NOAA Teacher at Sea
Adrienne Heim
Onboard NOAA Ship Albatross IV
August 7 – September 2, 2007
Mission: Sea Scallop Survey
Geographic Region: Northeast U.S.
Date: August 16, 2007
Science Log: Beautiful Sunsets
NOAA Teacher at Sea
Adrienne Heim
Onboard NOAA Ship Albatross IV
August 7 – September 2, 2007
Mission: Sea Scallop Survey
Geographic Region: Northeast U.S.
Date: August 16, 2007
Science Log: Beautiful Sunsets
NOAA Teacher at Sea
Elizabeth Martz
Onboard NOAA Ship Albatross IV
August 5 – 16, 2007
Mission: Sea Scallop Survey
Geographical Area: North Atlantic Ocean
Date: August 8, 2007
Weather Data from the Bridge
Visibility = <1 nautical miles
Cloud cover = fog
Wind direction = 200 degrees
Wind speed = 21 knots (kts.)
Sea wave height = 2-3 feet
Swell wave height = 2 feet
Seawater temperature = 15.1 degrees Celsius
Sea level pressure = 1004.2 mb

Science and Technology Log
12:00 midnight—Today my 12 hour shifts began. This is an amazing experience. I am loving my time onboard the ALBATROSS IV. It is quite exciting. Today was outstanding. I am experiencing being a researcher at sea. The ALBATROSS IV has 12-hour shifts. The researchers are organized into two different shifts which are each 12 hours. I am on the midnight to noon shift. It is very different than my “teacher hours”. I usually work from 7:30 to 5:00 at school. I am only required to be at school from 7:45- 3:15, but I can never accomplish all of my responsibilities in that brief of a time. I love school and I love being prepared. To work on the ALBATROSS IV, you need to be prepared and ready for a hard day’s work! I am loving the work and at this time it is not too hard.
My Responsibilities

I am a working member onboard the ALBATROSS IV. I am making every moment count and I am learning so much. The dredge haul experience is unbelievable. There are two fishermen that help to release and the dredge. The two fishermen on my watch are Steve and Mike. They are amazing at fixing the net, loading the dredge, releasing the dredge, retrieving the dredge, cleaning the deck, helping to sort the organisms in the tow, and so much more. These fishermen have the expertise of sending the dredge into the water and helping it return back after a 15-minute tow. The Chief Boatswain (head fisherman), Tony, controls the mechanical devices that assist the fishermen in sending the dredge to sea. Tony is so talented. He has the ability to communicate and accomplish any task onboard the ALBATROSS IV! The fisherman and all the scientists on my watch observe the dredge coming onboard the ship. Once the dredge is on deck there is so much to do!!! When the dredge returns from being in the water for 15 minutes, there is so much to do. First, the fishermen need to bring the dredge up on deck. There are strong metal wires that bring the dredge up on deck. There are metal pulleys that help move the wire. There are mechanically parts that are controlled so that the dredge lands on deck without damaging anything… including the dredge. The entire process is so awesome and neat.

After the dredge is placed on deck, the fun begins. First, a scientist checks the dredge to see if it laid correctly on the ocean floor. The equipment that records the behavior of the tow is called an inclinometer. The inclinometer is placed inside the top of the dredge and the information is recorded. The scientist then needs to go to a different room to read the information from the inclinometer. It is an interesting piece of scientific equipment. The next experience is the best!! After a quick photo of what materials are found in the dredge, all the scientists gather around the dredge materials. We all marvel at what we dredged and then sort the items. We place all fish in one bucket and all skates in another. The scallops are all collected. The scallops are even organized by size. (Very small scallops are placed in a different bucket.) All the extra items go in a different bucket. When all biotic items have been discovered, then we shovel all the “habitat” (rocks and sand) into baskets. Every object that lands on deck is counted and documented.
I love all the amazing things I have found from this experience
NOAA Teacher at Sea
Adrienne Heim
Onboard NOAA Ship Albatross IV
August 7 – September 2, 2007

Mission: Sea Scallop Survey
Geographic Region: Northeast U.S.
Date: August 7, 2007
Weather Data

I arrived in Woods Hole, MA on Sunday August 5th, 2007. The ALBATROSS IV was scheduled to depart early Monday morning, but we were unfortunately delayed a couple of days as a result of waiting for some diesel oil and fresh water shipments to arrive. During our delay we took a tour of the NOAA Aquarium right there in Woods Hole, MA. We started to become more acquainted with some of the species we would encounter while on the survey. We set sail early Tuesday afternoon. I stood at the stern of the vessel watching the landscape fade away into the foggy mist.
Once on board and steadily sailing north bound, a few procedures and protocols were immediately rehearsed. The first procedure was a fire drill. As the alarm sounded, we quickly retrieved life jackets and a large orange tote containing a wet suit from our rooms and proceeded into the “wet lab” where we waited for the following instructions. Afterwards, an abandon ship drill was announced. The entire crew congregated at the stern of the vessel. Each individual had to rapidly unpack the survival suit from the large orange tote. We had to slip into the red immersion suits, which proved to be a bit difficult for me to maneuver. However, hopefully in the event of an actual abandon ship emergency, I would be much more successful at putting them on. They certainly provide enough protection in case of an emergency.
NOAA Teacher at Sea
Elizabeth Martz
Onboard NOAA Ship Albatross IV
August 5 – 16, 2007
Mission: Sea Scallop Survey
Geographical Area: North Atlantic Ocean
Date: August 7, 2007
Weather Data from the Bridge
Visibility = <.2 nautical miles
Cloud cover = Fog
Wind direction = 185 degrees
Wind speed = 5 knots (kts.)
Sea wave height = <1 feet
Swell wave height = 2 feet
Seawater temperature = 15.2 degrees Celsius
Sea level pressure = 1013.8 mb
Science and Technology Log
8:00 a.m.—Breakfast. Yummy! Breakfast is one of the best meals of the day. Great food and selection.
9:30 a.m.—I went to the local post office! I went to the Marine Biological Laboratory. I viewed information on the Alvin launch in 1964. This submersible is amazing! It can withstand such water pressure changes. Science Rules!
11:00 a.m.—Sea Scallop research and information: Presentation by Victor Nordahl: Chief scientist!

The dredge has a net liner and its purpose is to keep fish and scallops in the dredge. The liner is often damaged by rocks & boulders that enter it. These 2 scientists are repairing the ripped net liner on our standard dredge. On a common dredge found on fishing boats, there is no liner. Fishermen finding scallops do not want to catch & analyze fish. They just want the scallop meats. As scientists, we want to study everything. The basic dredge haul provides us with lots to study. It is 7’ wide metal rod covered with rubber disks across the bottom of the dredge. There are dumping chains attached to the clubstick that help with the dumping of materials out of the dredge. The dredge goes out three times the water depth. For example: If the water depth is 100 meters, the dredge will send 300 meters of metal cable out. To calculate the distance of the dredge from the ship, you could use the Pythagorean Theorem (a^2 + b^2 = c^2. BUT the net curves & the equation doesn’t give you the most accurate results. So, you can calculate the amount and make a estimate of the net distance from the ship. In this example, the dredge is about 260 meters away from the ship. The dredge’s bag has an opening where all the organisms enter. The ring bag is built to hold rocks, living organisms, movement on the floor, and store many organisms for study. The dredge sometimes needs to be repaired due to weather conditions or course substrate (items found on the ocean floor).
LOOK at the dredge above. This is showing the longer top side. Try to imagine a metal opening on the other side. This opening is about 6 feet from the top of the dredge. When the dredge is in the water, the longer side is on top. The part with the opening is found underneath. The dredge runs along the bottom floor and collects the organisms. It is amazing how many organisms you can find on the ocean floor. It is incredible how many diverse species are located in the Atlantic Ocean.
More Notes about the Dredge

We have 5 dredges on board the ship. When we get to the end of the Leg III, we will be conducting surveys in areas with lots of rocks and materials that will harm the dredges. We will determine the strength of the dredges. We will be using different dredges. We will use the standard dredge and the rock- chain dredge. The standard dredge can capture large rocks or boulders during the dredge haul. The rock-chain dredge is designed to stop large rocks from entering the dredge. With the rock-chain dredge, the scientists who analyze the findings from the dredge have fewer rocks to
Sea Scallop Survey = Goals and Information
The Sea Scallop Survey is an important and interesting task for scientists onboard the ALBATROSS IV. Purpose of the scientific expedition of learning:
1. What is range of the scallops? Do you find them in shallow water? Do you find them in deep water? Where do scallops prefer to grow and survive? Do we find more scallops in areas of a smaller rocks, bigger boulders, or small particles of sand?
2. Scientists can estimate how many scallops we will find. Marine biologists would like to learn more about the population of scallops in various areas. Scientists would like to come to an understanding about where most scallops reside on the ocean floor.
3. Scientists have randomly selected stations from Cape Hatteras, NC to Georges Bank (east of Cape Cod). An area close to Nova Scotia is where scientists test to see the existence of scallops.
4. Scientists ask, “How many scallops are out there?”
5. Scientists ask, “How will the scallop population be different in the future?”

6. How can scientists protect fisheries (the scallops) and those who harvest them (the fishermen)?
7. Various universities, scientists, and government agencies closed water areas around Nantucket in 1994. In this area, no fishing or dredging is allowed. All citizens must not remove anything from the area.

8. The ALBATROSS IV has surveyed over 525 randomly- generated locations. The ALBATROSS IV has selected over 25 basic locations to compare studies year after year. The scientists have been collecting data since 1975. (I think that is so outstanding and AWESOME!)
9. Here is a small lesson about how the stations are randomly-generated. First, think of an area in the ocean. Then, divide that area into 100 squares. Next divide those 100 squares into small areas. The randomly-generated stations are determined from all those small areas. Finally, the researchers need to decide the best way to travel to all of those randomly-generated areas.
10. The tow “what you catch” naturally changes year after year. You will never catch all the same organisms every year. You will discover that fish populations change for many reasons. Here is a list of some reasons why a population may be different each year:
11. The ALBATROSS IV keeps a constant 3.8 knots speed when the dredge is out in the water. The ALBATROSS IV can reach 10- 11 knots when cruising along. I think it is an amazing how it feels on the water.

12. The sea scallop study is a great arena to start an ecosystem investigation. We need to know more about other organisms to determine details about ecosystem! Animals help and hurt each other.
13. As a scientist, you map habitat with a multibeam, tow camera, and dredge an area. The dredge validates the information from the tow camera. (The efficiency issue is solved.) The multibeam shows the entire habitat and determines everything there is to validate animal documented.
14. There are so many characteristics about the sea scallops.
NOAA Teacher at Sea
Elizabeth Martz
Onboard NOAA Ship Albatross IV
August 5 – 16, 2007
Mission: Sea Scallop Survey
Geographical Area: North Atlantic Ocean
Date: August 6, 2007

Science and Technology Log
7:15 a.m.—Breakfast. I met many scientists, crew, teachers, officers, & more… details about Sea Scallop Leg III will occur at 10 am. Awesome food for breakfast.
8:30 a.m.—Free time in the town. I saw the countryside, the marina, & visited the town of Wood’s Hole. We had a scientist’s meeting for all watch shifts. (I am on the 12 a.m. (midnight) -12 p.m. (noon) watch.) We discussed expectations, responsibilities, and ideas about this adventure/experience. We were informed of sexual harassment, drug possession rules, and other NOAA policies. I clearly understood my expectations and responsibilities. The ALBATROSS IV is 187 feet in length, 38 feet in width. The major reason that the ALBATROSS IV is out to sea is to learn more about the sea scallop population. We sample for sea scallops from Virginia to Eastern Georges Bank (off the coast of Nova Scotia). This is the Leg III of the Sea Scallop study. We will be surveying sea scallops from Northern part of Georges Bank that borders on the Gulf of Maine to the Great South Channel east of Massachusetts. The dredge is towed for 15 minutes at a speed of 3.8 knots. The dredge covers about 1.0 nautical miles of ocean bottom. A nautical mile is compared to 1.15 land mile.
Questions for the Day (I am always thinking about how my students can benefit from my experiences!)

Details about sorting the dredge haul:
Sea scallops are collected, measured, and weighed. This scallop is upside down. The top of a scallop is more convex (curves out) and the bottom of a scallop is more flat. Do you see how the convex side (the top of the sea scallop) fits nicely in your hand? The white area you see is the male gonad of the sea scallop. The fleshy, white section that a customer eats is found deeper inside the sea scallop. All the diverse organisms we find in the dredge are collected in blue buckets. Each organism is sorted by type and measured individually by a researcher. Many studies are being conducted onboard the ALBATROSS IV. Some of the studies include: sea scallop shell analysis for age, sea scallop size analysis, sea scallop health analysis, human health when consuming sea scallops, skate analysis, populations of starfish and crabs, water characteristics are analyzed, and so much more. The focus of the ALBATROSS IV’s voyage is to count the number of sea scallops from each dredge. The scientists also collect fish, skates, and other unique organisms at each station.

The fish include American plaice flounder, Atlantic Hagfish, fourspot flounder, goosefish, longhorn sculpin, northern sand lance, ocean pout, red hake, sea raven, windowpane flounder, winter flounder, yellowtail flounder, and more. The skates include barndoor skate, little skate, winter skate, smooth skate, and more. Unique organisms include octopus, squid, and lobsters. If there are more scallops than we can sort or measure, we conduct a subsample. A subsample is when you choose a smaller amount to measure and expand by volume.
For example, if you have 10 baskets of scallops, you choose 5 to measure and your expansion is two.
The number of crabs and starfish is calculated every third station. The CTD shows the details of the water column and helps determine where scallops are found.
The dredge is equipped with an inclinometer. This equipment is a sensor that measures dredge angle relative to the bottom of the ocean floor. The sensor has an internal clock that allows us to determine the amount of time that the dredge is on the bottom and in fishing position.

Good Questions for My Students
ALBATROSS IV Topics of Investigation
A Tour of the ALBATROSS IV
There are 3 outside wet work stations, inside dry station, CTD station, Watch Chief station, and more! There is a galley, Researcher work areas, hurricane deck, computer room, Officer’s staterooms, our living quarters, exercise room, “the bridge”, and other areas that I will discover throughout the boat. There are 14 scientists onboard this vessel. I am one of those scientists. It has been stated that the research collected would not be possible without the help of volunteers. Very cool. I feel like I am an important part of this journey out to sea.
Important fact: When I am on watch: It is so important to take everything with me! Do not go back to the room. Be sure to have your computer, notes, change of clothes, and more. Be prepared.
All stations (randomly picked sites) give scientists about the sea scallop population and details about their survival. Victor has a map posted in the dry lab. It is awesome. It is really, really cool and neat.
Victor stated over and over again!!!! ASK QUESTIONS!
Questions I Have
Drills
Fire/ collision drill: bring life vest and emergence suit; go to the wet lab and listen for announcements Abandon ship drill: 7 short sounds and one long sound ; bring life vest, emergent suit, long sleeve shirt, long pants, and go to raft #6 Man overboard: go to lookout area and point the entire time!

Other Announcements
Always report concerns! Be vocal when you have a problem and let’s solve it. Please don’t keep it inside and cause you concern… share what you feel.
This Sea Scallop survey has viewed, documented, and calculated organism counts in over 500 stations. The Sea Scallop survey is analyzing information about the location of sea scallops, the growth of sea scallops, and so much more. The Chief Scientist, Victor Nordahl, would love to use this information about sea scallops to begin more studies about the ecosystem. He stated “The sea scallop information is an excellent start to understanding the entire make-up of the ecosystem where the scallops are found. If we discover more about where we find the sea scallops, then we can help the sea scallops and more organisms survive. The ALBATROSS IV may be retired soon. The boat has experienced and investigated numerous events. The vessel is beginning to show wear and tear. It has equipment that shows age and needs repair. Each boat needs to stay in compliance with NOAA standards and the ALBATROSS IV continues to make repairs to keep up with those standards.
The major goal of a research vessel is to collect accurate and reliable data. When an old ship is retired (no longer used to collect scientific information), then scientists need to compare the equipment on the old ship with the equipment on the new ship. This is called calibration. The new ship will use information from the old ship for at least one year. The data needs to be compared and analyzed because all data is used for long-term studies. If one ship makes scientific conclusions and another ship makes conclusions that are totally different from the first ship, then the data is not valid. The data could not be used and the scientists work would be a waste. So, NOAA and other research companies who collect scientific data need to make sure that their research procedures are accurate and reliable.
We will actually collect information about the sea scallop population using 2 different nets. The information will be analyzed and conclusions will be calculated about the reliability of the different dredges. The research outcomes will allow scientists to determine how the dredges and nets are different. The scientists will calculate the differences between the equipment and make a calibration. Neat stuff.
10:45 a.m.—Tour of Marine Biological Lab. Bill Kramer, an information technology scientist for NOAA, gave us a tour MBL (Marine Biological Laboratory). We learned about the marine environment and observed animals in the aquariums.
12:20 p.m.—Lunch. Excellent selection and many healthy choices. Great food.
1:20 p.m.-12:30 a.m.—ALBATROSS IV needs a special type of fuel/oil. We had free time. I explored Wood’s Hole on 8/6/06, so I took the ferry to Oak Bluff! It was outstanding. I did get caught in an enormous rain storm, but I made it safely to Wood’s Hole. I am so honored to be a part of the NOAA crew and I look forward to my adventure! I had the chance that night to speak to many other volunteers. We stayed up and talked all evening about our ideas and hopes for this trip. We are all excited and motivated to be a part of the crew of the ALBATROSS IV!!
I am very enthusiastically anticipating what I am going to do and what I will learn.