multibeam echo sounder – NOAA Teacher at Sea Blog

July 16, 2022July 19, 2022

Laura Grimm: The Eyes of the Beast, July 16, 2022

NOAA Teacher at Sea

Laura Grimm

Aboard NOAA Ship Thomas Jefferson

July 4 – July 22, 2022

Mission: Hydrographic Survey of Lake Erie

Geographic Area of Cruise: Lake Erie

Date: July 16, 2022

Weather Data from the Bridge

Latitude: 14ᵒ 13.8’ N

Longitude: 080ᵒ 12.6’ W

Sky Conditions: Scattered clouds

Visibility: 10+ miles

Wind Speed: 9.8 knots

Wind Direction: 212ᵒ SW

Lake Temperature: 23.0 ᵒC

Wave Height: 1 ft.

Dry Bulb: 20.6 ᵒC

Wet Bulb: 16.5 ᵒC

Calculated Relative Humidity: 56 %

a section of bathymetric data (color-coded to reflect depth) within polygons overlaid on a political map of Lake Erie off of Presque Isle — Current progress of the hydrographic survey near Presque Isle, PA

Science and Technology Log

There is a lot of technology used in the science of hydrography. Each system and software have a monitor that needs to be checked and manipulated to be sure good data is being acquired. I like to call this array of monitors the “Eyes of the Beast”. At the Acquisition Desk, one can see what each of 10-15 cameras, software programs, navigational systems, and sensors are doing.

A view of 10 computer monitors set up at the Acquisition Desk — *The “Eyes of the Beast”*

A description of what each monitor is connected to will occur below the diagram. I will refer to each monitor by letter.

A grid of boxes lettered A-J (4 on top, 3 in the middle row, 3 on the bottom) — Letters I will refer to as I describe the “Eyes of the Beast”

A = This is where you will find a suite of security-like cameras on the fantail (deck at the stern or back end of the ship) that monitor various pieces of equipment. These include the MVP (Moving Vessel Profiler) and the (SSS) Side Scan Sonar. The MVP and the SSS are attached to different winches on the stern and can be used at the same time. We are currently not using the SSS because the water that is being surveyed is too shallow. The TJ will often use the SSS between 25-40 meters of water. We are surveying water with the MVP that is between 10-20 meters deep.

B = The monitor shows what is going on with a software called “Hypack”. This displays data that has been processed (it is blue and green in this picture) and coverage of data being collected real-time that has yet to be processed (yellow). Blue = water that is between 22-25 meters of depth; Green = water that is between 10-22 meters of depth. It also has the nautical chart displayed in the background showing water (light blue) and land (tan). It helps hydrographers visually keep track of what data has been taken and what still needs to be completed.

C & D = These are currently not conveying any information. They can be used when other sensors like the SSS and a different Multibeam Echo Sounder, referred to as the EM 710 (pronounced “seven-ten”), are in use.

Warning! Warning! Nerd Alert! –

The MBES that we are currently using to acquire data is more technically called the EM 2040 (pronounced “twenty-forty”). It uses between 200-400 kilohertz (kHz) of sound energy. One kHz equals one 1000 hertz (1000 Hz). Therefore, 200 kHz = 200,000 Hz. A hertz is a measurement of frequency of sound or how quickly a wave of sound moves past a fixed point. 1 hertz = 1 cycle per second. The EM 2040 can measure as deep as 300 meters. It is for higher resolution of images in shallow water.
The EM 710 emits sound energy in the range of 70-100 kHz. It is used to survey deeper waters and can image as deep as 2300 meters. The resolution is lower than the 2040.
Increasing kHz = use in shallow water with more resolution
Decreasing kHz = use in deeper water with less resolution

E = This monitor is also linked to the Hypack software. It is used to plan the survey (what “lines” to drive), show the real-time acquisition of data, and help to communicate with the bridge – letting them know where to go next. There is constant conversation between the bridge and the hydrographers in the survey room. They frequently discuss what line should the ship go to next. They also talk over the width of the lines with respect to sonar coverage (and adjust them accordingly) and plan what will happen when there are small fishing vessel or other obstructions (buoys, primarily) in the area.

F = MVPs actions and controls are shown on this monitor. The Hydrographer in Charge (HIC) can also keep an eye on the MVP by looking at camera monitor “A” explained above.

screenshot of a computer display — This is the computer that controls the MVP. The Hydrographer in Charge (HIC) does this from the acquisition desk in the Plot Room. The blue line above shows the movement of the MVP and its location in the water column. It was sent down to 1.5 meters above the floor of the lake.

G = This is the monitor for the Positioning & Attitude System (POS). It provides information with respect to the ship’s position (latitude and longitude), its direction and how it is “sitting” in the water.

Meet the Crew – Erin Cziraki (CHST)

Erin sits at the acquisition desk, with a hand on the computer mouse, looking at one of the many monitors — *Erin Cziraki, Chief Hydrographic Survey Technician (CHST)*

There is a soft spoken, ever pleasant Chief Hydrographic Survey Technician (CHST), who is great at taming the “beast”. Her name is Erin Cziraki. She supervises the survey department that is comprised of 6 members, makes the watch schedules, oversees training, is a mentor to new hydrographers as they work through their first project, compiles a lot of data for reports, and has various other administrative duties. She also stands watch at the data acquisition desk and serves as a substitute when needed. If you need assistance with trouble shooting technical problems or answers to questions regarding hydrographic data, Erin is your go to person! She is very knowledgeable, competent, and approachable.

How long have you been with NOAA? Please explain your school and career path. Erin went to college at Coastal Carolina University and majored in marine science. Her major included classes in marine chemistry, geology, physical oceanography, physical geography, and biology. After graduation, she was unable to secure employment in the field of marine science, so she entered the field of veterinarian medicine. She worked as the customer service supervisor of a veterinarian hospital for 5 years. The dream of working in marine science was ever present, so she went back to school at the local community college to obtain a degree in marine technology after which she got a job with NOAA. She has worked as a hydrographic scientist for four years.

What do you do when you are off the ship? Do you have any hobbies? Erin enjoys scuba diving (in fact, she is an instructor) and enjoys traveling.

You are a role model for others when it comes to following your dream. Thank you, Erin, for your expertise, attention to detail, and service to NOAA.

Literary Connection

Earlier this summer, I read The Lobster Chronicles by Linda Greenlaw. I came across a real-life reason for hydrographic surveys! Read this account of an early 1900s shipwreck off the coast of Maine.

“Soon they were in the midst of a howling northeaster, and a blinding snow squall. It was then that the captain decided, for the safety of his crew and vessel, which were both being wracked by the storm, to try to find safe harbor, a lee from the seas that threatened to pound men and boat to pieces. The southwestern and leeward shore of this mountainous island would have been the ideal place to anchor and wait out the gale, if it hadn’t been for the ledges that peppered the area. From Western Ear to Trail Point, vicious ledges lay just beneath the surface, while other boldly poke their heads above. These remote outcroppings of rocky peaks are surrounded by deceivingly deep water; some rocks are as far as a mile from the coast. The men, convinced that they were doomed if they remained at sea, took their chances at navigating the treacherous gauntlet.”

If only the captain had had access to a NOAA hydrographic survey of the area! He could have navigated the island safely and all souls aboard would have been saved! (Spoiler alert: they all swam to shore safely although they almost froze to death in the frigid waters!)

There are LOTS of books about adventures at sea at your local public library! One of my favorites is The True Confessions of Charlotte Doyle by Avi. Check it out!

For the little Dawgs . . .

Q: Where is Dewey today? Hint: It is important to visit this room to keep your clothes fresh and clean.

Dewey the beanie monkey sits on a grated metal surface — *Oh, no! Dewey it might be dangerous to stay in there!*

A: Dewey is in the laundry room. There are two washers and dryers available to the crew . . . soap and fabric softener are provided. We are asked to only wash full loads and not to use the washer when we are in heavy seas (periods of time when the waves are big).

LAUNDRY 3-22-2 — Sign on the Laundry Room door

Dewey the beanie monkey sits in a dryer — *Dewey in the dryer*

view of two washing machines labeled Washer #2 and Washer #1 — *I hope Dewey doesn’t go exploring and end up in the washing machine!*

Personal Log

One of the questions I have received from my family is, “What is your day like? How do you spend your time?” Well, each day, we receive a Plan of the Day (POD) from the Operations Officer (OPS). It is a schedule of what is happening on ship that day. It also assigns you your watch or duties. I use this information to plan my personal schedule. A typical day for me might look like the following (I will be stating times using a 24-hour clock):

0510 – Rise and Shine

0530 – Report to my watch as a Hydrographer in Charge in Training (HIC-IT) at the Acquisition Station in the Plot Room

0730 – my watch is over, and it is time for breakfast

0800 through 1130 – I usually work on my blog post, interview crew members, hang out on the Bridge, do whatever it takes to learn about all aspects of living and working on Thomas Jefferson. There are often meetings scheduled for the morning that I am not expected to attend.

1130 – Lunch

1200 through 1630 – I attend various safety training sessions, observe what others are doing on the ship (like yesterday when I watched the Ensigns training in the Fast Rescue Boat), safety drills, work on blog posts, etc. This is also the time when I work out in the Exercise Room, take a shower, and/or do laundry.

1630 – Dinner

1700-1930 – Continue the work that was started earlier in the day, read, play a card game, enjoy looking out at the lake, or sometimes we have a “Morale Event” like BINGO or a movie. If we have good cell phone coverage, I call my family.

1930 – Bedtime!

It is a full day! Everyday is different, and you can be sure I am learning tons and making friends. To be honest, sometimes I forget that I am on a ship, especially when the waves are small.

Ship Joke of the Day

Q: What do you call a boat owned by a bunch of football players?

A: Sportsman-ship!

June 15, 2017

Chris Murdock: Calibration Time! June 9, 2017

NOAA Teacher at Sea

Chris Murdock

Aboard NOAA Ship Oregon II

June 7 – June 20, 2017

Mission: SEAMAP Groundfish Survey

Geographic Area of Cruise: Gulf of Mexico

Date: June 9, 2017

Weather Data from the Bridge

Latitude: 27.193 N
Longitude: 93.133 W
Water Temperature: 28.8 C
Wind Speed: 10.5 knots
Wind Direction: 92.59 degrees
Visibility: 10nm
Air Temperature: 25.9 C
Barometric Pressure: 1012.6 mbar
Sky: Clear

Science and Technology Log

Prior to our departure from Pascagoula, the ship anchored approximately 8 miles off the coast in order to run a calibration test. This is done in order to calibrate the ship’s multi-beam echosounders. Echosounders emit sound waves downward towards the ocean floor that measure and record the time it takes an acoustic wave signal to travel to the ocean floor, bounce off, and return back to the receiver. Think of this like a dolphin’s echolocation. Dolphins emit sound waves that bounce off objects and allow the dolphin to determine the distance that object is. As you can imagine, this is incredibly important!

How an echosounder works Source: noaa.gov

IMG_4317[1] — The *Oregon II* echosounders

The entire calibration process takes a long time, and that time drastically varies depending on the amount of sensors a ship has. The Oregon II has two echosounders, so this whole process took roughly 6-8 hours. The calibration process works like this: Calibration requires deploying one or more calibration spheres under the ship. These are lowered into deep waters, or in wave terms the farfield (the outer limits of the sensors). Each sensor is tethered to a series of down-riggers mounted on the upper deck of the ship, on both the starboard (right) and port (left) sides of the ship. This essentially centers the sphere allowing the operator to control where under the boat the calibration sphere is. The controllers of the down-riggers move the spheres in specific locations until the sensor on deck is fully calibrated.

IMG_4131[1] — Diagram of calibration set up (Noaa.gov)

Calibration sphere (Noaa.gov)

Downrigger system (Noaa.gov)

The calibration of the echosounders is vital to the success of this study, as well as studies like hydrography. Knowing the proper depth of the ocean underneath the ship is used to determine when and where to trawl for stock assessment (which I will talk about in later blog posts!)

Personal Log

So far, life aboard the Oregon II has been smooth sailing (pun intended). We finished the sensor calibration on Wednesday, and have spent the past two days traveling to our first sampling location, so I have had sufficient time to become acclimated to the way things work out in open waters. Thankfully, I am used to being on a rocking ship, so I don’t foresee seasickness being an issue (fingers crossed). I have gotten to know most of the crew, as well as all of the other volunteers aboard the ship. Most of the volunteers/interns are graduate students from schools scattered around the south. I look forward to sitting down with each of them to learn more about their specific fields of study and why they chose marine science.

It has been nice to have this downtime, because it has allowed me to become familiar with how things work on board. With the calibration and travel time, I have really fallen in love with being out on the open water. I spent most of my time on the flying bridge of the Oregon II, or as many of the crew call it the “steel beach”. There is a plethora of workout equipment up there, as well as chairs to have a cup of coffee between shifts. Exercising on the top of a rocking boat is not easy! I have come to find it quite peaceful, however. There is something about being able to look out at the vastness of the open water, with only the occasional speckling of oil rigs and tankers off in the distance, that allows you to separate yourself from everything else and be in that moment. Sometimes, I even spot large numbers of flying fish leap from the boat’s wake and travel just above the surface of the water for large distances, only to watch them disappear into the blue void. For a Midwestern kid, they are truly fascinating animals.

IMG_4232[1] — Stairs from the bottom deck up to the crew’s lounge

IMG_4095[1] — TAS Chris Murdock wearing helmet and life jacket

Yesterday was also the time for our first series of drills. We conducted a fire safety drill, as well as the all-important abandon ship drill. In the later, we don our survival suits and life jackets and head to muster (gather) at the bow of the ship (remembering the directions and other ship lingo is taking a little bit to get used to, but after the first day or so it has just become second nature. Port is left, starboard is right, the bow is the front, and the stern is the back). You then have two minutes to properly put it on. The suit itself looks and feels like a giant red Gumby costume, but immediately you can see the benefit of it. It completely surrounds your body with watertight neoprene, and has specially located lights and floats to keep you insulated and on the surface of the water. While you may think the Gulf is very warm (it is), the temperature is roughly 86 degrees Fahrenheit, which is about 12 degrees colder than your core body temperature. In the event that you would have to abandon ship that 12 degree difference would eventually take its toll on you and you could become hypothermic. We do drills like this on a weekly basis to keep our skills sharp. Hopefully we never need them!

FBNH3430[1] — A view like this never gets old

In just a few hours I will begin my first shift on deck collecting data for a stock assessment. I am both excited and nervous. Nervous in the sense of not knowing what to expect, but I cannot wait to get started. While I have loved the downtime to learn the ways of the ship and get to know the crew, I know that it will not last. This type of work is going to be very new to me, and the hours very long. While it is most certainly intimidating, I cannot wait to begin this very important scientific work.

Did You Know?

The deepest part of the Gulf of Mexico is an area known as the Sigsbee Deep. At its deepest, it is more than 12,000 feet! At more than 300 miles long, it is commonly referred to as the “Grand Canyon under the sea”. (Source-Encyclopedia Britannica)

June 28, 2009April 5, 2021

Kristin Joivell, June 27, 2009

NOAA Teacher at Sea
Kristin Joivell
Onboard NOAA Ship Fairweather
June 15 – July 1, 2009

Mission: Hydrographic Survey
Geographical area of cruise: Shumagin Islands, Alaska
Date: June 27-28, 2009

The engine room is a busy, confusing, and crowded place, but the engineers know how to maintain every one of the machines.

Weather Data from the Bridge
Position: East of Big Koniuji Island
Clouds: clear
Visibility: 10+ miles
Wind: variable and light
Waves: less than 1 foot
Temperature: 11.2 dry bulb
Temperature: 9.0 wet bulb
Barometer: 1019.2

Science and Technology Log

The engine room of the ship is a very important place. If the machines located there aren’t working, the ship isn’t going to be going very far. I took a tour of engineering and explored the area with one of the engineers. The first impression that I got about the engine room is that you really need to be good with your hands and mechanically minded to work in this area. There are so many different machines that must be maintained, repaired, and monitored that it seems pretty overwhelming when you first walk in. Even though much information about the machines is displayed on a master control board overlooking the engine room, it’s difficult to figure out where each of the machines is located. It’s almost like a whole other world under the floor where the majority of the crew works and lives.

Here I am climbing out of the engineering department using an escape trunk. This pathway is centrally located for easy escapes.

If there is a problem in engineering like a fire or water leak, there are self sealing doors to isolate and contain the problem. The situation is contained to the lower levels of the ship and spread is limited and slow. The engineers can escape from the area using hatches. Crew members are very careful not to place anything on the escape hatches just in case an accident occurs. Safety plays a big part in the engineering department and in the entire ship. It is very important to follow certain procedures for everyone’s safety. The ship has two engines and two generators. Each of these pieces of machinery is large and extensive. Much of the control panel is dedicated to information about their state. Interestingly enough, the two engines are actually train engines and the generators are from General Motors. Both of these, especially the generators, seem to be larger versions of the same land based machines. The engines have seven oil filters apiece. These, naturally, must be changed similar to your personal vehicle. Each of the oil filters is almost two feet long! Many are kept in supply for maintenance purposes.

This is one of the unused oil filters for the main engines of the ship. You can see other filters in the storage room as well.

But, the engineers are not just in charge of the engines, generators, and the other machines that make the ship move through the water. They also must maintain, repair, and monitor the refrigeration, air conditioning, heating, electricity, and plumbing on the ship. Additionally, they are in charge of keeping the five small boats on the ship operating correctly. The ship has two launches, two smaller boats, and one skiff. Each of these presents its own specific problems to maintain. Each of the boats has an engine system that must be maintained. They must be fueled and checked after each day’s work. Anything that breaks must be repaired immediately so that the work on the ship can continue on schedule.

I helped repair one of the smaller boats that was not starting correctly. First, the problem must be diagnosed. So, we used a multimeter to get readings from electrical connections. Salt water corrodes wires quickly. Even though engineer decided to try to clean the components with a wire brush and a knife to create better connections. We cleaned the existing corrosion, but the boat still did not start properly. Next, the engineer predicted that the starter could be the problem since much of the connections to it were very rusty and dirty. We took out the starter and replaced it with a new one; the boat started! It was a relief to be able to use the boat the next day. Without the work of the engineers, the ship would have been short one boat for a period of time. This would prevent work from being completed and put the ship behind schedule; a lot of money would be wasted on operations being incomplete.

I’m lending a hand to repair a boat engine. The batteriesmust be disconnected for safety when working with the starter and other electrical equipment.

Personal Log

Safety on the ship is something that is not taken lightly in engineering or anywhere else. Drills are conducted periodically to ensure that crew members know what to do when an emergency occurs. There are drills for fire, man overboard, and abandon ship. For each drill, each person on board is assigned a meeting spot, called a muster, and function. There are also alternate musters for each emergency in case the first muster is compromised in some way.

Fire drills are important to practice. It’s interesting to note that even though the ship is surrounded by water, fire is one of the most difficult problems to deal with onboard. The ship basically has mini fire stations set up throughout the ship to deal with the emergency. Standard firefighting gear is located at these stations. Certain crew members are assigned to wear the turnout gear and operate the hoses or extinguishers during the drills. Recently, a burned bag of microwave popcorn set off the fire alarm, so these alarms are sensitive!

Practicing the proper technique with a fire hose. These hose stations are located in a variety of spaces all around the ship.

Another situation that can occur is when someone falls overboard. Quick retrieval is very important especially here in Alaska due to the cold temperatures. Different crew members are assigned to be lookouts during a man overboard drill to help with the location of the man overboard. If you see someone when you are a lookout, you must point and alert the bridge to the person’s location to ensure a speedy retrieval. Life preservers are on hand at a variety of locations to throw to the person in the water. The ship also has a line launching device that you can use to shoot a line a lot further than humanly possible. This device is powered by compressed air and shoots the line quite far from the ship.

The last resort in an emergency is to abandon the ship. Since the waters here are so cold, we must be ready to don our emergency suits. I had the chance to practice putting on my suit during a drill. The suit is made of special material that can protect you even in the coldest water. Some of the material seemed similar to a thick wetsuit. You must be able to don the suit quickly and efficiently. The feet are part of the suit, but the arms have tight seals and then you put on mittens separately. There is even a cover for your face that only lets your eyes peek out. As I practiced putting mine on, I got very sweaty, so it seemed to be doing its job already.

Practicing using the line launching device. This tool is helpful in getting help to a man overboard quickly and efficiently.

Create Your Own NOAA Experiment at Home
The crew of a NOAA ship practices emergency drills and you can do these at home, too. In the unlikely event of an emergency, your family can be well prepared and organized. It is always good to be prepared for an emergency; you think more clearly when well prepared.

Did you ever stop and wonder what you should do if your house is on fire? How will you get out of the house? You should have more than one way to get out just in case the first path is compromised. Do you have a meeting place, or muster, for your family? Where is it? Who will bring the pets outside with the family? Where will you call 911 from? Remember, you shouldn’t call from your house if it is on fire; call from a neighbor’s house or cell phone outside your house. You can create an emergency plan for your family and have fire drills periodically.

What about if there is a homeland security emergency? Who is going to pick you up from school? Where will you go to wait for the emergency to be over? Do you have supplies like food and water ready? Who will get the pets and bring them with you? You can create a plan and have drills for this type of emergency as well. That way, if something happens, nobody gets left behind and your family will be comfortable and secure.

Here I am in my emergency suit. This suit can protect you even in the coldest waters. Along with life preservers, hats, and coats, suits must be brought to life raft musters during abandon ship drills.

June 23, 2009April 5, 2021

Kristin Joivell, June 23, 2009

NOAA Teacher at Sea
Kristin Joivell
Onboard NOAA Ship Fairweather
June 15 – July 1, 2009

Mission: Hydrographic Survey
Geographical area of cruise: Shumagin Islands, Alaska
Date: June 23, 2009

The mess hall is a place where people tend to gather.

Weather Data from the Bridge
Position: Northwest Harbor
Clouds: overcast
Visibility: 10 miles
Wind: 10 knots
Waves: less than 1 foot
Temperature: 8.5 dry bulb
Temperature: 7.2 wet bulb
Barometer: 1008.0

Science and Technology Log

Disposing of all the trash made by people from eating, working, and other day to day tasks was something I was wondering about. So, I asked crew members on the deck department how all this waste was disposed of. They showed me the incinerator. The incinerator is the main device for dealing with waste management at sea, but if the amount of trash builds up too much, it is dealt with when the ship arrives back in port.

Here, I’m readying cardboard to be placed in the ship’s incinerator. As you can see in the bottom right corner, trash tends to build up rather quickly. This picture was taken in the morning and the line up of trash to be incinerated was already building.

The incinerator burns waste at very high temperatures of 850 degrees Celsius to 1150 degrees Celsius. If you’re not familiar with the Celsius scale (like me), you won’t realize that that equals 1562 degrees Fahrenheit to 2102 degrees Fahrenheit! The high temperatures are created using diesel as fuel with air vents helping to ventilate the fire as it burns. The ash that is left when the waste is done burning takes up much less volume than the waste did and it is disposed of when the ship arrives back in port. There is a central location on deck near the incinerator for trash collection. Personal trash from state rooms can be placed there in bags for disposal. The trash from the kitchen, deck, bridge, and survey departments are also place there. Workers from the deck department burn the trash in the incinerator periodically throughout the day. If the ship didn’t have an incinerator, the trash on board would build up very high and very quickly! Each day since I came on board, there is a pile of waste to be incinerated. From cardboard boxes, to printer paper and food waste, to used rags from cleaning, most materials are disposed of in the incinerator.

The ship also has a collection area for recycling. There are collection bins for glass, metal, aerosol cans, and batteries in a central location near the mess hall. However, plastics are incinerated. The temperatures in the incinerator are so high it seems that the plastic is basically vaporized. Naturally, there is also a filter on the exhaust pipe of the incinerator so that toxins do not enter the atmosphere. Additionally, the ship is going to begin recycling plastics in the near future.

Here I am examining the ship’s food stores. This is the fresh fruit and vegetable section of the cooler, but there are many other sections as well.

Personal Log

People may be wondering how it is possible to feed almost 50 people everyday without stopping at the grocery store. I found that the Fairweather is well equipped to deal with everyone’s food needs and more! I took a tour of the storage facilities and found them equivalent to a small grocery store. There are stockpiles of dairy, meats, fresh fruit and vegetables, breads, freezer storage, and dry storage. According to the Chief Cook, the ship could theoretically sail for up to 60 days without going to a port if necessary.

Every day, there are three main meals and two between meal snack times offered. Fresh fruits and vegetables are in large supply; most foods are not prepackaged, but are created on the ship. Vegetarian choices are available at every meal. Coffee, tea, milk, water, and a variety of fruit drinks are always available any time of day or night. Condiments in abundance are located on every table, too, and not just ketchup and mustard. Different kinds of salad dressing are also available in the mess refrigerator at every meal.

The first meal of the day is breakfast. Breakfast is served from 7 to 8 in the morning. Each day at breakfast, there are a large variety of foods offered. Today’s breakfast choices were as follows: fresh fruit, grits, bacon and ham, vegetarian sausage, French toast, hash browns, made to order eggs, breakfast sandwiches, and omelets, and hot and cold cereal. I always get the fresh fruit because I love the blueberries and pineapple! Then, there is a midmorning snack offered sometime between breakfast and lunch. These snacks are usually coffee cakes or breads. Today’s snack was apple bread with nuts. It was made from scratch with fresh ingredients!

I chose a lemon blueberry jelly roll for dessert! Yum!

Next, lunch occurs from 12 to 12:30pm. Each day at lunch, there are usually salads, soup, a choice of two main courses with a vegetarian alternative, side dishes of pastas, potatoes, or rice, and a side dish of vegetables. Today’s lunch menu included the following: kielbasa and kale soup, grilled reuben, grilled pastrami and Swiss sandwich, grilled cheese, and tater tots. I love it that there is a vegetarian choice; even though I am not a vegetarian, I try to limit my meat intake. After that, an afternoon snack is offered sometime between lunch and dinner. These snacks are usually cookies. Today’s snack was chocolate chip and peanut butter cookies. They were still warm when they were offered.

Finally, dinner is from 5 to 5:30. Dinner choices include a main dish and a vegetarian alternative, a variety of side dishes, and a dessert prepared on the ship. As with all of the other meals and snacks, there is a focus on freshly prepared food instead of prepackaged items. Today’s dinner menu included the following: mustard crusted rack of lamb, paella de marisco, herb cheese stuffed eggplant, creamy orzotto, sautéed bok choy, and lemon blueberry jelly roll for dessert. It’s hard to resist dessert because it’s so freshly made and delicious, so I usually have dessert at dinner, but avoid the two snack times during the day.

Additionally, the mess hall has facilities that are available for snacking at any time of the day or night. Salad ingredients, ice cream, frozen burritos and hot pockets, cold cereals, and fresh fruit are always ready to be eaten. If you’re not careful, you can be overwhelmed with all of the food choices on board and gain a lot of weight while at sea! Speaking to the crew about food is interesting. Many of the crew has not so fond memories about “other” ocean ships that they have been on that did not offer such wonderful food choices. Some crew members expressed the feelings that the morale of the crew basically depends on the food. I can see how a long trip at sea can be made more comfortable with the knowledge that the food will be great!

Create Your Own NOAA Experiment at Home

NOAA ships use the Celsius scale to measure temperatures, but many people in the United States use the Fahrenheit scale. You probably think of a day that is 100 degrees Fahrenheit outside as a hot, summer day, but did you know that this equals 37.8 degrees Celsius? A cold, winter day is usually about 35 degrees Fahrenheit, but that is equal to 1.8 degrees Celsius. You can use a website from NOAA to easily convert Fahrenheit to Celsius and vice versa. Just go to http://www.wbuf.noaa.gov/tempfc.htm and type a number into either the Fahrenheit or Celsius box. Then, click off the box and the temperature is automatically converted for you. Try typing in temperature that you are familiar with like your body temperature (about 99 degrees Fahrenheit), the temperature that water freezes (32 degrees Fahrenheit), and the temperature that water boils (100 degrees Celsius).

You can also use a formula to convert temperatures. This is helpful if you don’t have the internet.

For Fahrenheit to Celsius, use this formula

For Celsius to Fahrenheit, use this formula

Many thermometers also are scaled for both Fahrenheit and Celsius, so that you can read both temperatures on the thermometer itself.

June 22, 2009April 5, 2021

Kristin Joivell, June 22, 2009

NOAA Teacher at Sea
Kristin Joivell
Onboard NOAA Ship Fairweather
June 15 – July 1, 2009

Mission: Hydrographic Survey
Geographical area of cruise: Shumagin Islands, Alaska
Date: June 21-22, 2009

The Fairweatherrests at anchor in Northwest Harbor.

Weather Data from the Bridge
Position: Northwest Harbor
Clouds: Mostly Clear
Visibility: 10+ miles
Wind: 13 knots
Waves: less than 1 foot
Temperature: 8.2 dry bulb
Temperature: 7.2 wet bulb
Barometer: 1007.0

Science and Technology Log

Launches are excellent for collecting data near the shoreline, but the Fairweather is better at open water data collection. The polygons are larger, but the ship must still be traveling at approximately 6 knots for optimum results. The ship also uses the multibeam to sweep the ocean floor, just like the launches. Of course, multiple computer screens are again necessary to monitor data collection on the ship. Also similar to the launches and their CTD’s, the ship uses a device called a Moving Vessel Profile (MVP) that collects information about sound velocity as it is dropped through the water. It is commonly called the “fish” since it is dropped into the water and manipulated to “swim” at different depths for data collection.

Here I am dislplaying the MVP or “fish” that will be deployed periodically throughout data collection to measure sound velocity, temperature, and pressure of the water.

A definite advantage of the MVP is that the fish can be deployed while the ship is moving; however, the launch must be stopped to use the CTD. Additionally, the MVP measures sound velocity directly where as the CTD collects data that must be plugged into a formula to calculate the measurement for sound velocity. Data collected from both the launches and the ship must be processed and converted. Much of the data processing involves moving data uploaded from launches into networked folders. At times while I watched data processing, there were too many folders open on multiple computer screens for me to personally keep track of. Also, I noticed certain data sets being converted from one form to another. Sometimes, the data conversion takes a long time so computers must be marked so nobody interrupts the conversion process. Patience, computer literacy, and organization skills are a must for working on data processing!

In this picture I’m attempting to clean “dirty” data. The screen on the left shows a 3D image of the ocean floor. The screen on the right shows a 2D image of the ocean floor that is color coded based on depth. As you can see, dirty dishes also tend to collect when cleaning dirty data!

Another part of working with data collected from the launches and the ship involves cleaning “dirty” data. Even through the best efforts to collect data, pings are sometimes lost or interference occurs. Perhaps the speed of the vessel exceeded 6 knots or maybe there was a section of the water with an unusual density. So, a software program called Caris is used to work with the data on a dual screen computer. The ocean floor that is color coded by depth can be viewed on one screen. Then, the person working with the data selects small segments of the ocean floor to view on the other screen. The plane of the ocean floor and all of the pings are shown in a variety of color scales. Data that is very accurate at a high confidence level can be shown in violet, but the lower the confidence level gets, the further up the spectrum the colors are shown. Many people choose to show different lines of pings in different colors to make it easier to see how many times the same section of the ocean floor was swept.

The person working on the computer can choose to delete certain pings, especially if they were located at the far end of the multibeam. These pings are more likely to be lost or misrepresent the depth. Additionally, a measurement can be taken on the screen with a ruler tool to determine if a group of pings are within specification limits. If they are not, a segment of data can be designated for further investigation. The person working on this must make many decisions, so it is important to be able to infer information from data as you work.

Personal Log

Paddling my kayak in the ocean through Northwest Harbor in the Shumagin Islands

I went sea kayaking a few years ago in Mexico, but sea kayaking in Alaska is by far more dangerous. Even though the kayaks are paddled the same way and I could keep the boat balanced relatively easily, the danger of flipping over and freezing to death in the sea water is a constant thought. The beauty of the islands as I paddled near them was mesmerizing. The Shumagin Islands look like something out of a prehistoric world. I keep expecting to see a dinosaur walking up one of the rocky hillsides. I didn’t see any prehistoric creatures on the kayak, but I did see some puffins, a seal, and a wide variety of other seabirds too far away for identification. Kelp was also floating around in abundance. I should mention that I was sea kayaking from about 8:30 to 11:00pm, but it was still daylight the whole time. It is near the summer solstice, so daylight lasts for about 18 hours or so each day. Right now, the sun is rising at about 6:00am each morning and setting at about 11:30 each night. It is really unusual to be out on a sea kayak in bright daylight in the middle of the night!

Create Your Own NOAA Experiment at Home
You can use simple items from your kitchen to see how cold the water in Alaska feels. You will need some ice water, a thermometer, and a bowl. First, put the ice in the bowl and pour the water over it. Next, place the thermometer in the bowl with the ice water. Wait until the temperature goes down to about 45 degrees Fahrenheit. Now, place your bare hand in the ice water. How does it feel? Try it with a glove on. Do you feel a difference? Remember, your body temperature is about 98 degrees Fahrenheit, so you are putting your hand into water that is about half your body temperature. Can you imagine how it would feel to fall into this water?