Tag: NOAA Ship Thomas Jefferson

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Jennifer Widdig: Readying for Life Aboard a Research Vessel, June 2, 2026

NOAA Teacher at Sea
Jennifer Widdig
Aboard NOAA Ship Thomas Jefferson
June 17 – June 30, 2026

Mission: Hydrographic Survey 

Geographic Area of Cruise: Lake Erie and Lake Ontario

Date: June 2, 2026

A New Adventure Begins

Welcome! My name is Jen, and I call the small town of Minford, Ohio, home. For the past decade, I have had the privilege of teaching a variety of life science courses at Pickaway-Ross Career & Technology Center in Chillicothe, Ohio. While environmental and animal sciences have been at the heart of my teaching career, I am now preparing for a brand-new chapter that is as exciting as it is unfamiliar.

This upcoming school year, I will be stepping into a role that is not only new to me but also new to our school. My focus will be supporting students through online coursework across multiple subject areas while helping ensure they earn the credentials necessary for graduation. It is a unique opportunity to combine education, technology, and student success in ways I have never experienced before, and I am eager to see where this path leads.

One thing I have learned throughout my career is to embrace opportunities that challenge me to grow. That mindset has taken me far beyond the walls of a classroom. Over the years, I have had the incredible opportunity to travel to Belize, Tanzania, Malaysia, and Peru. These experiences allowed me to collaborate with educators and researchers, participate in meaningful projects, volunteer in communities around the world, and gain perspectives that continue to influence both my personal and professional life.

  • Jen, wearing a safari hat and a backpack, takes a selfie at one end of a narrow wooden bridge suspended over a valley
    Amazon Rainforest, Peru
  • Jen, wearing an orange life jacket, holds up a string of fish hooked by their mouths; she sits on a boat next to other people
    Amazon Rainforest, Peru
  • Jen and two other women sit in chairs in a classroom. Jen is speaking, using her hands to gesture something, while the two women look on.
    Belize Classroom
  • Jen takes a selife from the front of a large canoe containing at least six other adults. they are on a brown river in a tropical setting. across the river, along the shore, are buildings with large wooden balconies extending over the water
    Malaysia
  • Jen, wearing a headlight and a backpack, poses for a photo in front of a wooden walkway extending into a large cave
    Belize
  • four people, facing away from the camera, make their way through dense jungle
    Malaysia
  • Jen helps a child look at a photo on a digital camera. beyond, we can see dusty ground, a bus pulling up behind a large tree, and a village.
    Orphanage in Tanzania, Africa
  • Jen helps two children look at a photo on a digital camera.
    Orphanage in Tanzania, Africa
  • view of a classroom containing furniture but no people
    Belize Classroom
  • a wooden footbridge suspended over a ravine
    Amazon Rainforest, Peru

Now, I am preparing for an entirely different kind of adventure.

For two weeks, I will be living and working aboard a research hydrography vessel on Lakes Erie and Ontario. Unlike my previous international experiences, this opportunity will immerse me in the daily life of a scientific research crew as they collect data, map underwater features, and contribute to our understanding of the Great Lakes. It is a chance to experience science in action, learn from experts in the field, and gain firsthand knowledge of the technology and research that support navigation, environmental monitoring, and resource management.

As someone who has spent years teaching science, I am excited to step into the role of learner once again. There is something humbling and inspiring about leaving your comfort zone and diving into an entirely new environment especially when that environment happens to be a research vessel floating across two of North America’s most significant freshwater ecosystems.

As I prepare to trade lesson plans for lake charts and classrooms for the deck of a research vessel, I am reminded that some of the best learning happens when we step into unfamiliar territory. This blog will serve as a real-time account of that experience. I’ll share the sights, the science, the challenges, and the unexpected moments that come with living aboard a hydrographic survey vessel. From learning the day-to-day operations of the crew to exploring the technology used to map the lake floor. I hope you’ll join me as I navigate life aboard the Thomas Jefferson, explore the science of the Great Lakes, and embrace this adventure one day at a time. 

Mapping the Ocean with NOAA’s Teacher at Sea Program 

Before embarking on my adventure, I want to share some information about the agency, program and vessel. 

NOAA Ship Thomas Jefferson, a large white ship, underway. we can see the NOAA logo, the letters N O A A, and the ship's number, S 222, on the hull. the sky is cloudy and gray, and the water is calm and gray.
NOAA Ship Thomas Jefferson (Credit: NOAA)

NOAA’s Teacher at Sea Program is an exciting opportunity that allows educators to step out of their schools and onto research vessels to experience real-world science firsthand. The organization behind this adventure is NOAA, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. NOAA is a federal agency within the U.S. Department of Commerce that studies and protects our oceans, atmosphere, weather, climate, and coastal resources. From forecasting hurricanes and tracking marine life to mapping the ocean floor, NOAA’s mission is to better understand our planet and help keep people safe.

Since 1990, more than 850 teachers have participated in NOAA’s Teacher at Sea Program, joining scientists aboard research vessels and bringing their experiences back to classrooms across the country. Teachers become part of the science team, helping collect data while sharing photos, blogs, and lessons that connect students to real scientific discoveries.

Teachers selected for the program observe and actively participate. Depending on the mission, they may deploy equipment, record scientific observations, monitor instruments, assist with data collection, and take part in safety drills. Research operations run 24 hours a day, and teachers often work alongside scientists during 12-hour shifts.

For my mission, I will be aboard NOAA Ship Thomas Jefferson, a hydrographic survey vessel. The 208-foot ship can travel nearly 19,200 nautical miles and remain at sea for up to 45 days. The Thomas Jefferson is essentially a floating science laboratory. Its mission is to map the seafloor, support maritime commerce, improve coastal resilience, and provide data used to update the nation’s nautical charts. These charts help ships navigate safely through coastal waters and busy ports.

Hydrography is the study and measurement of underwater features and navigable waterways. Just as cartographers create maps of mountains and rivers on land, hydrographers map the hidden landscape beneath the water’s surface. Their work helps identify shallow areas, underwater hazards, shipwrecks, and other features important to safe navigation.

To “see” underwater, the Thomas Jefferson uses advanced technology. Side-scan sonar sends sound waves across the seafloor to create detailed images of underwater objects. Multibeam echo sounders measure water depths with incredible precision and create three-dimensional maps of the ocean floor. The ship also carries smaller survey boats that can reach shallow areas inaccessible to the larger vessel.

Hydrographic data has many uses beyond navigation. Scientists use it to study marine habitats, determine whether the seafloor consists of sand, mud, or rock, support dredging and construction projects, and assist with routing underwater cables and pipelines.

As I prepare to step aboard the Thomas Jefferson, I can’t help but feel a mix of excitement, curiosity, and gratitude. This experience is so much more than a professional development opportunity. I get a chance to become a student again, learning directly from scientists and crew members who dedicate their lives to exploring and understanding our oceans. I’ll have the opportunity to see hydrography in action, witness cutting-edge technology mapping parts of the seafloor, and experience life aboard a NOAA research vessel firsthand. Most importantly, I’ll be able to bring these experiences back to my students, sharing not only the science but also the adventure, teamwork, and discovery that happen beyond the walls of a classroom. 

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Jacqueline Omania: Flower Garden Banks NMS, Coral Lab and More! June 18, 2024

NOAA Teacher at Sea

Jacqueline Omania

Aboard NOAA Ship Thomas Jefferson

June 17 – June 28, 2024

Mission: Hydrographic Survey of the Northern Gulf of Mexico

Geographic Area: Galveston , Texas

Date: June 14-18, 2024

Weather Data: 

Latitude: 29.29979 º N”
Longitude: 94.79312 º W
88º Fahrenheit
Clear Skies, Sunny

Galveston Island, Texas

Galveston Island is a barrier island on the Texas Gulf Coast. It is about 50 miles southeast of Houston and is 27 miles long and only 3 miles wide at its widest point. It has 32 miles of beaches! The main strip is the Galveston Seawall which is the longest contiguous sidewalk in the U.S. at 10.3 miles long! You can walk forever with the ocean rolling right next to you. The tan sand is soft like powder. The water these days has a brown color due to run off from the Mississippi River. It is warm like a bathtub, which makes it very enjoyable to swim in. I learned later, however, that such an ocean temperature is actually a danger sign for a possible coral bleaching event. 

This is my first visit to Texas ever and the differences are remarkable to me. The price of gas is $2.67 a gallon compared to the near $5 we pay in California. Consequently, there are many more large pickup trucks on the road. In the drive from Houston to Galveston, I passed oil refineries so large they seemed like cities in themselves. I’d seen images in movies, but this was my first real experience.

a view of a beach at sunset; the sky is reflected on the wet sand
Galveston Beach along the sea wall

The Thomas Jefferson is docked in Galveston and I am spending Friday meeting the folks at Flower Garden Banks National Marine Sanctuary and NOAA Fisheries, both of which are housed in the NOAA headquarters in Galveston.

My Orientation: Flower Garden Banks National Marine Sanctuary Foundation (FGBNMS) and NOAA Fisheries

Flower Garden Banks National Marine Sanctuary (FGBNMS) is located 80-125 miles off the coast of Texas and Louisiana and is the only sanctuary in the Gulf of Mexico. It was designated in 1992. Although there are some visible coral reefs at divable depths, most of the sanctuary exists 130-725 feet below the surface in the twilight (mesophotic) zone. The sanctuary contains some of the healthiest coral reefs in the contiguous United States. Their work focuses on preserving and restoring the marine environment in the Gulf of Mexico.

an illustrated poster titled Flower Garden Banks National Marine Sanctuary, featuring a manta ray swimming prominently in the center above a coral reef; a small remotely operated vehicle is visible in the background
Flower Garden Banks National Marine Sanctuary poster

Thanks to the efforts of Kelly Drinnen and Taylor Galaviz, the Education and Outreach team at FGBNMS, I was able to meet the staff at the Sanctuary and the NOAA Labs and get  a glimpse of their work. I arrived at the end of a staff meeting to hear Dr. Michelle Johnston, the Sanctuary Superintendent, present her work encouraging a plan for the fishing of Wahoo in the Gulf of Mexico. Currently the practice is unmanaged. This discussion of balancing the actions of local fishers with environmental sustainability is one that I am familiar with. As a teacher, I wonder: are they teaching about ecosystems in kindergarten? To create a collective mindset where individuals understand how to balance their needs with that of nature, we must begin in the schools.

These questions were answered in my next meeting with Rebecca Smith (NOAA fishery and outreach educator). She shared a workbook, Habitat! It’s Where It’s At, which explains the local ecology and conservation. I am excited to use her resources with my students. 

three NOAA-produced workbooks in a row titled: Shrimply Fun! The Shrimp Fishery in the Gulf of Mexico: Activity and Coloring Book, Habitat! It's Where It's At!, and Sea Turtle Activity and Coloring Book.
Workbooks from NOAA Fisheries

I also met Keith Roberts, a data scientist from NOAA Fisheries, who shared about his work collecting fish data. He gifted me an otolith and explained how you can tell the age and gender of the fish from a particular inner ear bone. The otolith works like a tree with rings, and by counting the ridges on the bone you know the age. It is made of calcium carbonate like our fingernails. 

close-up view of a single otolith resting on a foam pad in a small display box
Otolith

Besides learning about the sanctuary, we had some time to discuss entry points into marine science careers. I love to support my past students in achieving their dreams, and our conversation gave me new resources to do so. I learned about opportunities at the Island School and Cape Eleuthera Institute in the Bahamas, and the Sea Turtle Rescue and Rehabilitation Center (Surf City, NC) which has internships for students in their junior year of high school. There is also a dolphin research center in Marathon Key (FL) and possibilities at Disney’s Epcot Center Aquarium. Several of the staff had entered their field through early internships at zoos and aquariums- and even by doing work with something as unusual  as Attwater’s Prairie Chickens (an endangered species of grouse native to Houston). Since access to environmental science careers is a topic I am passionate about, I was also happy to learn that NOAA has scholarship programs to support youth from underserved communities.

a woman stands in an office with her hand resting on a large scientific instrument; a round metal apparatus housing a conductivity, temperature, and depth probe surrounded by cylindrical water sampling bottles
Kelly with CTD device
a woman crouches next to a line of large white mooring buoys resting on the floor of a room with tall glass windows
Mooring Buoy shown by Olivia Eisenbach

Mapping and the National Marine Sanctuary Foundation

In the afternoon, I was connected with the wonderful Sasha Francis, who works for the National Marine Sanctuary Foundation as the Gulf Restoration Education and Outreach Manager. She supports the projects focused on restoring the mesophotic and deep benthic communities (MDBC) that were injured by the Deepwater Horizon oil spill in April of 2010. Mesophotic and deep benthic communities are vast and complex ecosystems of coral, sponges, fish, and more along the ocean floor that are a foundation of Gulf of Mexico food webs.

Sasha, along with Kris Benson and Kelly Martin, NOAA Project Managers for this restoration work, helped me understand in detail how the mapping data we would be collecting with the Thomas Jefferson would be used. It is often combined with ROV (remotely operated vehicles) video and photo data to give us detailed information on deepwater features. If the maps show the deep ocean seafloor to be hard and highly reflective of sound beams, then it is likely that area has surfaces coral like to attach to. Areas having relief and variety can also be good for coral growth. Finding seafloor features like this helps restoration experts predict the presence of deep-sea coral communities and locate them for data collection and restoration. The expedition on the Thomas Jefferson is one of the many focused on creating higher-resolution maps of the Gulf than ever before to help with the restoration. 

a model of seafloor features, with depth depicted in a gradient of colors. the left side of the image is a lower resolution gradient than the right.
Side by side comparison showing how much more seafloor detail the new, higher-resolution maps provide. Credit: NOAA

NOAA and the other partners for this restoration work are working with FGBNMS as a reference site to better understand healthy deep-sea communities in the Gulf so they know how best to restore injured species in similar habitats across the Northern Gulf. 

Overall, seafloor mapping provides important information for restoration and which locations should be explored with greater detail. The mapping data supports MDBC restoration and protection efforts, such as finding ideal locations to place coral fragments for new colonies to grow and  mooring buoys that  prevent damage by anchors The mapping also provides data that can  inform management decisions in the Gulf. For example,companies drilling for oil can identify  areas where there is a large expanse of sediment rather than locations with a high diversity of fish, coral, and other sea life. Finally, it gives vital information that can support expanded or a greater number of marine protected areas in the Gulf of Mexico.

underwater image of corals, feathery crinoids, a larger fish like a snapper and some smaller fish staying close to the coral
Mesophotic corals and crinoids on Bright Bank, near the Flower Garden Banks National Marine Sanctuary. Credit: Marine Applied Research and Exploration, NOAA

The education and outreach initiatives for the MDBC restoration projects include high-resolution images of the various deep ocean zones so that students can see the rich variety of marine species that thrive there. As Sasha showed me large posters that represent the seafloor as you go deeper in the Gulf, from the mesophotic zone (about 160 ft to 980 ft) through the transitional Lophelia zone (about 980 ft to 2600 ft) and into the deep zone (less than 1% light), we searched for creatures like the Spotted moray eel and Dumbo octopus and colorful corals, too. I hope to use the images with my 5th graders to foster knowledge of the deep sea; I also plan to have them share their learning with their kindergarten buddies and so foster cross-age learning as students search for deep sea species together. Another excellent visual resource is The Deep Sea.

a woman crouches on the floor next to a stack of large posters unrolled on the carpet
Sasha Francis pointing out one of the species in the Lophelia zone poster

The Coral Lab

The Galveston MDBC Coral Lab is run by aquarists Shannon Ainsworth (“the coral gardener”) and William Daily, and managed by Ben Higgins, who referred to himself humbly as “the plumber.” Ben is a NOAA research fishery biologist and the well known manager of the sea turtle program that was housed where the coral lab is now. He has built and manages all equipment in the MDBC Coral Lab. This lab is raising mesophotic corals that have never been kept in human care before and learning important information about their life history and reproduction. The small coral colonies carefully collected from the Gulf are  stunning colors of bright orange, purple, white, and yellow with fascinating names like Swiftia exserta and Muricea pendula. It is mesmerizing to watch them sway in gentle current in their tanks. Shannon shows the coral babies, which at just 2 years old are the size of alfalfa sprouts. She explains how the lab prepares the coral food by adding nutrients to brine shrimp and we have a chance to feed the coral. It is simply beautiful, and witnessing the coral work in the lab gives me so much hope for our ability to restore our ocean.

Ben poses for a photo, resting his arm on a shelf, in the coral lab
Ben Higgins manager of the Coral Lab
rows of cannisters mounted on the wall; part of a complex water filtration system
Water filtration for the coral created by Ben Higgins
view of water filtration system
Water filters and systems in the coral lab
a woman poses for a photo next to an aquarium with corals growing
Shannon in the coral lab
view of three yellow, spindly corals growing in a tank
Placogorgia sp.
view of 10 orange corals growing in a tank
Swiftia exserta
view of about 9 white corals growing in a tank
Muricea pendula
baby corals just visible on small orange blocks resting on a grid in an aquarium
2-year-old corals in the nursery
a woman reaches a yellow-gloved arm holding a pipette into a tank full of corals
Shannon feeding the Swiftia exserta coral
Swiftia exserta being fed by aquarists at NOAA’s Galveston Lab. Credit: NOAA
Young Swiftia exserta polyps feeding. Credit: NOAA, USGS

Final Stop: Moody Aquarium

Moody Gardens in Galveston is shaped on the outside like the three pyramids at Giza. One is an aquarium, another a rainforest and the third, a science discovery museum. The Moody Aquarium, a 1.5 million gallon aquarium, is one of the largest in the Southwest. It has a special focus on the Gulf of Mexico as well as exhibits from the South Atlantic, the North Pacific, the South Pacific and the Caribbean.

a view of three pyramid-shaped structures, surrounded by palm trees, with some water in the background and developed coastline beyond
Moody Gardens pyramids. Credit: Moody Gardens
Jacqueline poses for a photo between two penguin statues
Jacqueline in the Moody Aquarium

With Sasha Francis from the National Marine Sanctuary Foundation as my guide, I was in great hands. Sasha had worked as penguin and seal biologist and diver in the Moody Aquarium for 5 years, and was even responsible for transporting penguins and a sea lion to  the exhibits. She knew the penguins well and shared the details of her work with them. With her as my guide, I was even able to learn about the Sub-antarctic penguins which due to winter in the Antarctic region were in completely dark exhibits. A few highlights of the museum were: the Coral Rescue Lab, the reef under the oil rig, and the underwater tunnel. A huge thanks to Sasha for being such an excellent host!

Jacqueline and Saha pose next to a standing banner about Flower Garden Banks National Marine Sanctuary
Jacqueline and Sasha, Moody Aquarium
view through the glass doors to the Coral Rescue Lab
Moody Aquarium
view inside the coral rescue lab of aquariums and equipment
Coral Lab in the Moody Aquarium
a large circular fish tank around the base of a recreated oil rig, containing species of fish that gather there
Oil rig exhibit, Moody Aquarium
Jacqueline poses in a tunnel through a floor-to-ceiling fish tank
Fish Tunnel, Moody Aquarium

Personal Log: The Unexpected

Unfortunately, I began to feel sick that evening. The body aches continued into the next day and out of caution I decided to do a Covid Test. I tested positive. It is actually my first experience with Covid. I am not sure how I have stayed well for years teaching in the pandemic, only to have a positive test days before an experience that means so much to me. Thus, I was not able to sail on the Thomas Jefferson. I do thank NOAA for the life changing opportunities in Galveston that I was able to have. I do hope to be a Teacher at Sea in the future.

Thanks for following my blog and sorry for the unexpected ending.

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Jacqueline Omania: Introduction, June 11, 2024

NOAA Teacher at Sea

Jacqueline Omania

Aboard NOAA Ship Thomas Jefferson

June 17 – June 28, 2024

Mission: Hydrographic Survey of the Northern Gulf of Mexico

Geographic Area: Galveston, Texas

Date: June 8, 2024

Weather Data from the “Bridge” (My Deck): 

Latitude: 37.8715 º N”
Longitude: 122.2730 º W 
65º Fahrenheit
Wind: 11 kn, Wind direction: SW
Air pressure: 1011 hPa
Humidity: 70%, Sunny 
Rainfall: 0 mm

Introduction

Hello! My name is Jacqueline Omania and I am preparing to join a hydrographic project on NOAA Ship Thomas Jefferson originating out of Galveston, Texas on June 17th.

I am a fifth grade teacher at Oxford Elementary School in Berkeley, California. This coming year will be my 20th year teaching. I have a masters degree in Environmental Education and teach with a strong emphasis on outdoor education in my curriculum. Prior to being in the classroom, I founded the first school Farm and Garden Program in our district. Now, every school in our district has a school garden program staffed by a garden teacher. I am known at school as the teacher who takes her students on the most field trips; we go sailing, cycling, hiking, climbing, camping and dragon boating. Since my students do not all have the same access to outdoor experiences, I believe it is essential to experience the natural world as part of school. My  goal is for students to fall in love with nature and, thus, be inspired to work together to protect it.

A group of 18-20 students sit, stand, and jump on a hillside by the ocean at sunset. The students are facing away from the camera. Most are mid-leap, with their hands in the air. They cast long shadows on the grass at this time of day.
Pacific Coast, NorCal / Photo credit: Jacqueline Omania

One special feature of my class is our success as a Zero Waste Classroom. For most of the last 9 years, we have made less than a quart of landfill waste for the entire school year. I weave a theme of sustainability into all the academic content areas all year. My students learn to be activists and to use their studies to make a difference. Recently (after 3 years of activism) my students have successfully persuaded our school district to switch from throwaway paper and plastic foodware to reusable foodware for school meals.

This photo features a miniature plastic garbage can, perhaps 5 or 6 inches tall, the color of mustard. It is full of trash and held closed with a rubber band. In front of the tiny garbage can is a pencil, for scale, and a piece of paper that acts as a label. The paper reads: 2023-24 Landfill Waste.
A young girl smiles for the camera. She wears a beige vest with plastic utensils and other trash attached to it. She's standing near a trifold posterboard set up at a table. The trifold is titled "Zero Waste Class" and contains lots of photos and newspaper articles.
Three students stand in front of a pile of plastic waste at a transfer station. The girl on the left is wearing a jean vest with all sorts of plastic trash attached to it. The boy in the middle is wearing a large red sign that says REUSE and holding something in his left hand in the air. Another girl with a trash-vest stands to the right.

Landfill Waste for the ‘23-’24 School Year  Photo credit: Jacqueline Omania;
student photos courtesy of Oxford Elementary

Outside of teaching in the classroom, I run a local chapter of a youth group called Heirs to Our Ocean through which I continue to mentor my former elementary students in their middle and high school years. Currently, I have two students on our city’s Climate Commission, occupying the first-ever youth seats.

In my free time, I am learning sailing (started in 2022)—both locally in the San Francisco Bay and in the Caribbean, where I have roots. I am also fascinated by Polynesian wayfinding and the journey of Hokulea (a Polynesian double-hulled voyaging canoe which is circumnavigating the Earth to raise awareness of the importance of the ocean) and have been eagerly reading to learn more. I will definitely be working on knots and the star compass while at sea. Besides sailing, I love to be outdoors and enjoy long walks, gardening and trips to local beaches. I have two grown children—Mehrnush (PhD student in Geography at UCLA) and Farhad (working in a restaurant and reflecting on his next steps); I enjoy being a mother of grown children. 

Jacqueline takes a selfie on a sailboat in the Caribbean Sea. She's wearing a white t-shirt that reads: KEEP OUR SEA PLASTIC FREE. A pair of sunglasses hangs around her neck. Behind, the ocean is calm and overcast, a mix of grays and yellows.
Hokulea, a Polynesian double-hulled voyaging canoe. In the lower right, we see that this photo is copyrighted to the Polynesian Voyaging Society, and photographer Aina Paikai.
a close up view of a young man and woman posing together for the photo

Caribbean Sea/ Photo credit: Jacqueline Omania;
Hokulea photo Polynesian Voyaging Society
Farhad and Mehrnush

Personal Log:  Why am I doing this?

I love being at sea. I was fortunate to spend 100 days on Semester at Sea in my second year of college, sailing on the SS Universe from Seattle, Washington around the world to return to Ft. Lauderdale, Florida. This experience gave me a strong experience in shipboard life, a deep respect for the ocean and a glimpse at many diverse cultures around the world. I continue to love exploration and marine science and work to weave ocean literacy into my classroom curriculum to cultivate students who will be inspired to learn more and care to protect our ocean.

I am excited to be selected for the Teacher at Sea program and have the opportunity to assist with hydrographic research, as well as learn about marine science careers.  I can’t wait to share all that I learn with my students. They will be interested in how hydrographic surveys work, since we already study charts of the SF Bay. They will also be interested in jobs at sea since many absolutely love our class sail on the Pegasus and want to know more about ways to be at sea. Thank you to NOAA for giving me this opportunity to experience work in marine science in the Gulf of Mexico. This part of the world is new to me and I am very curious about what wildlife I will see.

 Science and Technology Log

NOAA Ship Thomas Jefferson is a 208 ft. long hydrographic survey ship that maps the ocean floor to help maritime commerce, to preserve the coastline and to better understand the marine environment. It uses side scan sonar to create images of the seafloor that help locate marine hazards as well as multibeam echo sounders to find accurate depths and create detailed images of the sea floor. The ship became part of the NOAA fleet in 2003 and was named after President Thomas Jefferson because he created the Survey of the Coast in 1807. NOAA Ship Thomas Jefferson has also responded after hurricanes—as well as after other catastrophic events like the Deep Horizon oil spill—to determine when it is safe again for ships to travel.

NOAA Ship Thomas Jefferson, seen from the port side as it sails past the Statue of Liberty
NOAA Ship Thomas Jefferson. Photo courtesy of NOAA.

Please write if you have comments and questions and I’ll respond to you!

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Oktay Ince: Farewell to NOAA Ship Thomas Jefferson, for now! August 8, 2022

NOAA Teacher At Sea
Oktay Ince
Aboard NOAA Ship Thomas Jefferson
June 20- July 1, 2022

Mission: Hydrographic Survey
Geographic Area of Cruise: Lake Erie
Date: Monday, August 8, 2022

Latitude: 40.08°N
Longitude: 83.08°W
Elevation: 902 ft

Columbus, OHIO Weather
Humidity: 74%
Wind Speed: SW 8 mph
Barometer: 30.06 (1017.0 mb)
Dewpoint: 72°F (22°C)
Visibility: 10.00 mi
Heat Index: 85°F (29°C)

Science and Technology Log

“65% of children entering primary school today will ultimately end up working in completely new job types that don’t yet exist (World Economic Forum).”

I can’t help but wonder what types of careers and jobs will be available for our students. However, I can speculate that marine science would have a huge piece on this “never-before-existed” future job pool when you consider seventy percent of our Earth’s surface is covered with ocean and among it eighty percent of it unmapped, unobserved and unexplored, according to NOAA. There are many different careers available within NOAA and I believe there will be many more new careers available for the future generations. 

You may wonder and ask why oceans are still unexplored. One answer comes from Dr. Gene Carl Feldman, an oceanographer at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center. He states that one of the biggest challenges of ocean exploration comes down to physics. In the depth of the ocean, there is zero visibility, extremely cold temperatures, and crushing amounts of pressure. He also states that “ In some ways, it’s a lot easier to send people into space than it is to send people to the bottom of the ocean”. It is hard to fathom what it looks, and feels like under the water, at least for me as a non-swimmer. 

With technological advancements, who knows what mysteries will be solved in the world of oceans in the future? I think it is important to show our students to know the unknown world of oceans and inspire them to take careers related to marine science so that we can know more about our blue planet. Without knowing our oceans, there would be no future for our own existence. 

Personal Log

Oktay, in his Teacher at Sea hat and t-shirt, poses for a photo on the flying bridge of NOAA Ship Thomas Jefferson at sunset
Last Day at the NOAA’s Ship Thomas Jefferson

It’s been a great learning experience while at sea for 12 days. I have learned so much, met incredible women and men, and made awesome friends. 

As a STEM educator, the reason I wanted to apply for this opportunity is because I wanted to bring marine science into my school and community. By training, most of the time I spent time in various labs focusing on genetic studies using many biotechnological tools during my graduate study. But, it wasn’t until my NOAA experience to involve marine science research in the field. Much of my marine science knowledge comes from theory, reading books/ articles, or watching documentaries. This lack of experiential knowledge put me in a position where my students are also learning it from textbooks. However, now thanks to the NOAA Teacher at Sea program, I am confidently bringing any resources or tools related to the ocean, and atmosphere to my students. My plan is to create interdisciplinary project-based learning opportunities that involve challenging questions related to marine science. 

Thank you NOAA Teacher at Sea Program for allowing me to participate once-in-a-lifetime opportunity and thank you NOAA Ship Thomas Jefferson crew for hosting me with great hospitality, and allowing me to learn more about marine science. 

Did you know?

Sometimes NOAA’s ships are open to the public for tours. In fact, I am planning to take my students to NOAA Ship Thomas Jefferson sometime in September while it is still in Great Lakes.

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Laura Grimm: What Makes the Great Lakes So Great?, August 3, 2022

NOAA Teacher at Sea

Laura Grimm

Aboard NOAA Ship Thomas Jefferson

July 4 – July 22, 2022

Mission: Hydrographic Survey of Lake Erie

Geographic Area of Cruise: Lake Erie

Date: August 3, 2022

Weather Data from my home office in Dalton, Ohio

Latitude: 40ᵒ 45.5’ N

Longitude: 081ᵒ 41.5’ W

Sky Conditions: Partly Cloudy

Visibility: 10+ miles

Wind Speed: 9 mph with gusts up to 23 mph

Wind Direction: SW

Air Temperature: 87 ᵒF (31 ᵒC)

Heat Index: 92 ᵒF (33 ᵒC)

Relative Humidity: 57%

Science and Technology Log

What is under all that water? 

Have you ever wondered what the seabed (lakebed) made of?  This information is important for several reasons: knowing where to anchor, pipeline &/or structure construction, habitat, dredging, etc.  Information about the sediments can be found on navigational charts.  Periodically, hydrographers need to take bottom samples to update these charts.  To do this, they bring the ship to a halt and drop a spring-loaded sampler to the seafloor.  The sampler snaps shut, capturing a sample of the bottom substrate.  The sediments that are brought aboard are analyzed according to grain size which range from clay (< 0.002 mm) to stones (4.0 mm and larger).

  • a spring-loaded trap attached to a rope, resting on deck
    Spring-loaded bottom sampler
  • two scientists wearing hard hats and life vests prepare to lower the bottom sampler. one is holding on to the rope attached to the sampler, while the other directs the sampler with a pole or a hook
    Physical Scientist Abebe and Chief Hydrographic Survey Technician Cziraki get ready to deploy a bottom sampler.
  • Laura, wearing a hard hat and life vest, pulls on the rope attached to the bottom sampler (strung over a pulley)
    Teacher at Sea Grimm practices retrieving the bottom sampler.
  • On the top of the chart is a ruler measuring 0-100 millimeters. 0-4 mm is classified as "granules," 4-8 mm as "small pebbles," 8-16 mm as "medium pebbles," 16-32 mm as "large pebbles," 32-64 mm as "very large pebbles," and 64-100 mm as "small cobbles." An inset box notes that 128-256 mm is classified as "large cobbles" and anything larger than 256 mm are "boulders." In the lower part of the chart, there are nine boxes with photos of grains of different sizes, topped by a scale ranging from 0-2000 micrometers. At the low end of the range, 0-125 micrometers is classified as "very fine sand," 125-250 micrometers as "fine sand," 250-500 micrometers as "coarse sand," 1000-2000 micrometers as "very coarse sand." and inset box notes that 3.9-62 micrometers is classified as "silt."
    This chart is used to measure grain size of the bottom sample.
  • Bottom Sample Sediment Classification Tables. Sediment Size Classification, with Grain Size in millimeters: Clay - < 0.002 mm. Silt - 0.002-0.0625 mm. Sand (fine) - 0.00625-0.25 mm. Sand (medium) - 0.25-0.5 mm. Sand (coarse) - 0.5-2.0 mm. Gravel- 2.0-4.0 mm. Pebbles-4.0-64.0 mm. Cobble-64.0-256.0 mm. Boulder- >256.0 mm. Stone - 4.0-256.0+
    This chart is used to classify the bottom sediment according to grain size.

What is it called to drive a ship?  The action of driving a ship is probably most often called piloting the ship. You may also hear people use the words steer, navigate, guide, maneuver, control, direct, captain, or shepherd.  Whatever you want to call it – I was super excited to pilot the ship.  I was also a bit nervous because it is so big!  Maneuvering a 208’ vessel seemed a bit daunting.

I first got some excellent tutoring by Helmsman AB Kinnett and Conning Officer ENS Brostowski.  All I needed to do was to make a 180ᵒ turn.  How difficult could it be?  I needed to take the ship out of the navigation system (commonly called, Nav Nav), go from autopilot to manual steering, follow the Conning Officer’s rudder directions, do some fine tuning, switch from manual steering to autopilot, and turn on the Nav Nav system.  Easy shmeezy! 

My legs were shaking just a bit.  I guess I did okay.  Someone did call up from the plot room and ask, “Just who is driving the ship?”  Haha.  They calmed down once they learned it was just “the teacher”. 

  • Laura, wearing a Teacher at Sea hat, stands at the helm of NOAA Ship Thomas Jefferson. To her right is AB Kinnett. To her left is ENS Brostowski pointing at a screen.
    Conning Officer ENS Brostowski telling me, “Right 10 degrees rudder.”
  • Laura at the helm (now we can see the wheel.) AB Kinnett and ENS Brostowski look on.
    “Right 10 degrees rudder. Aye,” I responded.
  • Laura stands at the helm (the wheel is out view.) ENS Brostowski, standing behind her with arms folded, issues instructoins.
    “Rudder amidships”, instructs Conning Officer ENS Brostowski.
  • Laura, at the helm (wheel visible), looks upward and reaches for something (out of frame) with her right hand. AB Kinnett stands in the background but looks directly at the camera.
    After some fine tuning, Helmsman AB Kinnett makes sure that I return the ship to autopilot! (He looks a little worried!)
  • screenshot of a navigation screen that displays the recent track of NOAA Ship Thomas Jefferson as lines on a nautical map
    I am not sure which turn is mine, however, I was comforted to know that they were not all the same. 😊

Parallel Parking

We came into the Port of Cleveland on July 22.  The crew did a super job of parking!  (I am sure “parking” is not the correct term.)  They used the windlass and ropes to secure the ship to the port (on the starboard side) and then put the gangway in place.  Don’t forget to take out the garbage!

  • view of Cleveland over the bow of NOAA Ship Thomas Jefferson
    Coming into port
  • the interior of the ship is mostly dark in this photo, but we can see the lighthouse through the circle of porthole.
    The Cleveland Port lighthouse through my stateroom porthole.
  • view of the stadium from the water
    Go Browns! First Energy Stadium is just east of the Port of Cleveland.
  • view over the bow of NOAA Ship Thomas Jefferson. three crewmembers, wearing hard hats and life vests, prepare to throw ropes over the rail as the ship pulls up alongside a dock. tall buildings of downtown Cleveland are visible in the background.
    Getting ready to throw the lines
  • three crewmembers, wearing hard hats and life jackets, operate the windlass on the bow deck of NOAA Ship Thomas Jefferson.
    The crew uses the windlass to tighten the lines.
  • a crane swings the gangway (a ramp with railings) over the side of the ship, ready to lower it into place.
    The crane moves the gangway off the ship.
  • crane lowers the gangway into place; crewmembers wearing hard hats and life jackets pull on ropes to help maneavuer it
    Carefully, the gangway is moved to the correct place.
  • gangway, still attached to crane, in place, connecting the deck of NOAA Ship Thomas Jefferson to the dock.
    That’s a good place to put the gangway.
  • crane lifts a set of six steps, with railings, in the air. a davit of NOAA Ship Thomas Jefferson is visible in the background.
    Here come the steps.
  • the steps lead up from the deck to the top of the gangway, which then ramps down to the dock. the fast rescue boat (stowed on board) is visible in the background.
    It took a group effort and a lot of communication to get the gangway and steps in place.
  • crane lifting a crate filled with blue and black trash bags
    Don’t forget to take out the trash! By the way, much of the food waste is collected by a local farmer and composted. Very Earth friendly!
Laura, wearing a Teacher at Sea hat, and four crewmembers, wearing hard hats, pose for a photo on the dock, in front of stacks of large coils of metal wiring
On dry land after 19 days!  This crew was amazing!  From left to right: 1AE Perry, ENS Castillo, TAS Grimm, BGL Bayliss, AB Thompson. 

Personal Log

In late April 2022, I was informed by the NOAA Teacher at Sea office that I would sail aboard NOAA Ship Thomas Jefferson on a hydrographic survey of Lake Erie in July.  Truthfully, I didn’t know what hydrography entailed – but I was familiar with Lake Erie.

I grew up only 20 miles from the Port of Cleveland.  As a child, my family spent a week each summer on Middle Bass Island where I learned to swim and fish for walleye and perch.  I was a sun-kissed, towheaded child that liked to catch frogs and talk with insects.  My daughter and I vacationed on Kelleys Island for many summers.  I even took an oceanography class on Gibraltar Island.  I was very excited to learn more about the Lake of my childhood.

  • a satellite map of the Great Lakes, with each lake labeled. no other political features are labeled.
    The Great Lakes share borders with many US states and Canada. H.O.M.E.S. = Huron, Ontario, Michigan, Erie, and Superior.
  • a political map of the Great Lakes showing the lakes and the surrounding states and provinces. A dashed white line through Lakes Superior, Huron, Erie, and Ontario marks the division between U.S. and Canadian waters.
    The Canadian province of Ontario and eight U.S. states (Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Minnesota, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin) have shorelines on the Great Lakes.
  • a political map of the Great Lakes, with the outline of the Great Lakes' watershed superimposed.
    A large amount of land is included in the Great Lakes watershed. (A watershed is an area of land that drains to a common body of water.)
  • shapes and positions of Great Lakes superimposed on satellite map of Central Europe. Lake Superior reaches west to the Netherlands, and Lake Ontario east of Budapest.
    This map shows the Great Lakes superimposed on a map of Western Europe. It gives you a relative size of the lakes and how big they really are.
  • shapes of the 25 largest lakes, to scale, all arranged near one another for comparison.
    Here are the world’s 25 largest lakes side by side. All the Great Lakes are included in this list.

So, why are the Great Lakes so Great? 

The following video will help you get an idea of why these lakes are so significant.  See if you can answer the following questions while watching the video.

  1. How many lakes make up the Great Lakes?
  2. Why is the word “HOMES” a good way to remember the names of the lakes?
  3. How many states border the Great Lakes?
  4. What country is north of the Great Lakes?
  5. Geologically speaking, how did the Great Lakes come to be?
  6. How much of the world’s fresh surface water is in the Great Lakes?
  7. Which lake is the deepest, coldest, and contains ½ of the water in the Great Lakes system?
  8. Which two lakes are “technically” one lake?  Why?
  9. Which lake has the longest shoreline?
  10. Which lake is the warmest and shallowest?
  11. How does water get from Lake Erie to Lake Ontario?
  12. How does water that starts in Lake Superior finally get to the Atlantic Ocean?
  13. List three reasons why the Great Lakes are so great!
  14. List a few things that are causing problems for the Great Lakes.
  15. What effect is climate change having on the Great Lakes?
  16. How are people and governments trying to protect this GREAT resource?
What is so great about the Great Lakes?

When I travel, I like to read books that have a connection to my experience.  While on Thomas Jefferson, I read The Death and Life of the Great Lakes by Dan Egan.  It outlines the vast resources provided by the Great Lakes.   Not only do they hold 20% of the world’s supply of surface fresh water, they also provide food, transportation, and recreation to tens of millions of Americans and Canadians.   The Great Lakes are so very lifegiving, however, they are in trouble.  They are under threat as never before.  They need our help. 

In his book, Egan describes how invasive species – like the sea lamprey, zebra and quagga mussels – have colonized the lakes, issues associated with these invasions, and what has been done to mediate and prevent the arrival of future invasive species.  He also discusses the massive biological “dead” zones caused by outbreaks of toxic algal blooms.  Lake Erie Harmful Algal Bloom (HAB) Forecasts are a regular part of the NOAA weather forecast for the western basin of Lake Erie.  Human-made climate change, dredging of shipping channels, and threats to siphon off Great Lakes water to be used beyond the watershed boundaries all pose threats to this incredible resource.  He ends the book with what was being done in 2017 (publication date) to “chart a course toward integrity, stability and balance” of the Great Lakes.

All in all, it was a pretty depressing book.  It caused me to reflect, however, on what I can do as an educator to bring this knowledge to my students.  Even more importantly, how can I have students experience and eventually love the lakes and all they represent?  How can I get them to become familiar with and care for the nature in their backyard?  My work is cut out for me.

“We cannot protect something we do not love, we cannot love what we do not know, and we cannot know what we do not see. Or hear. Or sense.”

— Richard Louv

The week before leaving on my “Grand NOAA Adventure”, I was nervous and started to doubt my own abilities and why I had applied to Teacher at Sea in the first place.  Was I cut out to be a successful Teacher at Sea?  Did I have the knowledge, skills, and fortitude to thrive at sea?  What happens if my technology crashes?  What if I am seasick for 19 days? 

Four things happened to help me move forward. 

  1. My husband – my chief cheerleader – gave me many doses of encouragement.  If he believed I could do it – I knew I could.
  2. I came across a saying on a tea bag (of all places) that gave me great strength, “Personal growth lies within the unknown; courage permits you to explore this space.”  This experience would take courage.  I am courageous.
  3. My daughter reminded me of a poem by Mary Oliver.  The last lines of which, “What are you going to do with your one wild, precious life?”  That’s right!  You only go around once.  Take the bull by the horns – so to speak.  Jump on and hold tight.  Life is short, and the world is wide.
  4. NOAA and NOAA’s Teacher at Sea Program believed in me enough to provide me with this awesome opportunity.  They have seen many a teacher come and go.  They believed I had what it took to be successful.  I chose to believe them. 

NOAA TAS stresses the 3 Fs: Flexibility, Following Orders, and Fortitude.  These are words to live by. 

  • Flexibility = Everything doesn’t always turn out as planned.  Be flexible.  Those who are not flexible, break. 
  • Following Orders = On a ship, this is essential.  In life, rules are made for a reason.  Follow them.  If you believe that the rules are unjust, work to change them.
  • Fortitude = Have courage.  Be strong – physically and in your convictions.  Be tenacious and believe in yourself.

I wish to thank NOAA TAS program and all the people who live and work aboard NOAA Ship Thomas Jefferson.  Thank you for the long conversations and my seemingly endless questioning.  My curiosity is insatiable.  Thank you for checking my blog for accuracy – it needed to be “ship shape”!  Thank you for brainstorming with me inventions that could be created to make hydrographic technology easier if there were no budgetary restrictions.  Thank you for opening my eyes to a world of science, technology, and research that I previously did not know existed.  Thank you for teaching me what it meant to be part of the crew. 

This experience has taught me many things about science and technology, career possibilities, what it is like to live on a ship, relationships and work culture, and the power of reflection.  I learned so much more than is represented in my blog posts.  I am looking forward to sharing my experience with my students and the community. 

All my best to my new friends.  May you continue to have fair winds and following seas.

Sincerely,

Laura Grimm

Dalton STEAM & NOAA Teacher at Sea

a bandanda with a pen or marker drawing of NOAA Ship Thomas Jefferson in the center. underneath reads "NOAA Ship Thomas Jefferson Teacher at Sea 2022." surrounding the illustration are handwritten messages from the crew in different colors of ink.
Hand-made bandana signed by the crew of Thomas Jefferson

For the Little Dawgs . . .

Q: Where is Dewey?  Hint: He was getting ready to come home.

  • Dewey the beanie monkey sits on top of a life preserver mounted on NOAA Ship Thomas Jefferson's rail.
    Dewey stayed up past his normal bedtime.
  • Dewey the beanie monkey sits on top of a life preserver mounted on NOAA Ship Thomas Jefferson's rail. Setting sun visible in the background.
    A: He was watching his final sunset aboard NOAA Ship Thomas Jefferson.
  • Dewey the beanie monkey peaks out of a black backpack.
    Q: What is Dewey up to now?
  • Dewey the beanie monkey peaks out of a black backpack on the desk in Laura's stateroom. Her Teacher at Sea hat is on the desk next to the backpack.
    A: Dewey is climbing into my backpack. I cannot wait to take him on more adventures in the future.
  • Dewey the beanie monkey sits next to a whiteboard displaying a drawing of a
    Dewey and Teacher at Sea Grimm will remember this adventure for a very long time!