NOAA Teacher At Sea Heidi Wigman Soon-to-be-Aboard NOAA Ship Pisces May 27 – June 10, 2015
Personal Log
The countdown has begun. Looking at the calendar, I have less than 2 weeks until I kiss the family goodbye, and board a plane bound for Biloxi, Mississippi. From there, I will be joining the crew of the Pisces, and we will depart on a research journey in the Gulf of Mexico. During our time at sea, we will be we will be engaged in reef fish surveys of offshore banks and in the marine reserves along the West Florida Shelf. To say that I am excited about the upcoming adventure is an understatement.
I have always had a passion for the ocean. Growing up in Santa Monica, California, I spent as many hours of the day as I could at the beach. Whether I had my toes in the sand, on the deck of a sailboat, or on a surfboard – I loved the feeling of being in the water. Today, as a transplant from Hawaii living in Portland, Oregon, I still seem to log many hours of exploration both above and below water.
When I’m not playing, I am a teacher at St. Matthew School in Hillsboro, Oregon (go Vikings!). I teach 6-8th grade math and technology – under this umbrella comes algebra, data and statistics, probability, geometry, robotics, computer programming, and more. One of the challenges of a middle school math teacher is to try to engage a group of pre-teens for about one hour each day. As a teacher, I have had to answer the notorious: “When will we ever use this?” more than once. Real-life applications of mathematics get farther from the common experiences of a middle schooler as the math becomes more complex. Through this amazing experience, I would like focus on using data collected about the coral reef and fisheries, various research operations, and navigation to explore algebraic concepts.
Why do we explore? Jean-Michel Cousteau has said, “We know more about the dead seas of Mars than our own ocean.” There is something about the excitement of discovery, especially into the unknown – so it is surprising to learn that 95% of the Earth’s ocean is unexplored. Climate change, energy, human health, ocean health, research, innovation, and ocean literacy are all modern reasons for ocean exploration. NOAA’s Teacher at Sea program provides the means with which teachers can bring the ocean back to their students to promote and inspire the love of exploration. The students of today will be the explorers of tomorrow.
I hope that you will continue to join my journey for the next month by coming back to read the latest happenings aboard the Pisces.
Geographic area of the cruise: Atlantic Ocean, off the coast of North Carolina and South Carolina
Date: July 17, 2014
Weather Information from the Bridge
Air Temperature: 26.3 °C
Relative Humidity: 80 %
Wind Speed: 20.1 knots
Science and Technology Log
Catching fish in hard bottom habitats is not without its risks. Sometimes, the traps can get caught on a ledge and the rope breaks when the ship tries to pull up the trap. This is what happened on Wednesday. When a trap is lost and stays in the water, it is sometimes called a “ghost trap.”
The first thing I thought about was the fish that were stuck in the trap. Oh no, how will they get out? The good news is that the trap was creatively designed. It has an escape door that is held shut by zinc clips. Zinc is a type of metal that deteriorates in salt water. In a few days, the zinc clip will break and the door will open so the fish can get in and out of the trap. Hooray for whomever thought of that design!
This clip is designed to deteriorate in salt water. It will break apart in a few days and an escape door will open so that fish may freely move in and out of the trap.
The second thing that I thought about was the two cameras. It would be sad if we could not use them again for future surveys. And, there could be some interesting observations to be made from the video footage.
What Are The Next Steps?
The purpose of our mission was to collect data about fish populations for fish species that are important to humans, including grouper. Currently, there are limits in place for how many grouper can be caught each year. These limits are in place so that there are grouper for future generations to enjoy.
We now have a lot of data from deploying over 200 traps, with each trap having video footage from two cameras. We caught 54 groupers. They included red grouper, scamp, gag, rock hind, and graysby. In a quick glance at the video footage, we saw many grouper that decided not to go into the trap. It will take a lot of time to review all the video footage. But after all the video footage is analyzed and the MeanCount is determined, what happens next?
Two scamp that did not enter the trap.
The next step is for our data to be added to the other data from all the other Southeast Fishery- Independent Survey cruises. Scientists will look at this data, along with other data from commercial fishermen, and make some conclusions about what they think is happening to the populations of these fish.
Based on these findings, policymakers will decide whether the current limits should be changed or stay in place.
In the end, the goal of everyone should be the same: making sure that groupers are here for a long, long time so future generations of people can enjoy them.
Personal Log
I have gotten used to life on a ship. Some things are harder to do, like exercising. Have you ever tried to run on a treadmill on a ship while it is rocking back and forth and side to side? I was never very good at running on a treadmill on land. It is twice as hard when you are at sea.
The food has been fabulous. We eat meals three times a day. We eat a lot of good fish, like fried grouper and fish tacos. Some of my non-fish favorites have been flank steak, barbeque chicken, pizza, meatball subs, and black bean burgers. And, no matter how rough the boat is rocking, I am still able to get to the dessert table for cookies, or ice cream, or cupcakes, even if my path is not a straight one.
This is a where we eat on the Pisces.
We have been lucky with the weather too. We have only had one day where it rained most of the day. The waves have only been in the 4-6 foot range during the rough times.
I feel very fortunate to have been chosen to be a NOAA Teacher at Sea. I have learned so much about fishery research and ocean floor mapping. I am happy to have played a small role in collecting this important data. I can’t wait to share this knowledge with my students.
I can’t thank enough Nate Bacheler and the other scientists on board for letting me share this adventure with them. I would also like to thank the crew of the Pisces. They were very knowledgeable and helpful. I hope our paths cross again. Goodbye Pisces.
You may be wondering about the trap that we lost. I have good news. Ensigns Jim Europe and Hollis Johnson saved the day. They are NOAA divers. They are also part of the NOAA Corps-one of the seven uniformed services of the U.S. and the officers that drive the ship. They retrieved the lost trap and the cameras very carefully. Great job, Jim and Hollis! You can learn more about the NOAA Corps here:http://www.noaacorps.noaa.gov/
Jim and Hollis getting ready for their dive. Hollis is from Georgia.NOAA divers and support crew head to the location of the ghost trap.
I would like to end this personal log with a few more of my photos that did not make it into earlier blog entries.
Kevin McMahon is adding bait to the trap. It looks yummy.
Rainbow as seen from the stern of the Pisces.
Beautiful sunset
A tulip snail wandered into one of our traps.
Two toadfish surprised us in the last trap of our survey.
Kevin McMahon trying to figure out why this creature is called a squirrelfish. Credit: Adria McClain
Did you know?
The ocean and humans are inextricably interconnected.
Can you think of a few ways that the ocean affects humans? Can you think of a few ways that humans affect the ocean?
NOAA Teacher at Sea Lesley Urasky Aboard the NOAA ship Pisces June 16 – June 29, 2012
Mission: SEAMAP Caribbean Reef Fish Survey Geographical area of cruise: St. Croix, U.S. Virgin Islands Date: June 30, 2012
Location: Latitude: 29.1215
Longitude: -78.9042
Weather Data from the Bridge:
Water Temperature:
Air Temperature: 32°C (90°F)
Wind Speed: 9 knots (10 mph), Beaufort scale: 3
Wind Direction: from W-SW
Relative Humidity: 61%
Barometric Pressure: 1,012.0 mb
Surface Water Temperature: 28°C (82°F)
Science and Technology Log
During our last night, I had the Third Assistant Engineer, Steve Clement, give me a tour of the engine room and fresh water system. I can’t believe the engineers are able to work down there – the noise and heat (110°) is amazing!
Steve Clement, Third Assistant Engineer, explaining how things work in the engine room.
I’m not a mechanically oriented person, so Steve had to keep his explanations short; it was more of a show-and-tell tour. The engine room, majority of equipment controlling the ship’s motion, and water treatment are located on the bottom deck of the ship. The quantity of both electronic and mechanical equipment is mind-boggling; all the men who work in this capacity have to be proficient in so many areas so the ship can support the science missions. Hats off to all those hard-working and talented men!
Computer screen showing the operations in the generation plant on the Pisces.
The operation of the ship can be monitored on the main distribution computer screen. Levels of fluids and functioning of all the components are continually assessed and modifications to operation made from the control panel.
Computer screen showing current fuel consumption for each generator.
The ship uses lots of diesel fuel when it is operating at full steam (14.5 knots/hour) – around 2,500 gallons a day! The Pisces has a tank capacity of 110,000 gallons; I’d hate to pay their fuel bill when it’s time to fill up! This quantity of fuel allows it to travel about 12,000 NM (nautical miles) or 13,800 miles; that’s a little over half-way around the Earth on one tank of fuel!
Two of the Pisces‘ generators: the one on the left is a 12-cylinder and an 8-cylinder on the right.
The propeller is located at the stern (back) of the ship. I was able to look down through grating in the floor and see the drive shaft turning at 134 rpm. It has a diameter of 14.1 feet; it has to be so large so that it can efficiently move the ship through the water.
Main shaft of the Pisces‘ propeller.
Lastly, I got to see the Pisces‘ water generation system. This is as important as the ship’s engines because without fresh water, the scientists and crew members wouldn’t have drinking water as well as no water for washing or cooking. The ship isn’t big enough to carry all the freshwater that it needs for a long cruise. But with reverse osmosis technology, and the fact that we’re surrounded by nothing but water, fresh water is readily available. The Pisces takes in seawater which is pumped through a reverse osmosis (RO) system.
Reverse osmosis (RO) system that creates fresh water for the Pisces.
In reverse osmosis, the salty water is forced (pumped) through membranes with very small openings. These are so small that the ions making the water “salty” cannot pass through; the water is able to pass and after leaving the ions behind, becomes fresh water. The RO system on the Pisces generates about 624 gallons per hour. The tan “box” in the picture above contains all of the controls and gauges. The long, white tube behind it contains the permeable membrane that the water is forced through.
Membrane filter in a reverse osmosis apparatus. (Source: Wikipedia)
Personal Log
It is with some sadness that my adventure as a NOAA Teacher at Sea has come to an end. Today I said goodbye to the crew of the Pisces. They are an amazing crew, and made my final portion of the cruise without the scientists interesting and fun. I admit that I was a bit apprehensive about being without the scientists and seeing the ship under different circumstances (lacking a specific scientific objective), but the Pisces steamed forward with two goals in mind: retrieving the buoy (see my last posting on June 27), and arriving in Mayport in a timely manner to receive the next group of scientists as they embark on their cruise. I’d like to invite you to continue to follow the Pisces and their new Teacher at Sea, Marsha Skoczek as she learns about Deep Sea Corals.
Pisces life preserver
On the afternoon of the 28th, we encountered a line of squalls generated by Tropical Depression Debby as she moved off the coast of Florida and into the Atlantic. At one point, we had 40 knot (46 mph) winds and rain. After the winds had died down a bit, I spent some time up on the bridge. Being up so high in the ship, coupled with 8-foot confused seas (waves coming in from different directions) began to make me feel seasick. I took another meclazine (similar to Dramamine), had some saltine crackers and ginger ale, and sat on deck looking at the horizon for a while. When even this failed to make me feel better, I crawled into bed. I really must have been feeling poorly to miss dinner!
By next morning, the seas had calmed down dramatically, and I was feeling as good as new. As this was our last full day at sea, I headed up to the bridge to do one last thing that the Commanding Officer told me I could do – drive the ship! While the ship is underway, it is usually under “auto-pilot”. A course can be entered into the computer and the ship doesn’t need anyone actively at the helm. The Navigational Officer, Ensign Michael Doig, placed the Pisces under manual control and showed me how to steer the ship. The Pisces is an incredibly responsive ship and can turn very quickly in just a few feet. I was shown the current heading and the compass and tried to keep the ship on course – it was definitely much harder than it looks! After zig-zagging back and forth, off course by about 10 degrees, I handed control back to Ensign Doig.
Lesley Urasky at the helm (aka “driving” the ship).
After this concentration zapping task, he had me plot our current position on the navigational chart and record the hourly weather information. This included the ship’s current latitude and longitude, course heading, wind speed, air temperature, relative humidity, barometric pressure, and cloud cover.
Lesley Urasky plotting the Pisces‘ current position
While many aspects of travel in the modern age have various computer based technologies to assist with navigation, the crew still needs to know how to find their location manually. I spent some time learning about navigation with Peter Langlois, 3rd Mate on the Pisces. He showed me how they plot their course on a navigational chart. Once a ship’s current location is determined, those crew members on watch will use dead reckoning to determine where they will be at a given point in time if all the current conditions remain the same (course and speed). Peter also attempted to show me how to determine the time of sunrise/sunset for each specific location using our latitude, longitude, and an almanac. For an interesting way to determine when sunrise/sunset (as well as moon rise/set) for your specific location, NOAA has a great website called Solar Calculator. This site will also tell you when solar noon occurs (point where the sun is most directly overhead) and show you the path the sun takes across the sky.
Plotting our current position and using dead reckoning to project future positions.
Unfortunately, at that point in time, I wasn’t able to fully understand Peter’s directions as the seasickness was just beginning to hit me. The effects were compounded by being up on the bridge (almost the highest point on the ship) and trying to follow lines of small numbers in the almanac while the ship was being buffeted by waves from all directions.
As my final day at sea came to a close, I spent quite a bit of time “prowling” the ship and taking pictures of all the little things that had become so “ordinary” to me. After dinner, I climbed up to the flying deck and spent time watching the sunset with the Commanding Officer (CO), Peter Fischel. It was a beautiful sight; one that I’ll always remember.
Sunset on the last night of the cruise.
Before I went to bed, I checked the ship’s information board to find out when we’d be arriving in Mayport, Florida. The board holds important information and updates the crew needs to know as part of their jobs as well as other useful information.
Information board on the NOAA ship Pisces.
Last night when I went to bed, there was nothing but open ocean surrounding the ship. When I woke up the next morning, the sun was rising and Mayport/Jacksonville, Florida could be seen along our port side (left). It was a welcome sight after not seeing land for a few days. However, I knew this view was also bringing my adventure to an end. It was an amazing journey and full of wonderful experiences. I met so many kind and knowledgeable people who I won’t soon forget. A HUGE thank you to NOAA, the science team, and the crew members of the Pisces!
Panoramic view of the Mayport Harbor as we pull in at the end of our cruise.
NOAA Teacher at Sea Lesley Urasky Aboard the NOAA ship Pisces June 16 – June 29, 2012
Mission: SEAMAP Caribbean Reef Fish Survey Geographical area of cruise: St. Croix, U.S. Virgin Islands Date: June 27, 2012
Location: Latitude: 24.6271
Longitude: -67.2819
Weather Data from the Bridge:
Air Temperature: 32°C (90°F)
Wind Speed: 14 knots (16 mph), Beaufort scale: 4
Wind Direction: from SE
Relative Humidity: 70%
Barometric Pressure: 1,018.9 mb
Surface Water Temperature: 28°C (82°F)
Science and Technology Log
Today the Pisces had a mission that they don’t normally take on. The goal for today was to recovery a Deep-ocean Assessment andReporting of Tsunamis (DART) transponder buoy that had come detached from its anchor and was drifting with the currents. The buoy is an integral part of the U.S. early tsunami detection system.
The program began in 2001 with six buoys deployed along the U.S. coast. These buoys were specifically located along regions that had been historically affected by tsunami. By 2008, the program had expanded to 39 stations located along the East Coast, West Coast, Hawaii, and the Western Pacific Ocean. It is a critical component of the NOAA Tsunami Program.
Map of original 6 buoy locationsCurrent DART buoy locations
“The Tsunami Program is part of a cooperative effort to save lives and protect property through hazard assessment, warning guidance, mitigation, research capabilities, and international coordination . . . It also includes the acquisition, operations and maintenance of observation systems required in support of tsunami warning such as DART®, local seismic networks, coastal, and coastal flooding detectors.” (National Data Buoy Center, 2011)
The hull buoy we were retrieving, 2.6D70 from DART station 41421, went adrift after 5/12/2012 01Z. Since this type of equipment is very expensive to produce (around $60,000/buoy) and expensive to retrieve (another ~$20,000) it was the logical choice to swing a little out of our way to retrieve it on our journey back to Mayport.
The NOAA ship Pisces is primarily a fishing vessel; therefore, logistical planning is different for retrieval from this ship than it would be for a ship specifically designed for this type of equipment. Once the buoy was sighted, the ship’s Commanding Officer (CO) Fischel; Junior Officer, Ensign Doig; Fisherman and Medical Officer, Ryan Harris; and Chris Zacharias, Junior Engineer, boarded the ship’s small boat and went to inspect the buoy. Ensign Doig got in the water with a snorkel mask to see how much, if any, chain or cable was trailing the buoy. Depending on what was attached, it would pose an additional concern when retrieving the buoy.
Drifting DART buoy 2.6D70 from station 41421Pisces small boat towing the DART buoy to the ship for loading
Once the crew members were able to attach the buoy to a line, they towed it toward the Pisces where they attached the tow rope to the crane. Retrieving the buoy proved to be a much easier endeavor than dropping the anchor.
Hauling the DART buoy onto the deck of the Pisces.
Once the buoy was on deck, it had to be strapped down to prevent it from rolling around and becoming a safety concern. A couple of strong chains fit the bill.
DART buoy prior to being secured to the deck.
After is was secured, a couple of the deck hands set to work scraping off the organisms that had taken up residence on the submerged portion of the buoy. It is much easier to do this while the buoy is still wet; after is dries, the algae and mollusks encrusted on the outside as well as the crabs and brittle stars hiding in the nooks and crannies would in essence, be cemented onto it.
Underside of the DART buoy coated with algae and small marine organisms.Mollusks attached to the underwater portion of the DART buoy.
Personal Log
Once we arrived at the buoy, we took a bit of time to fish for our dinner. In just a short period, we had caught enough for dinner. We caught a few yellowfin tuna, a mahi-mahi, and a couple of rainbow runners. The crew has been fantastic; Garet Urban, the Chief Engineer, allowed me to use his fishing rod so that I could try and catch a fish. I got lucky and after only a couple of casts, I caught a rainbow runner! I don’t think I’ve ever had such fresh fish for dinner; it was fantastic!
NOAA Teacher at Sea Lesley Urasky Aboard the NOAA ship Pisces June 16 – June 29, 2012
Mission: SEAMAP Caribbean Reef Fish Survey Geographical area of cruise: St. Croix, U.S. Virgin Islands Date: June 24, 2012
Location: Latitude: 19.8584
Longitude: -66.4717
Weather Data from the Bridge:
Air Temperature: 29°C (84°F)
Wind Speed: 16 knots (18 mph), Beaufort scale: 4
Wind Direction: from SE
Relative Humidity: 76%
Barometric Pressure: 1,015.3 mb
Surface Water Temperature: 28°C (82°F)
Lionfish in its native habitat. ( Source: National Geographic; Photograph by Wolcott Henry)
Science and Technology Log
One of the species the scientists are continually scanning for in their videos is the appearance of the Lionfish (Pteroisvolitans/miles); this is one fish they’re hoping notto see.It is not native to these waters and is what is known as an invasive or exotic species.
An invasive species is one that is not indigenous (native) to an ecosystem or area. Many times these organisms are able to exponentially increase their populations because they may have no natural predators, competition for resources, or they may be able to utilize those resources not used by native organisms. Most invasions are caused by human actions. This may involve intentional introduction (many invasive plant species were brought in to create a familiar environment or crop/foraging source), accidentally (rats travelling on ships to distant ports), or unintentionally (people releasing pets that they can no longer take care of). Invasive organisms are problematic because:
They can reduce natural biodiversity and native species.
Push other species to extinction
Interbreed, producing hybrids
Degrade or change ecosystem functions
Economically:
They can be expensive to manage
Affect locally produced products causing a decline in revenue (decline of honey bees due to a mite infestation which, in turn, decreases pollination rates)
Within its native habitat, the Indo-Pacific region, the Lionfish (Pteroisvolitans/miles) is not a problem because that is where they evolved. It is in the family Family Scorpaenidae (Scorpionfishes).They inhabit reef systems between depths of 10 m – 175 m. During the day, they generally can be found within crevices along the reef; at night they emerge to forage in deeper waters, feeding upon smaller fish and crustaceans.
Native range of the Lionfish
Lionfish are venomous and when a person is “stung” by the spines on the dorsal fin, they experience extreme pain, nausea, and can have breathing difficulties. However, a sting is rarely fatal. Despite the hazards of the spines, Lionfish are a popular aquarium species. The problem arises when pet owners irresponsibly get rid of the fish in their aquariums. Instead of giving them away to pet shops, schools, organizations, or other fish enthusiasts, or contacting a local veterinarian about how to humanely dispose of them, they release them into a nearby marine body of water. It’s important to realize that even the smallest, seemingly isolated act can have such large consequences. Remember, if one person is doing it, chances are, others are too. The responsibility of owning an organism is also knowing how to manage it; we need to realize how to protect our marine habitats.
This is where the problem in the Atlantic began. The occurrence of Lionfish was first noticed along the southeastern coast of Florida in 1985. An invasive species is considered established when a breeding population develops. Since their establishment in the waters off of Florida, they have rapidly spread throughout the Atlantic as far north as Rhode Island/Massachusetts , throughout the Caribbean, and into the Gulf of Mexico.
While on our cruise every sighting of a Lionfish was cause for further examination. There was one Lionfish that exhibited a behavior that Kevin Rademacher (Chief Scientist) had never seen before. The fish was on the bottom and moving himself along instead of freely swimming. Videos like this are instrumental in helping scientists figure out Lionfish behavior in their “new” environment as well as their interactions with the surrounding organisms and environment. Hopefully, as this database continues to grow, scientists will develop new understandings of the Lionfish and its effect on the waters of the Atlantic, Caribbean, and Gulf of Mexico.
Divers are encouraged to kill any Lionfish they encounter. The only safe way to do this is from a distance (remember, their dorsal spines are venomous); usually, this is accomplished by using a spear gun. The Commander of the Pisces, Peter Fischel, was doing a final dive off the pier before we left St. Croix. He saw three Lionfish, speared them, and brought them to the scientific crew for data collection. These were frozen and placed in a Ziploc back for preservation. They will be examined back at the lab in Pascagoula, Mississippi.
Three Lionfish caught along the Frederickstad, St. Croix pier. (Notice the 6″ ruler for scale.)
Personal Log
The science portion of the cruise is coming to a close. Today was our last day of sampling. As with yesterday, no fish were caught by the day crew, so we were able to begin cleaning and packing throughout the day instead of waiting until the end. A few days after we arrive in Mayport, Florida, the Pisces will be going out on another cruise along the east coast. On Sunday, July 1st, Joey Salisbury will be arriving in Mayport with a trailer to unload all the scientific equipment and personal gear from this research cruise.
Bandit reel with St. Thomas in the background
In addition to packing, the wet lab and deck have to be cleaned. This entails scrubbing down the tables, coolers, and rails along the deck where we baited our hooks to remove all the fish “scum” that has accumulated over the past three weeks. Between the four of us, we were able to make quick work of the job. There is only one task left for me to do, and that is to take all of our leftover bait, Atlantic Mackerel, and throw it overboard once we are away from the islands. (The bait has been used over the course of the past two years, and has essentially outlived its freshness.)
Day operations crew on the Pisces Caribbean Reef Fish Survey (left to right: Ariane Frappier, Kevin Rademacher (Chief Scientist), Joey Salisbury, and myself).
I want to thank all the scientists on the day operations crew and the deck hands for making me feel so welcome, being ever so patient as I learned how to bait hook, load the bandit reel, remove otoliths, sex the fish, and answer every type of question I had. They’re all amazing people and are passionate about their jobs. Kevin was not only great at thoroughly answering any and all questions, but anticipated those I might have and brought interesting things to my attention. Thank you everyone for an amazing experience that I’ll never forget!
Another incredible person that helped make my trip memorable is my roommate, NOAA Operations Officer, Kelly Schill. She was very welcoming and made me feel immediately at home on the ship. She gave me a thorough tour and introduced me to the crew. I interviewed her briefly about her job in the NOAA Corps.
LU: Kelly, what is your job title and what do you do?
KS: I am a Lieutenant junior grade in the NOAA Corps. The NOAA Corps is one of the 7 uniformed services and I serve as the Operations Officer aboard the NOAA Ship Pisces.
LU: How long have you been working with NOAA?
KS: I have worked for NOAA a total of 4 years; 3 of which were aboard the NOAA Ship Pisces as a NOAA Corps Officer. My first year, I was a physical scientist and developed geospatial visualizations to assist in the generation of navigational warnings and maritime safety information for Dangers to Navigation for the NOAA and contractor surveys. I assisted NOAA Ship Thomas Jefferson in the field with the acquisition, converting and cleaning of multi-beam and side-scan sonar data.
Aboard the NOAA Ship Pisces, my responsibility is to be the liaison between the ship’s crew and scientific party to ensure the mission is carried out smoothly and efficiently. A big part of my job is to handle the logistics and transportation, such as project planning and setting up dockage at different ports from Texas to the Caribbean up to Massachusetts. Most importantly, to continue to learn the intricacies of the ship, effectively operate, and practice safe navigation at all times.
LU: What background and skills are necessary for your job?
KS: A Bachelors Degree of sciences. You must complete a year of chemistry, physics and calculus. Geographic information System (GIS) is equally important. To be well-rounded, internships or field research experience is highly recommended.
Kelly Schill showing off the otolith she just extracted from a Red Hind.
LU: What type(s) of training have you been through for your job?
KS: Being in the uniform service, I was sent to Basic Officer Training Course (BOTC) to learn military etiquette, terrestrial and celestial navigation, safety aboard ships, search and rescue, fire prevention, hands on experience in driving small boats up to larger vessels, etc. Once out of BOTC and on an assigned ship, I was able to attend further training: hazardous material courses, dive school, rescue swimming, and medical. There are many more opportunities that were offered. I have only touched on a few.
LU: Have you worked on other ships not associated with scientific research? If so, what was your job and what type of ship was it?
KS: No, all my experiences were on ships regarding scientific research: NOAA Ship Thomas Jefferson (hydrographic ship) and the NOAA Ship Pisces (fisheries ship).
LU: Does being on a science research ship bring any specific/different expectations than being on another type of merchant ship?
KS: I am unfamiliar with the expectations on a merchant ship. Generally, the research vessels are used to support studies intended to increase the public’s understanding of the world’s oceans and climate. Research vessels are not set on a point A to point B system. Various operations are conducted from fisheries, bathymetry, oceanographic, to marine mammal data collection. These various research projects dictate operation area. Contrary to research vessels, merchant ships usually have a set destination, from point A to point B transporting cargo of one type or another.
LU: We are in the middle of a huge ocean, and our destination – a specific sampling site – is a pinpoint on a map. What has to be considered to make sure you get to the exact location?
NOAA ship Pisces ECDIS map. This is a nautical map that is updated monthly.Closeup of navigational maps showing the location of our sampling sites.
KS: We use a number of tools: ECDIS, Rosepoint, paper charts, GPS, Dynamic Positioning, and of course manual operation. The scientists will provide a location where they want the ship to be for operations to take place. We use all navigational tools to navigate to that position by creating a route, based on a good GPS feed. Navigational tools include: ECDIS (shows an electronic vector chart), Rosepoint (shows an electronic raster chart), and paper charts. Multiple navigational tools are for redundancy to ensure safe navigation.
All routes are created on the side of safety to avoid collision with shoals, wrecks, land, neighboring ships, platforms, buoys, obstructions, etc. Once, we are close to our sampling station, the ship is set up into the wind or the current (whichever force is stronger), reduce propulsion, turn rudder hard over to one side to assist in the reduction of propulsion and to line up on a heading in favor of wind or current. The bow thruster can assist in turns as well. Depending on how strict the mission is to hold an exact coordinate, the dynamic position is dialed in and activated. Otherwise, the watch stander will manually control the engine speed, bow thruster, and rudder to maintain position utilizing outside forces, such as wind, swell, wave state, and currents.
The ship’s radar. The yellow objects at the bottom are St. Thomas and its surrounding small islands, while other vessels will appear in green.
LU: Once we reach a site, what do you need to do to maintain that position during the sampling process?
KS: Every ship has its perks and not all are the same in maintaining a position during the sampling process. Our ship has dynamic positioning (DPS) which uses the rudder, propulsion, and a bow thruster simultaneously to hold position. However, just like any software system, it only works as well as the operator. The parameters have to be just right to accomplish this goal. Parameters are set up based on wind speed, swells, sea state, and currents. All must jive for a positive outcome. Our ship works more efficiently facing into the wind or current; whichever force is the strongest. If both are strong, we split the difference. Should either the bow thruster, main engine, or steering fail, the dynamic position will not properly compensate.
Dynamic Positioning System (DPS) screen. This instrument helps hold the ship at a precise location.
Kelly, thanks for the interview as well as being a great role model for women! Remember, girls, if you want it, go get it!
