Tag: introduction

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Melina Vella: Soon to Set Sail, September 1, 2026

NOAA Teacher at Sea

Melina Vella

(Soon to be) Aboard NOAA Ship Henry B. Bigelow

September 10 – 30, 2026

Mission: Northeast Bottom Trawl Survey

Geographic Area of Cruise: Northeast Atlantic Ocean

Date: September 1, 2026

Weather Data from Slaughter Beach, DE (Delaware Environmental Observing System)

Latitude: 38.91°N

Longitude: 75.31°W

Temperature: 86° F

Wind: 5 mph S

Personal Log

It’s wild to think that this opportunity could have drifted past me if I hadn’t opened a random email from one of the many environmental newsletters I’m subscribed to. In some ways, though, it was something that I manifested back in elementary school. My name is Melina Vella and I am thrilled to be writing my first blog post as a NOAA Teacher at Sea. Currently, I work for the Delaware Division of Fish and Wildlife as an environmental educator at the DuPont Nature Center.  

By almost all accounts, my dream career growing up was to be a scientist. I recently sifted through bins of keepsakes spanning my years of schooling, and every “get to know me” assignment documents a clear plan. Aside from one deviating record that listed my aspiration to be a dentist (perhaps around the time my brother was getting his braces put on), science was always my end goal. 

a collage of three photos: (1) a cut-out paper star with the printed prompt "My goal for the future is" followed by Melina's handwritten response: "To be an athlete or a scientist." (2) A worksheet titled "Who Am I?" that ends in the prompt: "When I Grow Up I Would like to be" and Melina's answer: "scientist." (3) a photo of a collage with cut-out printed statements (the top reads: "I want to be a type of scientist when I grow up. Most likely a paleontologist or a chemist." and a photo of a young Melina.
Assignments from elementary school demonstrating my aspirations of being a scientist.
a very young Melina wearing a sweater, butterfly wings, and safety goggles.

Two-year-old Melina, a very serious junior scientist, fully suited up with personal protective equipment.
view from the back of Melina wearing her graduation cap, which is decorated elaborately with ocean waves filled with sea creatures, and a sandy beach with the words "Environmental Science"
My decorated undergraduate cap.

I wonder if past me would consider my present-day self a scientist. My undergraduate degree is technically a science degree, but in practice I’m not a scientist. So, in some ways, this expedition is fulfilling a childhood dream that no one will be able to argue: I’ll be a scientist. 

Why the trip down memory lane? Well, I bring up these artifacts from many moons ago to illustrate that my interest in science started when I was only five years old. My passion was enhanced by field trips to the aquarium and my very first lab dissection of a flower in fifth grade. I was encouraged by my teachers to compete in the science fair each year.​​ Through my position as a naturalist at the DuPont Nature Center, I have the chance to make that core memory for hundreds of kids visiting on field trips. Every single week for months I lead programming for students from dozens of local homeschool groups, public schools, daycares, and more. The overarching goal of these field trips while the kids visit is to connect them to the Delaware Bay, one of the state’s most important natural resources. 

Melina and a young girl hold on end of a seine net on a beach
Seining program with a homeschool group. (Image Credit: Heidi Bacon)
view of the Dupont Nature Center building at a distance beyond a flooded parking lot
The Delaware Bay absorbing our Nature Center parking lot at high tide during a storm surge.

We all have some sort of relationship with the Earth, whether we want to or not. For some, the love they have for the planet is what drives them day in and day out. For others, they might not give a second thought to the impact their decisions have on the land, sea, or atmosphere. However, sometimes all it takes is finding a beautiful bivalve shell on the beach or petting a horseshoe crab for the first time to instill that desire to keep exploring.

That brings me to how I ended up here, as part of this program. The foundation of my education is environmental science, with an intense focus on ecology in marine environments. Unfortunately, one of the results of the COVID-19 pandemic spanning my junior and senior years of college was that the classes that typically offer field and lab opportunities were instead virtual. Alas, I never dissected a shark in my elasmobranch class. So, when the chance to actually go on a research cruise with NOAA came across my screen, applying was inevitable. 

people kayaking on a pond - the front of a kayak visible right where the camera would be - on a day with blue skies and bright white clouds
Kayaking on Lums Pond

I’ve been lucky enough to have some very unique work “offices,” including on Nantucket Island as a summer camp environmental educator for a non-profit and the woods of upstate New York with the Cornell Lab of Ornithology on a field research project. Another unique one was a small fishing boat, also operating as a summer camp, but specifically for young anglers. 

a line of 8 people jumping at the same time in front of a white and red striped lighthouse
In front of Sankaty Head Lighthouse on Nantucket Island with my 2024 intern cohort.
Melina sits on the floor of the visitors center reading a children's book to a group of visitors seated on the floor or in chairs.
A group of visitors attending a Storybook Saturday Program at the Nature Center.

This upcoming trip will be the longest I’ve ever been on a boat at once! I hope to absorb as much as I can through this experience and take it with me for the rest of my life. This opportunity will give me an entirely unique experience that very few people get to have each year. I’m excited to meet new people and learn more about what it actually takes for a research project to be successful day-to-day. We’ll all have our roles, and I hope to add value to the team while I’m there by bringing my natural strengths and past experiences along with a passion for pushing myself to always try new things. 

Today’s Tune:

How Far I’ll Go by Auli’i Cravalho (from Moana)

“See the line where the sky/meets the sea, it calls me”

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Krista Fleming: Taking the Classroom to Sea: Learning Science Through Place and Experience, August 24, 2026

NOAA Teacher at Sea

Krista Fleming

Aboard NOAA Ship Oregon II

September 5 – 20, 2026

Mission: Shark/Snapper Bottom Longline Survey

Geographic Area of Cruise: Gulf of America

Date: August 24, 2026

a professional headshot photo of Krista, taken outside. she is wearing a suit jacket with lapel pins that are hard to make out.
Teacher at Sea Krista Fleming

My name is Krista Fleming, and I teach Marine Biology and Environmental Science in Gulf Shores, Alabama. Science has always been a passion of mine, and I am especially excited to have the opportunity to combine my love of teaching, the Gulf, and hands-on science as I join the NOAA Ship Oregon II for the third leg of its snapper and shark research expedition in the Gulf of America (formerly Gulf of Mexico.)

I am looking forward to stepping outside of my classroom and into the role of a student again as I work alongside scientists conducting research on shark and snapper populations. I am excited to learn not only about the species being studied, but also about the methods scientists use to collect data, analyze populations, and better understand the health of our Gulf ecosystems.

This experience is particularly meaningful to me because of the work I am doing with my students this year. I am excited to be co-teaching a class with Dr. Caroline Hamilton that focuses on place-based science. We are taking Alabama Science standards out of the traditional classroom and into the field by doing real science in the places we are studying. Shout out to my Dolphin Family! #MakeWaves!

Our students aren’t just learning about ecosystems—they are experiencing them. They are observing their surroundings, asking questions, collecting data, investigating environmental challenges, and learning that science doesn’t always have a predictable outcome. They are beginning to see themselves as scientists rather than simply students learning about science. That is one of the things I am most excited about bringing back from the Oregon II.

Science isn’t something we should only teach students to read about. Some of the most powerful learning happens when we put students in the environment they are studying and let them observe, question, collect data, and experience the uncertainty that real scientists face.

As a teacher, I have the unique opportunity to take what I learn from this research expedition and bring it directly back to my students. I want them to hear about the long days, the data collection, the unexpected discoveries, the questions scientists still don’t have answers to, and the teamwork required to conduct research at sea.

I also hope this experience helps my students understand that the Gulf isn’t just something they see from the beach. It is a living, changing ecosystem that scientists are constantly working to understand and protect. The research being conducted offshore has a direct connection to the communities where my students live, work, and play.

I often tell my students that Gulf Shores is our classroom. For this trip, I get to take that classroom a little farther offshore—where the Gulf itself becomes our floating laboratory. Instead of learning about the ocean from the shore, we’ll be immersed in it, observing, exploring, and learning firsthand from the waters that are right outside our classroom door.

I am excited to learn from the scientists aboard the Oregon II, experience marine research firsthand, and return to my students with new stories, new questions, and new ways to connect the science we teach in the classroom to the world around us.

Beyond my work in the classroom, I am also fortunate to co-lead one of Alabama’s sea turtle conservation teams. This experience has allowed me to connect my passion for marine science and environmental education with hands-on conservation efforts in our local community. This work has strengthened my understanding of the importance of protecting our coastal ecosystems and the species that depend on them.

I am also incredibly grateful for the support of my husband throughout these experiences. Whether it has meant understanding long hours, supporting my many commitments, or encouraging me to pursue opportunities that push me outside of my comfort zone, his support has made it possible for me to say yes to so many of these experiences. I appreciate having someone who not only supports my passion for education, science, and conservation but also celebrates these opportunities with me.

Overall, I hope to remind my students—and myself—that being a scientist isn’t about having all the answers. It is about being curious enough to ask better questions, willing to follow the data, and excited enough to keep learning.

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Sabrina Whitaker: A Traveling Scientist, August 9, 2026

NOAA Teacher at Sea

Sabrina Whitaker

Aboard NOAA Ship Thomas Jefferson

August 18 – 31, 2026

Mission: Hydrographic Survey, Leg 3

Geographic Area of Cruise: Lake Ontario

Date: August 9, 2026

Weather Data from Granger, Indiana

Latitude: 41.7533° N

Longitude: -86.1108° W

Winds: South at 6 mph

Air Temperature: 83 °F

Science and Technology Log

“I spawned a wither!” and, “That is the weirdest world that has ever existed!” my twins yelled to each other from across my parents’ living room while they played Minecraft and I typed this post. I’m Sabrina (Sara) Whitaker, and in about a week, my view will change from the rain soaked prairie of Northern Indiana where my parents live to the waterfront of Lake Ontario where I will begin my journey aboard NOAA Ship Thomas Jefferson as I continue the third leg of a hydrographic survey of Lake Ontario. 

Our mission out on the water is a hydrographic survey—essentially mapping what lies beneath the surface. By charting depths, shorelines, and hidden underwater terrain, we will create the accurate maps ships need to navigate safely and keep our coastal waterways protected. Over the next two weeks, I will be learning the details that allow scientists to discover these secrets, and I hope you will join me as we do so.

Personal Log

While my parents live in Indiana and I lived part of my childhood here, I now live on Long Island and teach physics in Farmingdale, New York. The story of how I went from living in Indiana to ending up on Long Island is long and varied, but it closely follows my path toward becoming a physics teacher and leads directly to my newest adventure aboard NOAA Ship Thomas Jefferson. 

During this summer’s trip to Indiana, I got to visit my undergraduate physics advisor, Dr. Henry Scott, at Indiana University South Bend, where my physics journey continued after high school.

portrait photo of Sabrina and Dr. Scott; in the background, we can see a bridge over a tree-lined river
Sabrina and Dr. Henry Scott on the banks of the St. Joseph River during a visit to Northern Indiana, 2026

Under the mentorship of Dr. Scott and later Dr. Wendy Panero at The Ohio State University, I studied high-pressure mineral physics and conducted experiments at the synchrotrons at Argonne National Laboratory in Illinois and Brookhaven National Laboratory in New York. That foundation led to an incredible opportunity in Japan, where I worked with scientists at Ehime University’s Geophysical Research Center editing their scientific research papers.

two women pose for a photo in front of a beautiful display of flowers
Sabrina and a friend at the Chrysanthemum Festival in Matsuyama, Japan 2010

When my oldest daughter, husband, and I returned to the United States, I continued editing scientific papers, but I eventually decided to bring that love of science, travel, and global community into the classroom. To make the shift from researcher to educator, I attended Stony Brook University to gain the skills that would help me translate those experiences into inspiration for my students.

This upcoming voyage on Thomas Jefferson combines everything I love: science, travel, and finding fresh ways to engage my students. For two weeks, I’ll get hands-on experience in a branch of science I’ve never practiced, learning straight from NOAA scientists and bringing those lessons back to my classroom. I expect to make mistakes, learn from them, and have a lot of fun along the way. It’s going to be a great challenge, and I can’t wait to begin.

Did You Know?

NOAA Ship Thomas Jefferson

NOAA Ship Thomas Jefferson underway; we can see mountains along the shoreline in the distance. from this view, we can see the NOAA logo, the letters N O A A, and the ship number S 222 painted on the hull.
NOAA Ship Thomas Jefferson (credit: NOAA)

For this assignment, I will be living and working aboard Thomas Jefferson, a 208-foot hydrographic survey vessel.

Capable of traveling nearly 19,200 nautical miles and staying at sea for up to 45 days, the ship functions as a mobile lab. Its primary job is mapping the seafloor and lake beds to collect data for updating nautical charts. 

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Stacey Morris: Bon Voyage, July 24, 2026

NOAA Teacher at Sea

Stacey Morris

Aboard NOAA Ship Reuben Lasker

July 26 – August 10, 2026

Mission: Integrated West Coast Pelagics Survey

Geographic Area of Cruise: West Coast Pacific Ocean

Date: July 24, 2026

Weather Data from Eugene, Oregon – Mahlon Sweet Field (KEUG)

Latitude: 44.13333° N
Longitude: 123.21444° W
Wind Speed: North at 8 mph
Air Temperature: 28°C / 82°F

Introduction

portrait photo of Stacey
Stacey

Hi! My name is Stacey Morris, Spanish & College/Career teacher at Churchill High School, in Eugene, Oregon. Tomorrow, I begin an incredible journey as a NOAA Teacher at Sea, and I couldn’t be more excited! This opportunity combines my love of education with the chance to experience science in action alongside NOAA scientists and crew members. I’ll be stepping aboard a research vessel to learn firsthand how ocean science is conducted and why it matters.

school logo - a stylized profile of a knight in armor, drawn in red lines against a white background
CHS Lancer: Credit https://www.chs.4j.lane.edu/

As an educator, I know that some of the best learning happens outside the classroom. My goal is to bring this experience back to my students in meaningful ways. I’ll be sharing what I learn about the many careers that make ocean research possible—not just the scientists, but also the officers, the engineers, deck crew, and others who keep a research mission running. I hope these stories will help my College Success students explore career pathways they may never have considered.

While I’m excited, I’m also nervous, as I know this adventure will push me outside my comfort zone, a lot! I’m looking forward to asking questions, learning from experts, making new friends, and experiencing life aboard a NOAA research vessel. Every day will bring new opportunities to discover something I can share with my students – I hope I can keep up with everything! 

in a scanned old photograph, yellow around the edges, a man looks calmly down at a snake in his right hand. another snake is curled on his left shoulder
Stacey’s father

My father, who passed away just shy of 98 years old in March, was the one who inspired me to apply to NOAA. He was a high school biology teacher with a passion for marine science. We spent many vacations poking around in tide pools, and he was always curious about the creatures, critters, and plants surrounding us. He was so excited to hear that I was accepted, and I know that he is with me in spirit on this trip. 

Throughout this voyage, I’ll post updates about the research we’re conducting, life aboard the ship, the people I’ll meet, and the amazing science happening at sea. Whether you’re one of my students, a fellow educator, family member, or simply curious about NOAA’s work, I invite you to follow along.

I just found out yesterday that I will be deploying three drifter buoys that we can track as they float and collect data. They will be decorated with CHS Lancer stickers, so even the fish will know our name. 🙂 

Tomorrow the adventure begins, and I can’t wait to share the journey with all of you!

Science and Technology Log

a white ship underway, as seen from in front of the bow. we can see the NOAA logo, the letters N O A A, and the ship number R 228 painted on the hull. the ocean is dark blue and calm; the sky is bold blue as well, and mostly cloudless.
NOAA Ship Reuben Lasker: credit https://www.omao.noaa.gov/marine-operations/ships/reuben-lasker

On Saturday, I will board NOAA Ship Reuben Lasker in San Francisco, a premier research ship equipped with cutting-edge technology for global fisheries study. I will be part of the  Integrated West Coast Pelagics Survey, collecting data on Pacific hake and other fisheries through acoustic data, biosampling data, eDNA, and ecosystem data to understand the health of our fisheries with a changing ocean. I will soon find out what that data collection looks like and how it is done (and what some of those words even mean!). 

¡Vámonos, la aventura empieza!

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Cheyanne Vanderdonckt: Departure Day Approaches, July 22, 2026

NOAA Teacher at Sea

Cheyanne Vanderdonckt

NOAA Ship Oregon II

July 27 – August 12, 2026

Mission: Shark/Red Snapper Bottom Longline Survey

Geographic Area of Cruise: Gulf of America (Gulf of Mexico)/Atlantic Ocean

Current Location: Baltimore, MD

Date: July 22, 2026 

About Me

Cheyanne is sitting in a sailboat smiling on a sunny day. In the water in the background there are other sailboats.
Sailing in the Baltimore Inner Harbor in November 2025 with the schooner Lady Maryland in the background.

My name is Cheyanne Vanderdonckt and I am a special educator in the Baltimore City Public School System in Baltimore, Maryland. I have been teaching first and second graders at Moravia Park Elementary for 17 years. My favorite thing about my job — besides working with amazing children — is that I get to learn and try new things all the time. I am so excited to have been chosen to go on a wonderful learning adventure this summer aboard NOAA Ship Oregon II with the Teacher at Sea program! I will be participating in the Shark/Red Snapper Bottom Longline Survey departing from Pascagoula, Mississippi on July 27. I have been learning shark facts all year from a couple of my students who are very interested in the topic. When I told them what I would be doing this summer and they heard the word shark, they were in awe. I can’t wait to share my experiences with them!

Why Teacher at Sea?

I have been fascinated by the water and tales of seafaring from a young age. Most of my exploration took the form of voracious reading, but I also found ways to get in or on the water as much as possible. I spent the majority of my childhood in Florida, where I loved to canoe on the rivers with alligators sunning themselves on the shores. In the last couple of years, I have begun learning to sail with a local nonprofit that operates right in downtown Baltimore on the Inner Harbor. As I built my confidence on the water, I started to think about how I could help connect my students with the wealth of opportunities our waterfront provides — from recreation to scientific learning to marine careers.

Most of my students love science and the outdoors. They have the natural curiosity of childhood and they love hands-on exploration. Our lessons inevitably lead to them asking more and more questions. I love being able to say “I don’t know but we can find out!” when a student asks a question that goes beyond the set curriculum lesson for the day. This means that our work has sparked an interest or even a passion. That being said, I also recognize that I need to develop my own scientific literacy if I want to provide them with the highest quality science instruction. Every summer I take advantage of teacher trainings in science to build my own capacity in this area. When I learned about the Teacher at Sea program, I realized that this was the perfect opportunity for my professional growth that would also enable me to bring value experiences back to my students and the wider school community.

What I Hope to Learn and Bring Back to Baltimore

The photo shows a view of the Domino Sugar factory across the water with some sailboats in front of it.
The famous Domino Sugars factory in Baltimore’s Inner Harbor. Having a working port in our city is a great opportunity to connect students with marine careers.

I talk a lot with my students about careers in science, technology, engineering and math (STEM). Information about STEM careers is now embedded in the math and science curricula. However, I notice that many of the pictures presented to students show people indoors, sitting in front of computers or looking at a test tube. We don’t have as many images of scientists working outdoors or engaging in heavier tasks. My students love to move around, be outside, tinker with things, and generally be active. I always emphasize to them how critical reading and writing are to scientific careers. But I also want them to know that being a scientist can be an active career that can involve working outside, going on adventures, getting dirty and engaging in satisfying labor. Because I am a special educator, I am also interested in finding the ways that my students’ different ways of experiencing the world can be an asset in the science of the future.

Having a firsthand experience of a research cruise will help me understand the skill sets involved and the possibilities that await my students. Although they are a bit young to fully comprehend all of the technical details (and — if I’m being honest — I may struggle with it, too!), they will be able to see the types of work that scientists and mariners do at sea. I’m hoping that my work experience will aid me in designing learning experiences that help them learn not just scientific concepts but the types of technical and physical skills needed to succeed in these careers. For instance, the ability to identify and sort different species of fish may be a specialized skill but it is built on the foundations of careful observation and pattern recognition. How can I bring my students engaging experiences that build these skills? How can I keep learning exciting and motivating so that they carry that wonderful curiosity and sense of exploration into their futures? How can I connect them with experiences of our natural world that inspire awe and wonder?

Packing My Bag and Unpacking Big Feelings

In the past couple of weeks, I have been getting more and more information about my upcoming research cruise: what to bring, tasks to complete before leaving, a map of the ship, my shift and room assignment. On a practical level, I am checking and double-checking my packing list. I have a grown son who lives overseas and I have taken over his bedroom as my staging area. I’ve also been digging through his old Boy Scouts camping gear for anything that might come in handy. (He won’t mind that I took his head lamp!) Of course, space is limited, so I must resist the urge to think that I can prepare for any eventuality with more stuff. That’s all part of the learning process. I’ve also met with a Teacher at Sea mentor who answered my questions and assured me that “excited and nervous” are both appropriate feelings at this point. I am feeling just like my students probably do before beginning a new year of school. As teachers, it is not enough to just focus on information. We also have to attend to the emotions involved in learning. Allowing myself to be a beginner at something new and challenging helps remind me that my students are also feeling this way when I ask them to try something new. The support I want right now is the support I need to be prepared to give them.

On Saturday, July 25, I will be flying to Pascagoula, Mississippi, where I will spend two nights before the ship departs on Monday, July 27. Although I lived on the Gulf coast of Florida for 22 years, I have never been to this area before and I’m excited to have a day to explore before I report to the ship. This spring I read The Gulf: The Making of An American Sea by Jack Davis to learn more about this amazing body of water. I learned about the artist Walter Anderson who spent a lot of time on Horn Island. There is a museum dedicated to his work in Ocean Springs that I may have time to visit.

Thank You!

Thank you so much for joining me on this journey. I look forward to sharing everything that I will learn and experience. Although I am the one boarding the ship, I have received so much support from my family, friends, colleagues and administrators that have made all of this possible. I am truly grateful for all of this.