NOAA Ship Fairweather – Page 2 – NOAA Teacher at Sea Blog

July 13, 2023July 13, 2023

Elli Simonen: Welcome to Alaska, July 12, 2023

NOAA Teacher at Sea

Elli Simonen (she/her)

Aboard NOAA Ship Fairweather

July 10, 2023 – July 28, 2023

Mission: Hydrographic Survey of the Pribilof Islands

Geographic Area of Cruise: Pribilof Islands, Alaska

Location (In Port): 57⁰43.8384’N, 152⁰30.8319’W

Date: July 12, 2023

Hi Everyone, my name is Elli and this week, I arrived in Kodiak, Alaska and right now I am aboard NOAA Ship Fairweather. This is my first time in Alaska as well as my first time being on a scientific research ship. I teach high school Mathematics, specifically Algebra 1, Algebra 2 and AP Calculus at Special Music School, a public school located in New York City. I also instruct two classes at the College and Graduate level as an adjunct lecturer at City College and Hunter College. My high school students are musically gifted and many go onto Music Conservatory Education. I am constantly in awe of their talent, grit and perseverance in pursuit of becoming better musicians. My students at the college and graduate levels are all learning how to be educators in the New York City school system. Their sense of purpose, commitment and openness to new ideas is inspiring.

Elli aboard NOAA Ship Fairweather

I am a Math for America (MfA) Master Teacher and first heard of the NOAA Teacher at Sea Program (TAS) in 2019 through MfA – I researched the TAS program, and thought this is something I definitely want to do, and applied. I was accepted in the 2020 cohort, but because of COVID was rolled over to 2023 so here I am, three and a half years later embarking on a hydrographic survey of the Pribilof Islands.

I have been teaching math for 20 years and at various points have had experiences learning about the oceans and marine life. I started my career as a Peace Corps Volunteer and lived in Zanzibar, Tanzania for 2 years. In addition to teaching math, I was able to take students to study the coral reefs that surround the island through the Chumbe Environmental Education Program. They snorkeled, learned about coral and how to preserve and protect this environment. I also like to scuba dive and have completed over 90 dives at various places around the world– learning not only about shoreline habitat at each diving spot I visited, but how different facets of the ocean interact. In 2019, I was awarded a Fund for Teachers Grant where I traveled to Australia, scuba dived and learned first hand about the Great Barrier Reef. And now, I’m still on a journey to learn more about the world’s oceans and marine environments, this time with NOAA in the waters around Alaska.

view of a diver (Elli) underwater in front of a coral head. sand and coral all appear with a blue-green tint. In the foreground, swimming closer to the photographer than Elli is, is a fish, perhaps a kind of grouper. It is the focus of the photo.

Elli scuba diving on the Great Barrier Reef, Australia

So, what is a hydrographic survey you might ask? And where are the Pribilof Islands? The Pribilof Islands are four volcanic islands about 300 miles west of mainland Alaska in the south Bering Sea and about 250 miles north of the Aleutian Islands; the two largest islands are Saint Paul and Saint George. A Hydrographic survey uses sonar data to interpret the ocean floor and coastlines which then is used to produce Nautical charts. The Pribilof Islands Hydrographic Survey will map the ocean floor and surrounding coastline to provide updated accurate charts of this area. The Pribilof Islands have not been mapped since the 1950’s.

I will be onboard NOAA Ship Fairweather. The ship embarks in Kodiak, Alaska and disembarks in Dutch Harbor, Unalaska, Alaska. I am very much looking forward to spending time with the Science team on NOAA Ship Fairweather and learning about what everyone does on a NOAA ship. I plan on taking this information back with me to New York City and bringing this real-world research experience into my classroom.

NOAA Ship Fairweather

Did you know?

NOAA has three different types of Scientific research ships: Hydrographic surveys, Fisheries survey and Oceanographic research
Since 1990, the TAS program has sailed more than 850 teachers aboard their ships. Teachers have come from every state and 4 territories. (For any fellow teachers reading this, TAS has cohorts every year and applications are due in the Fall.)
Each summer more than a million northern fur seals arrive at the Pribilof Islands to breed and raise their young, representing the largest gathering of sea mammals in the world. (https://www.travelalaska.com/Destinations/Cities-Towns/Pribilof-Islands)
About 230 fishing vessels take shelter on the southwest shore of St. George during Crabbing Season.

October 7, 2019October 7, 2019

Linda Kurtz: Reflections from Fairweather, September 7, 2019

NOAA Teacher at Sea

Linda Kurtz

Aboard NOAA Ship Fairweather

August 12-23, 2019

Mission: Cascadia Mapping Project

Geographic Area of Cruise: Pacific Northwest (Off the coast of California)

Date: 9/7/2019

Weather Data from Marietta, GA:

Latitude: 33.963900
Longitude: -84.492260
Sky Conditions: Clear
Present Weather: Hot
Visibility: 9 miles
Windspeed: Less than 1 knot
Temperature: Record high 97 degrees Fahrenheit

It’s been weeks since I disembarked in Newport, Oregon and left Fairweather behind. I still feel like I’m a part of the crew since I was welcomed so seamlessly into any job I tried to learn while Teacher at Sea. However, the crew is still working away as I continue to share my experiences with my students in Marietta, Georgia.

As I have been working on lessons for my classroom, I keep finding fun facts and information about ship life that I didn’t share in my previous posts. So, here is my final post and some of my most frequent questions by students answered:

Question 1: Where did you sleep?

I slept in a berth, I had a comfortable bed, drawers, a locker, and a sink. There was a TV too, which I never watched since a) I like to read more than watch TV and b) the ship would rock me to sleep so fast I could never stay up too long at bedtime!

Question 2: What was the weather like when you were at sea?

Some days (and nights) so foggy that they had to use the fog horn for safety!

Question 3: What animals did you see?

I highlighted animals in all of my posts and linked sites to learn more, go check it out! There is one animal I didn’t include in my posts that I would like to share with you! The first is the California Sea Lion found in the Newport harbor. You could hear them from across the harbor so I had to go check them out!

See the video below:

California Sea Lions

Question 4: What happens next with the hydrographic survey work?

This is one of my favorite questions from students! It shows how much you have learned about this very important scientific work and are thinking about what is next. The hydrographic survey maps are now in post processing, where the survey technicians, Sam, Bekah, Joe, and Michelle are working hard to make sure the data is correct. I shared in a previous hydrographic survey blog an example of Fairweather’s hydrographic survey maps, I also checked in with the USGS scientists James Conrad and Peter Dartnell to see what they were doing with their research and they shared some information that will help answer this question.

From Peter Dartnell, USGS research scientist: “Here are a few maps of the bathymetry data we just collected including the area off Coos Bay, off Eureka, and a close-up view of the mud volcano. The map off Eureka includes data we collected last year. I thought it would be best to show the entire Trinidad Canyon.”

From James Conrad USGS research geologist: “Here is an image of a ridge that we mapped on the cruise. The yellow dots are locations of methane bubble plumes that mark seafloor seeps. In the next few weeks, another NOAA ship, the Lasker, is planning to lower a Remotely Operated Vehicle to the seafloor here to see what kinds of critters live around these seeps. Methane seeps are known to have unique and unusual biologic communities associated with them. For scale, the ridge is about 8 miles long.”

underwater ridge — *Bathymetry map showing ridge*

So, even though the research cruise is over, the research and follow up missions resulting from the research are ongoing and evolving every day.

Question 5: Would you go back if you could be a Teacher at Sea again?

YES! There is still so much to learn. I want to continue my own learning, but most importantly, lead my students to get excited about the important scientific research while keeping the mission of the NOAA close to their hearts: “To understand and predict changes in climate, weather, oceans, and coasts, to share that knowledge and information with others, and to conserve and manage coastal and marine ecosystems and resources. Dedicated to the understanding and stewardship of the environment.“

Fair winds and following seas Fairweather, I will treasure this experience always.

August 26, 2019

Linda Kurtz: Women in STEM-(at Sea): Meet Allyson Causey, August 23, 2019

NOAA Teacher at Sea

Linda Kurtz

Aboard NOAA Ship Fairweather

August 12-23, 2019

Mission: Cascadia Mapping Project

Geographic Area of Cruise: Northwest Pacific

Date: 8/23/2019

engineer Allyson Causey — Allyson Causey – Engineer aboard NOAA Ship Fairweather

Women in STEM – Engineering

Meet Allyson Causey! Engineer aboard NOAA ship Fairweather

Job Title:

3^rd Assistant Engineer

Time in current position:

2 ½ months aboard Fairweather

Education and/or Specialized training:

Texas A & M- Bachelor of Science in Marine Engineering Technology

Wage Mariners-civil service federal employee (nonmilitary)

Do you have any plans for future education?

Currently investigating at master’s programs in Nuclear Engineering

Engineering aboard Fairweather

Generator
Boiler
Reverse Osmosis Machine
Reverse Osmosis Machine
Controller
Main engine
Air compressor
Fire main
Marine Sanitation Device

How did you find out about your current position at NOAA?

I met a NOAA recruiter at a job fair at Texas A & M, submitted resume and 3 weeks later I got the call! After that the lengthy background check and physical for Federal employees, I came to work at NOAA aboard Fairweather.

1) When you were a child, what was your dream career?

I wanted to be an astronaut when I was young. I looked into aeronautical engineering and attended a Federal Service academy – the United States Merchant Marine Academy. My Dad is an engineer and contractor, so I grew up on job sites and always had the mindset of math and science. I knew my career would be something in the STEM field

2) What was your favorite subject in school?

My favorite class was differential equations. Why I like engineering so much is everything is one big puzzle, and differential equations is like one big puzzle.

3) Why is what you do important to on the ship?

Engineers on ships are essentially the lifeblood of the ship, we keep the ship moving. We are the electricians, plumbers, the mechanics, and even the firefighters. The ship can’t go anywhere without engineers!

4) What would you tell an elementary school student about your work that is important to you?

I enjoy solving the puzzles. When something goes wrong, I enjoy finding out why something is not working and then solving the problem. That is what is so rewarding — figuring out what is wrong and fixing it!

5) Where do you do most of your work?

In the engine room. That’s where I spend my 8-hour shifts. The engineering room is on A & B deck — the 2 bottom-most levels of the ship. That is where most of the mechanisms that run the ship are located.

6) What tool do you use in your work that you could not live without?

A crescent wrench! Mine is handy because it can measure and tell you the exact size of the nut which makes things a lot easier!

7) If you could invent any tool to make your work more efficient and cost were no object, what would it be and why?

I would invent a tool that could reach bolts at odd angles. Like a magnetic wrench that could adjust to the size bolt head you need and could bend around the odd angles and apply torque when I need it.

8) What part of your job with NOAA did you least expect?

I never expected to be in Alaska!

9) How could teacher help students understand and appreciate NOAA engineering opportunities?

I think it would be valuable to have better understanding of what we engineers do! It’s a really cool job, with a really good salary, and very few people know there are positions like this available.

10) What is your favorite part of your day when you are working and why?

Every day is a little different, you are never doing the same thing over and over again. Something is always breaking and needs immediate attention.

11) What was your favorite book growing up?

My favorite book series when I was growing up was Junie B. Jones! I come from Florida and loved Jacques Cousteau. He inspired me to become a scuba diver at 17.

12) What do you think you would be doing if you were not working for NOAA?

I would be still be working on a boat!

13) Do you have an outside hobby?

I love camping and hiking, I’ve hiked 40 miles of the Appalachian Trail and would like to hike the rest!

14) What is your favorite animal?

Manta Rays!

15) If you could go back in time and tell your 10 year old self something, what would it be?

Take more math and science classes! It really helps you get ahead in life!

Did you know?

All of the electrical power on Fairweather comes from the generators, not the engines. It’s a common misconception!

Want to learn more about careers like and Allyson Causey’s and NOAA resources? See the resource links below:

NOAA ENGINEERING

US MERCHANT MARINES ACADEMY

NOAA Teacher Ready Resources

August 26, 2019

Linda Kurtz: Women in STEM-(at sea): Meet Bekah Gossett, August 22, 2019

NOAA Teacher at Sea

Linda Kurtz

Aboard NOAA Ship Fairweather

August 12-23, 2019

Mission: Cascadia Mapping Project

Geographic Area of Cruise: Northwest Pacific

Date: 8/22/2019

HSST Rebekah Gossett

When you were a child, what was your dream career?

As a child, I always wanted to draw. I was drawing constantly and I wanted to somehow make my love for creating art into a career, whether that meant being a studio artist myself or helping to teach others to make art.

2. What was your favorite (and least favorite) subject in school?

Believe it or not, science! I grew to really enjoy my science classes starting in middle school and through high school, especially participating in the science fairs. My love for science was inversely related to my love for math. I started to dread all my mathematics courses as I went through high school, and really up into my earlier college years which often made my science courses difficult. During my junior year in college I took calculus taught by a great professor and things finally clicked!

3. At what point in your life did you realize you wanted to do the work you are doing now?

Sometime in between my junior and senior years in college, I realized I wanted to do what is I’m doing now. That’s when I was introduced to hydrography.

4. What do you enjoy the most (and the least) about your work?

I really enjoy working on the ocean and with small boats. It’s a really dynamic platform. The lifestyle that comes with living on a ship can be difficult. It’s a lot of traveling and spending time away from home.

5. Where do you do most of your work?

Most of my work is done on the ship in the Plot Room. It’s a big room on the ship where most of our processing systems live.

6. What tool do you use in your work that you could not live without?

A computer! Computers are used for data acquisition, processing, and delivery. Everything is done via some sort of processing/work station.

7. What part of your job with NOAA did you least expect to be doing?

I never thought I would be a NOAA Diver. I didn’t even know that NOAA had a dive program. Learning to be a working diver was an awesome experience and opportunity that I don’t think I would have ever had, or even would want to have outside of NOAA.

8. How could teachers help students understand and appreciate NOAA science?

Teachers could help students understand and appreciate NOAA science by sharing some of the awesome work we do that’s applicable to their classroom. NOAA is such a big administration with tons of cool science going on so by picking some interesting topics that are more relatable to their classroom audience might help engage their students.

9. What is your favorite part of your day when you are working and why?

When acquiring data, my favorite part of the day is the end, when the data is transferred and being processed. It’s not because the day’s over, but because I get to see all of the data we’ve collected throughout the day and remember the work that went into it. It’s also the beginning of the next stage of work for that dataset, the quality control stage.

10. What do you think you would be doing if you were not working for NOAA?

It’s hard to say, but I’m not sure I would be doing anything hydrography related. NOAA has been a great learning platform for me to become the hydrographer I am now. NOAA has really taught me to appreciate ocean science.

11. Do you have an outside hobby?

My outside hobby is painting. It can be hard to find space on the ship to paint, but traveling around Alaska and being on the water always inspires me to be more creative.

12. What is your favorite animal?

Picking one is pretty difficult, but I’m really into jellyfish right now. They seem like they have a low-stress lifestyle.

13. If you could go back in time and tell your 10 year old self something, what would it be?

“Relax, being 10 is way cooler than you think.”

14. Have you traveled anywhere interesting travels while studying Geology?

I traveled to Northern India as my field study in college. We were studying the water quality and management stemming from the Ganges River. Also, most of my geology labs in college were trips to the field which often meant the beach. Traveling and being outside is an added bonus while studying geology.

Interested in learning more about Hydrography and NOAA? Check out the resources below:

HYDROGRAPHY CAREERS NOAA 1

HYDROGRAPHY CAREERS NOAA 2

NOAA EDUCATIONAL RESOURCES

SCIENCE ON A SPHERE

OCEAN TODAY-“TRASH TALK”

August 21, 2019

Linda Kurtz: Women in STEM-(at sea): Meet Iris Ekmanis, August 21, 2019

NOAA Teacher at Sea

Linda Kurtz

Aboard NOAA Ship Fairweather

August 12-23, 2019

Mission: Cascadia Mapping Project

Geographic Area of Cruise: Northwest Pacific

Date: 8/21/2019

JO Iris Ekmanis — Junior Officer Iris Ekmanis on Bridge Watch

Women in STEM: Iris Ekmanis

Iris Ekmanis is currently a Junior Officer with the NOAA Corps.

On this Teacher at Sea mission, Officer Ekman is currently on bridge watch, and is a training and small craft officer.

Current Position: Junior Deck Officer on Bridge Watch, training officer, small boats officer

3-4 other duties in addition to watch.

Years/Experience:

Years at NOAA: 2.5 months after a 4-month basic training

College and/or specialized training:

2017 Bachelors of Marine Science from University of Hawaii

Junior Officer Ekmanis worked as a deckhand on tourism boats, dive boats, whale watching, and worked on a small live-aboard cruise ship.

When you were a child, what was your dream career?

I wanted to be a marine biologist – but then I fell in love with being out on the water and on boats. Surrounded by the science of hydrography, I really like driving small boats and like the navigation part of my job.

2. Do you have any plans to continue your education while working for NOAA?

We get the GI bill since we are uniformed service (after 3 years with NOAA) so I’m considering a master’s in marine biology.

3. What was your favorite subject in school?

My favorite subject was outdoor education. I went to high school in New Zealand so there were outdoor education, whitewater kayaks, rock climbing, caving. My favorite academic subjects were biology & geography.

4. At what point in your life did you realize you wanted to do the work you are doing now?

I heard about NOAA in college, so I applied, I completed basic training and have been working for 2 ½ months.

5. What would you tell an elementary school student about your work that is most important?

We are out here charting the seafloor to ensure safe navigation for other mariners who are traveling through the Pacific. All kinds of cruise ships, fisherman, and cargo ships travel through the Pacific and must get there safely. Also, it is important that we are researching the fault lines to learn more about earthquakes and tsunamis.

We navigate the ship to ensure safety and collaborate with the hydrotechs (hydrographic technicians) to make sure the ship’s travels are resulting in good hydrographic surveys.

6. What is the most enjoyable or exciting part of your work?

I would say it is constantly learning new skills. Every day, I’m on the bridge learning about navigation, on the launchers learning about hydrography, and the “office view” changes every day. Every single day is different, and most times wake up in a new place. I’m learning something new every day!

7. Where do you do most of your work?

Mostly on the bridge 8 hours a day, rest of the time working on computers, or my training workbooks, plotting courses, planning our next route. A lot of charting.

8. What tool do you use every day that you couldn’t live without?

Definitely the software systems that allow us to navigate, radar, etc.

9. What tool would you bring aboard to make your job easier?

Multi beam sonar that could see in front of us instead of below us, since we are in uncharted waters that would alleviate the possibility of us running into something.

10. Is there any part of your NOAA job that you didn’t expect?

The job is hands on right away, and the job is fast paced and very diverse. You started doing the jobs right away. I’m looking forward to learning more about hydro.

11. How could teachers help student understand and appreciate NOAA science?

NOAA science is so broad, we are doing a small part in our survey missions, but the science of NOAA is extensive. Check out the student opportunities and educational resources.

12. What is the favorite part of your day and why?

My favorite time was in Alaska, in the launches (small boats) and navigating a vessel though the Inside Channel. Navigating through SE Alaska was beautiful! I also enjoyed seeing humpback whales and occasionally orcas.

13. What was your favorite book when you were growing up?

My favorite book series was Harry Potter when I was growing up. My idols were Jacques Cousteau and Sylvia Earle .

14. What would you be doing if you weren’t working for NOAA?

If I didn’t work for NOAA I would definitely be doing something in the marine science field or in the maritime industry, I love boats! I would probably be working on a boat or doing something in the ocean.

15. Do you have an outside hobby?

My outside hobbies include: paddle boarding, surfing, scuba, free diving, outrigger canoes were my passion growing up, hiking, camping, anything outdoors.

16. What is your favorite animal?

Hawaiian spinner dolphin and whale sharks.

17. If you could go back in time and tell you 10-year-old self something, what would it be?

Keep pursuing your dreams, don’t take life too seriously, enjoy life and enjoy the ride.

Interested in a career as a NOAA Corps Officer like Junior Officer Ekamanis? Want to learn more? See the resource links below:

-NOAA Commissioned Officer Corps

–NOAA Marine Operations

–NOAA Student Opportunities