew to exploring the technology used to map the lake floor. I hope you’ll join me as I navigate life aboard the Thomas Jefferson, explore the science of the Great Lakes, and embrace this adventure one day at a time.
Mapping the Ocean with NOAA’s Teacher at Sea Program
Before embarking on my adventure, I want to share some information about the agency, program and vessel.
NOAA Ship Thomas Jefferson (Credit: NOAA)
NOAA’s Teacher at Sea Program is an exciting opportunity that allows educators to step out of their schools and onto research vessels to experience real-world science firsthand. The organization behind this adventure is NOAA, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. NOAA is a federal agency within the U.S. Department of Commerce that studies and protects our oceans, atmosphere, weather, climate, and coastal resources. From forecasting hurricanes and tracking marine life to mapping the ocean floor, NOAA’s mission is to better understand our planet and help keep people safe.
Since 1990, more than 850 teachers have participated in NOAA’s Teacher at Sea Program, joining scientists aboard research vessels and bringing their experiences back to classrooms across the country. Teachers become part of the science team, helping collect data while sharing photos, blogs, and lessons that connect students to real scientific discoveries.
Teachers selected for the program observe and actively participate. Depending on the mission, they may deploy equipment, record scientific observations, monitor instruments, assist with data collection, and take part in safety drills. Research operations run 24 hours a day, and teachers often work alongside scientists during 12-hour shifts.
For my mission, I will be aboard NOAA Ship Thomas Jefferson, a hydrographic survey vessel. The 208-foot ship can travel nearly 19,200 nautical miles and remain at sea for up to 45 days. The Thomas Jefferson is essentially a floating science laboratory. Its mission is to map the seafloor, support maritime commerce, improve coastal resilience, and provide data used to update the nation’s nautical charts. These charts help ships navigate safely through coastal waters and busy ports.
Hydrography is the study and measurement of underwater features and navigable waterways. Just as cartographers create maps of mountains and rivers on land, hydrographers map the hidden landscape beneath the water’s surface. Their work helps identify shallow areas, underwater hazards, shipwrecks, and other features important to safe navigation.
To “see” underwater, the Thomas Jefferson uses advanced technology. Side-scan sonar sends sound waves across the seafloor to create detailed images of underwater objects. Multibeam echo sounders measure water depths with incredible precision and create three-dimensional maps of the ocean floor. The ship also carries smaller survey boats that can reach shallow areas inaccessible to the larger vessel.
Hydrographic data has many uses beyond navigation. Scientists use it to study marine habitats, determine whether the seafloor consists of sand, mud, or rock, support dredging and construction projects, and assist with routing underwater cables and pipelines.
As I prepare to step aboard the Thomas Jefferson, I can’t help but feel a mix of excitement, curiosity, and gratitude. This experience is so much more than a professional development opportunity. I get a chance to become a student again, learning directly from scientists and crew members who dedicate their lives to exploring and understanding our oceans. I’ll have the opportunity to see hydrography in action, witness cutting-edge technology mapping parts of the seafloor, and experience life aboard a NOAA research vessel firsthand. Most importantly, I’ll be able to bring these experiences back to my students, sharing not only the science but also the adventure, teamwork, and discovery that happen beyond the walls of a classroom.
Geographic Area of Cruise: Northeast Atlantic Ocean
Date: May 12, 2026
Weather Data from Richburg, South Carolina (Piedmont Region) Latitude: 34.7218° N Longitude: Longitude: -81.0197° W Wind Speed: E at 6 mph Air Temperature: 20°C (69°F)
Introduction Hello! My name is Amanda (Mandy) Freeman from Richburg, South Carolina and I am BEYOND ecstatic to begin my adventure aboard NOAA Ship Henry B. Bigelow for the NOAA Teacher at Sea 2026! This is my 28th year of teaching high school science and my 19th year at Lewisville High School in Richburg, South Carolina.
Lewisville Lions
In my classroom, I work to bridge science concepts with real environmental challenges so students recognize their impact on the world and understand how biology applies to their daily lives. As a high school science teacher, I often talk about ecosystems, human impact, and sustainability, but this experience will allow me to move beyond talkingabout it and actually doit! The NOAA Teacher at Sea Program will allow me to bring authentic scientific research into my classroom while exposing students to a variety of potential career paths.
Packing OH MY…What do you even pack for life at sea?! What shouldn’t I pack?!
In South Carolina, May usually means temperatures somewhere between 26°C to 13°C (80°F – 56°F), so trying to prepare for the much chillier weather in Rhode Island has definitely been a challenge. My suitcase currently contains everything from t-shirts to sweatshirts to rain gear… and I’m still convinced I’m forgetting something important.
Hopefully, I’m just overthinking it – although there’s a very real possibility I’ll either freeze, overpack or both!
Excitement Excited doesn’t even begin to describe how I feel about this opportunity. In just a few days, I will go from teaching biology in a classroom to living and working aboard the NOAA Ship Henry B. Bigelow alongside real scientists conducting fisheries research.
I’m excited to experience what life is really like on a research vessel, learn how scientists collect and analyze data at sea, and see technology in action through the HabCam survey. Most of all, I’m excited to bring these experiences back to my students. OH – and did I mention I’ll have the opportunity to deploy TWO drifter buoys?! How amazing is that???!!
For many of my students, careers in marine science or ocean research may seem far away from our everyday lives in South Carolina. I hope this journey helps them see that science is more than a textbook or lab activity — it’s exploration, discovery, teamwork, and problem-solving in the real world.
I can’t wait to share photos, stories, challenges, and discoveries from this adventure. Hopefully my students will learn right alongside me as we trade our normal classroom walls for the open ocean!
Stay Tuned!
Science and Technology Log
Next Tuesday, I will board NOAA Ship Henry B. Bigelow from Woods Hole, Massachusetts via a small boat transfer. The ship is a “state-of-the-art fisheries survey ship that studies a wide range of marine life and ocean conditions” ( NOAA Ship Henry B. Bigelow).
NOAA Ship Henry B. Bigelow. Credit: NOAA
The ship was named after Henry Bryant Bigelow, an oceanographer and marine biologist, who was the founding director of the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution (WHOI). “He is credited with describing 110 new species for science and authoring some 100 scientific papers over the course of his career” (WHOI).
Henry Bryant Bigelow (1879-1967). Credit: Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution
The annual Northeast Fisheries Science Center scallop survey will use the Habitat Mapping Camera System (HabCam) to determine the distribution and relative abundance of Atlantic sea scallops (Placopecten magellanicus). According to preparatory materials from the science team, the HabCam V4 is an underwater “boat towed camera system that takes continuous paired photos (typically 6 pairs per second) at approximately 2 meters above the sea floor.”
