National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration – Page 14

May 10, 2013August 11, 2021

Angela Greene: “The Tale of My Whale” May 9, 2013

NOAA Teacher at Sea
Angela Greene
Aboard NOAA Ship Gordon Gunter
April 29-May 11, 2013

Mission: Northern Right Whale Survey
Geographical Area of Cruise: Atlantic Ocean out of Woods Hole, MA
Date: May 9, 2013

Weather Data from the Bridge: Air Temperature- 12°C, Sea Temperature- 8.96°C, Wind Speed- 11.61 knots, Relative Humidity- 95%, Barometric Pressure- 1014.79mb.

Science and Technology Log:
Wednesday was beautiful. The air was cold, the skies were blue, and the sea was calm. Most importantly: no fog. Sei whales seemed to be popping up everywhere. Then I saw it. The classic “V” shaped blow, a North Atlantic Right Whale. Not our first one of the trip, but the first in a few days.

I sighted the blow at about 345° off the bow of the ship, and she was swimming toward us. The frenzy began. Our chief scientist, Allison Henry, grabbed the Canon Digital Camera with the 500 mm fixed zoom lens, and began capturing images of the right whale. Remarkably, yet unofficially, she could identify the whale through the lens of the camera. It was a female named Columbine. She was not alone. Columbine had a calf with her!

Side Blow — Side view of blow shot by me! Under NOAA Fisheries Permit # 775-1875

The calf swam very close to its mother and seemed to be rolling over on its back, flapping its flippers in the air. The whales don’t seem to be bothered by our large ship being near them.

The small boats were not launched in pursuit of Columbine for two reasons. Allison knew that both animals had already been biopsy sampled, so no need to repeat that process. Also, it is not wise to tag and follow a whale that is raising a calf.

North Atlantic Right Whale (Columbine’s calf) Photo Credit- Allison Henry taken under NOAA fisheries permit # 775-1875

Allison contributes photos collected in the field to the North Atlantic Right Catalogue that is maintained by The New England Aquarium. The aquarium maintains a searchable public database of right whale photos, sightings, and body descriptions. There is also a quick whale identification activity to practice photo identification of right whales.

I was dazzled by the flips and turns of Columbine’s calf. Giving a whale an official name is a complicated process that is the responsibility of The New England Aquarium and the North Atlantic Right Whale Consortium. However, I would like to unofficially name this baby “Arrow”.

Personal Log: This is my final blog post as a 2013 NOAA Teacher at Sea. I have learned a tremendous amount about marine mammals, but probably my most valuable lesson I have gained from this trip, a lesson I want to take back to my students, is about the nature of biological fieldwork.

I have learned that no two jobs are the same. Biological fieldwork is as different as the organisms being studied or sampled. I have put in some time looking at the way field biologist work, and each job has its own set of unique challenges and protocols. The process of sampling North Atlantic Right Whales in a vast ocean couldn’t be further from the process of surveying Lake Erie Water Snakes, identifying tree species in an upland forest, trudging through fast moving rivers for Hellbender salamanders, rummaging through scat to identify elk, moose, and pronghorn, or scaling walls at night for arachnids. I find it fascinating to look at the many faces of fieldwork.

Me and Allison — Me and my chief scientist, Allison Henry Photo Credit- Sarah Fortune

There is, however, one common characteristic among my collection of field biologists that I have noticed. It’s an unusual sense of drive about the work. You can see it in their eyes when they’re on the job. No matter what the conditions, the fieldwork must get done, the sample must get collected, the photo must be shot, and the data must be recorded. It’s a maniacal quest for answers. It’s passion.

I would like to take this opportunity to thank so many people! Thank you Allison Henry, my chief scientist, for all the lessons, the laughs, and the whales! Thank you to all the NOAA scientists on board, Dave, Jen, Beth, Samara and Eric. Thank you to all the WHOI scientists on board, Mark, Nadine, Lauren, Sarah, and Chris. Thank you to the NOAA Corps officers, the Captain and Crew aboard the NOAA Ship Gordon Gunter. Thank you to everyone in the NOAA Teacher at Sea office. Also I would like to thank all my blog followers, especially my Tecumseh Middle School 8^th graders, and my family! I will be home soon with another adventure under my belt!

The end of my time on the NOAA Ship Gordon Gunter, Teacher at Sea 2013- Photo Credit Dave Morin

May 8, 2013August 11, 2021

Angela Greene: “I’ll have 3000 Big Macs, please.” May 7, 2013

NOAA Teacher at Sea
Angela Greene
Aboard NOAA Ship Gordon Gunter
April 29-May 11, 2013

Mission: Northern Right Whale Survey
Geographical Area of Cruise: Atlantic Ocean out of Woods Hole, MA
Date: May 7, 2013

Weather Data from the Bridge: Air Temperature – 12.20°C or 54°F, Sea Temperature 10.16°C or 50°F, Wind Speed- 9.24 kts, Relative Humidity 94%, Barometric Pressure- 1021.05 mb.

Science and Technology Log: Whale work can be intense and exciting, or slow and frustrating. A good day at work is when the weather cooperates the same time the whales cooperate. So far no one is playing nice. Fog has been the enemy for the last two days, making flying-bridge operations nearly impossible. Unless a whale swims up to our ship and jumps in for lunch, we aren’t going to be able to see it. Our watch efforts get moved to the bridge where the ship is controlled, and while it’s a good time chatting with the NOAA Corps officers, I’d rather be sighting whales.

Fog — The fog comes
on little cat feet.
It sits looking over harbor and city
on silent haunches
and then moves on.
Carl Sandburg

For me however, this ship is like a small university on the sea with free tuition. Everyone here knows much more than I do about science, so days like these are spent asking questions. I wanted to focus this blog post on a question that came from my Tecumseh Middle School eighth grade students. They have been following my blog and following the NOAA Ship Gordon Gunter using the NOAA Ship Tracker. The ship tracker can be used to locate any ship in the NOAA fleet on its current cruise or in the last twelve months. Current weather data from the ship can also be displayed.

The current cruise of the NOAA Ship Gordon Gunter. Screen shot courtesy of NOAA Ship Tracker

My students noticed that our ship was staying near the continental shelf, or Georges Bank, and wanted to know if it would be a better idea to look for whales in deeper ocean. I turned to Woods Hole Oceanographic Institute scientist onboard, Dr. Mark Baumgartner (yet another superhero), for answers. He basically told me, the whales go where the food is most abundant.

North Atlantic Right Whales eat a zooplankton named Calanus finmarchicus or just Calanus. This tiny crustacean is packed with lots of calories in an internal structure called a lipid sac. In order to grow and develop a hearty lipid sac, the Calanus require lots of phytoplankton. In order to be a yummy and nutritious treat for the Calanus, the phytoplankton need nutrients in the form of nitrogen and phosphorous, water, and sunlight. Nutrients and water are abundant for the phytoplankton, but in order to get the needed sunlight for photosynthesis, the phytoplankton must be as close to sunlight as possible.

Simply put the food chain links together like this: sunlight (source of energy), phytoplankton (producer), Calanus (primary consumer), and right whale (secondary consumer). The topography of the ocean near Georges Bank and the weather over the North Atlantic provide two things for this simple food chain: upwelling and wind.

Upwelling is a phenomenon that occurs in ocean waters when wind and a continental structure circulate water, allowing the cold nutrient rich water on the bottom to replace water on the top. The phytoplankton at the bottom essentially get a free ride to the top of the ocean where they are able perform photosynthesis. The Calanus can feed on the nutrient rich phytoplankton, and the whales can feed on the Calanus. This cycling allows the whales to feed close to the surface, where they need to be in order to breathe. If a whale has to dive deep for food, energy is wasted on the dive. It is more efficient to be able to get a good meal as close to the surface as possible.

big mac — Right Whales need the caloric equivalent of 3000 Big Macs per day. I’m lovin it! Image credit- MacDonalds

According to Dr. Baumgartner, a Northern Right Whale needs to eat 1-2 billion Calanus per day. This amount of zooplankton has the same weight as a wet Volkswagen beetle, and is the caloric equivalent of eating 3000 Big Macs per day. So there you have it, TMS 8^th graders. The whales go where the food is…

Me with Dr. Mark Baumgartner
Photo Credit-Eric Matzen

Personal Log: Still holding out for “The Big Day”, the day we can take the small boats out again. If it doesn’t happen, I will be happy for the experience I had on the Gordon Gunter. Sure would be awesome, though…

May 7, 2013August 11, 2021

Melanie Lyte: On the Brink of an Adventure at Sea! May 7, 2013

NOAA Teacher at Sea
Melanie Lyte
Aboard NOAA Ship Gordon Gunter
May 20 – 31, 2013

Mission: Right Whale Survey, Great South Channel
Geographical Area of Cruise: North Atlantic
Date: May 14, 2013

Personal Log

Hello, from Castleton, New York. My name is Melanie Lyte and I am a first grade teacher at Bell Top Elementary School . I am very fortunate to teach in a school of dedicated staff where creativity and innovation is fostered, and embraced. My principal, Jim McHugh, was the one who urged me to apply for the NOAA Teacher at Sea program, and I am grateful to him for his support and encouragement. Although Bell Top is a public school, many of the yearly activities our students are involved in are unique, especially in a public school setting. With funds from a NSTA administered Toyota Tapestry Grant we built a Learning Barn on our school grounds. The barn, built uniquely using both Dutch and English architectural styles so students can compare the two ways, houses an evaporator for a school wide maple sugaring project, as well as cider press for making apple cider in the fall. We also have amazing parental support at our school, a very active PTO, and of course the best kids in the world walk through our doors each day!

Bell Top Elementary School,Troy, NY — Bell Top Elementary School, Troy NY

I originally applied to be a teacher at sea because I love science and adventure, and I love to bring my experiences outside the classroom back to enrich my students. In the last few years I have camped in the jungles of Sumatra, Indonesia, hiked and kayaked in Alaska, visited the rain forests of Brazil, and traveled to China. I believe we must expose our children to the the broader world, and the natural world around them in order to foster a curiosity about far away places, and love and appreciation for our earth. We need to feed every student’s innate sense of wonder and excitement for the world around them.

My friend Harold and I on top of a volcano in Sumatra, Indonesia.

I think the opportunity to work with real scientists doing research will be a life changing event for me, and I am even more enthused because the mission of this voyage, conducting a right whale survey in the North Atlantic, is perfect for my first graders! What child doesn’t get excited about whales?!?! I am also very fortunate to teach with my partner in first grade, Sarah Lussier. She and I truly have a the best teaching partnership imaginable, and we, and our students, are enriched by it. To prepare our students for my upcoming voyage, we have been learning all we can about right whales, and whales in general. We painted a right whale and whale calf on the parking lot at school (that was an adventure in itself – think 42 first graders with paint brushes and black concrete paint). The students also researched right whales, created diagrams of the whale, and developed informational posters of what they learned. I think the consensus of the students is that right whales are “really cool, but a little lazy, and kind of ugly.” (as one of my first graders so eloquently put it). They are fascinated by the callosities on the whales and are saddened that the whales sit on top of the water so often and are in danger of being hit by boats. While I’m at sea the students in both our classrooms will be working on many other whale related activities, as well as following my blog.

Right whale calf created by first graders at BellTop Elementary School.

Categorizing toothed and baleen whales by the first graders at Bell Top School

Whale Facts by first graders at Bell Top School.

Whale Sizes by the first graders at Bell Top School.

So in less than two weeks my adventure at sea will begin! I will be joining head scientist Allison Henry and the crew of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) on Gordon Gunter out of Boston MA. We will be conducting a North Atlantic Right whale survey, but I have been told we will see other whales as well such as humpback, sei, and minke. I can’t wait to explore the ocean with scientists, and learn all I can about the creatures who live there. I hope you will join me on my adventure by reading my blogs while I’m at sea.

NOAA Ship Gordon Gunter (photo credit NOAA)

May 6, 2013August 11, 2021

Frank Hubacz: Unimak Pass, May 4, 2013

NOAA Teacher at Sea
Frank Hubacz
Aboard NOAA ship Oscar Dyson
April 29 – May 10, 2013

Mission: Pacific Marine Environmental Laboratory Mooring Deployment and Recovery

Geographical Area of Cruise: Gulf of Alaska and the Bering Sea

Date: May 5, 2013

Weather Data from the Bridge (0300):

Partly cloudy, S Winds, variable, currently 3.71 knots
Air Temperature 2.8C

Relative Humidity 73%

Barometer 1025.1 mb

Surface Water Temperature 0.10 C

Surface Water Salinity 31.66 PSU

Seas up to 5 ft

Science and Technology Log

Once we completed our mooring work from Gore Point through to Pavlof Bay, we sailed on to Unimak Pass, nearly 400 miles away, and then entered into the Bering Sea. Unimak Pass is a strait (wide gap) between the Bering Sea and the North Pacific Ocean in the Aleutian Island chain of Alaska. Upon arrival at our first station, we started the process of deploying our CTD sampling unit at predetermined points as well as MARMap Bongo casts(discussed in my next blog) when specified, within a region forming a rectangular “box” north of the pass. If you have been following my voyage using NOAA ship tracker, hopefully you now understand why we appeared to have been “boxed in” (I can hear the groans from my students even out here in the Bering Sea). It is important to understand the ocean waters of this region given that it is a major egress between the North Pacific Ocean and the Bering Sea. Therefore it serves as an important pathway between these two water bodies for commercially important fish stock as well as serving as a major commercial shipping route.

A CTD (an acronym for conductivity, temperature, and depth) is an instrument used by oceanographers to measure essential physical properties of sea water. It provides a very comprehensive profile of the ocean water to help better understand the habitat of important marine species as well as charting the distribution and variation of water temperature, salinity, and density. This information also helps scientist to understand how variations in physical ocean properties change over time. The CTD is made up of a set of small probes attached to a large stainless steel wheel housing. The sensors that measure CTD are surrounded by a rosette of water sampling bottles (niskin bottles) that individually close shut by an electronic fired trigger mechanism initiated from the control room on-board the ship. The rosette is then lowered on a cable down to a depth just above the seafloor. The science team is able to observe many different water properties in real time via a conducting cable connecting the CTD to a computer on the ship. A remotely operated device allows the attached water sampling bottles to be closed (sample collected) at selective depths as the instrument ascends back to the surface.

Here I am in my hot rain pants helping to deploy the CTD — Here I am in my hot colored rain pants helping to deploy the CTD. Notice the niskin bottles?

Monitoring the CTD deployment — Data screens in the lab

On this cruise, our CTD was equipped to collect real-time water column measurements of conductivity, temperature, density, dissolved oxygen, salinity, chlorophyll levels, and light as the unit traveled down through to a set point just above the ocean floor. Additionally, water samples for determining concentrations of nutrients (nitrate (NO₃^-1), nitrite (NO₂^-1), ammonium (NH₄⁺), phosphate (PO₄^-3), and silicates (SiO₄^-4), dissolved oxygen, dissolve inorganic carbon, and chlorophyll were measured at specified depths within the water column as the unit was raised back to the surface. Replicate measurements of some chemical constituents measured on the ascent are completed to help support the reliability of the dynamic measurements of these same species made on the drop. All of the nutrient samples are then frozen to -80C and brought back to the lab on shore for analysis. Dissolved oxygen, dissolved inorganic carbon, and chlorophyll samples are also treated according to unique methods for later detailed analysis.

The sampling begins! — The sampling begins from a niskin bottle!

Filling the sampling vials to be stored for later analysis

Our first CTD cast from the “Unimak Box” began with my shift, a bit after midnight, on May 3^rd and ended 32 hours later on May 4^th. The science crew worked nonstop as they completed 17 different CTD casts. Again, it was impressive to see the cooperation among the scientists as each group helped one another complete CTD casts, launch and retrieve Bongo nets, and then collect the many different samples of water for testing as well as the samples of zooplankton caught in the bongo nets. My task was to collect nutrient water samples from each CTD cast. As the water depth increased so did the number of samples that were collected. During our sampling water depths ranged from approximately 50 meters (5 samples) up to 580 meters (11 samples). On our last cast the air temperature was -2.3^o C with water temperature reading 2.9⁰ C. Seas were relatively calm and we were able to see many different islands in the Aleutian chain.

Personal Log

It was rewarding to be able to help the team collect water samples for nutrient testing, especially given that we are able to sample many of these same nutrient species in our chemistry lab at Franklin Pierce. I want my students to know that I practiced “GLT” when collecting nutrient samples making certain to rinse each sample bottle and sampling syringe at least three times before each collection. Want to know what “GLT” references…ask one of my students!

My most “interesting” time on board ship happened during our first night of CTD testing along one of the lines of the Unimak Box. At 2:45 am Peter, Douglas, and I were recording flow meter values from the previous bongo net tow on the side quarter-deck. I was writing values down on a clip board as Peter read the values off to me. I happened to glance over the deck towards the sea when I noticed an unusually large wave about 2 meters out from the boat traveling towards us. Suddenly it crashed on top of us knocking us to the deck floor. Water flooded all around us and through the doors of our labs. I immediately grabbed onto one of the ship’s piping units and held on tight as the water poured back off the deck. In an instant the sea was calm again after the “rogue” wave released its energy on our ship. Because Peter and I fell onto the deck our clothes became completely soaked with icy cold seawater. Upon standing, we checked on each other and then immediately began retrieving empty sampling bottles and other lab paraphernalia as they floated by in the water emptying off the deck. Douglas was able to hold-on to the CTD and remained standing and dry under his rain suit. This is the first, and I hope the last, “rogue” wave that I ever experience. Fortunately, no one was lost or injured and we were able to retrieve all of our equipment with one exception…the clip board of data log entries that I was holding!

I must admit that I am disappointed at the limited internet access while on board ship. I find it somewhat disheartening that I have not been able to write the consistent blogs promised to you telling of my adventures. Hopefully this will improve as we change course and you will continue to follow along.

Not all islands are completely snow covered.

Do you know what this is?

Read my next blog to find out what this is! — Read my next blog to find out!

Set tags and categories(include your name)

May 6, 2013August 11, 2021

Angela Greene: “Surface Active Groups and Good Medicine” May 5, 2013

NOAA Teacher at Sea
Angela Greene
Aboard NOAA Ship Gordon Gunter
April 29-May 11, 2013

Mission: Northern Right Whale Survey
Geographical Area of Cruise: Atlantic Ocean out of Woods Hole, MA
Date: May 5, 2013

Weather Data from the Bridge: Air temperature-8.4°C or 47°F, Sea temperature-8.4°C or 47°F, Wind Speed 14 knots, Winds are out of the northeast, Barometric Pressure- 1024.4 mb, wave height- 1-2 feet.

Science and Technology Log: To say the environment aboard the NOAA Ship Gordon Gunter changes when a right whale is spotted during a watch duty, would be a major understatement. The goal is to find a Northern Right Whale, and when we do, the frenzy begins.

Me with Whale — Believe it or not, that white splash is a Northern Right Whale. Photo credit Mark Baumgartner

A quick decision must be made as to whether the small boats will be launched. The small boats enable the scientists to get extremely close to the whales. This proximity allows them the chance to photograph whales from many angles for later identification. This distance may also provide an opportunity for scientists to use a crossbow to acquire a biopsy sample. The sample will provide genetic information needed to determine the gender, parents, and siblings of the whale. The biopsy also can give a toxicity level of the animal.

Crossbow — Holding the crossbow used to collect whale biopsy sample. Photo credit Eric Matzen

Being in the small boats also gives the team of four the opportunity to scoop a fecal sample from the ocean that a right whale may present. Poop samples can give diet information and hormone levels. Checking hormone levels enable scientists to determine the stress levels of the whale and whether or not the whale is pregnant.

Our team spotted a right whale, and the boats were launched. The small boat was able to get extremely close to what is called a SAG, or “surface active group”. This particular group of four Northern Right Whales was so close to the small boat that it looked as if the whales were performing a show for the scientists! It was one of the most incredible events I have ever witnessed!

small boat blow — Small boat and a right whale blow. Photo taken under NOAA fisheries permit number 775-1875

good fluke — Small boat and a right whale fluke. Photo taken under NOAA fisheries permit number 775-1875

During the SAG event, many photos were taken under a NOAA fisheries permit, which is necessary due to the endangered status of the species. It’s interesting to note here, that the public is not allowed to be within five hundred yards of a Northern Right Whale without a permit, making the opportunity to be in the small boat a momentous occasion.

A fecal sample was acquired, which is considered a rare opportunity, however a biopsy was not in the cards for this small boat launch.

Biopsied Last year — Northern Right Whale photo taken from small boat- a biopsy was acquired from this whale on last year’s trip. Photo Credit Jennifer Gatzke. Photo taken under NOAA fisheries permit number 775-1875

Personal Log: This is difficult fieldwork, indeed! Two days of rough seas made our flying bridge observations come to a grinding halt. I woke up Friday morning knowing I had a 7:00 am watch duty, and was throwing up the nothingness in my stomach.

My roommate came back to our stateroom with the news that many others, including the crew, were also experiencing seasickness. I took an odd sense of comfort hearing that other people were also ill. We were in the middle of ten foot ocean swells that made the boat feel like the inside of Maytag washing machine. My roommate’s water bottle fell out of her top bunk and landed squarely on my forehead, and our desk chair toppled over on its side. Motion sickness medications work wonders, but make me incredibly sleepy. Seems like everyone was either sleeping or watching movies… basically just surviving until calmer waters.

This morning’s sunrise brought much happier seas, and the whale watch continues. It’s cold enough for me to finally don the “Mustang Suit” as everyone tells me I will feel more comfortable than my lined jeans and Tecumseh Arrows jacket. I am hoping for my chance to get to be in the small boat!

Animal Sightings Log:

Aquatic-

Right Whale

Sei Whale

Fin Whale

Minke Whale

Humpback Whale

Atlantic Whitesided Dolphin

Harbor Porpoises

Birds-

Herring Gull

Wilson’s Storm Petrel

Northern Gannet

Sooty Shearwater

Northern Fulmar

Atlantic Puffin