octopus – NOAA Teacher at Sea Blog

June 25, 2025June 25, 2025

Jenna Cloninger: CTDs and Cephalopod Central, June 20, 2025

NOAA Teacher at Sea

Jenna Cloninger

Aboard Bell M. Shimada

June 11 – June 26, 2025

Mission: Integrated West Coast Pelagics Survey (Leg 1)

Geographic Area of Cruise: Pacific Ocean, California Coast

Today’s Date: June 20, 2025

Track the Ship: Bell M. Shimada

Weather Data Snapshot: 9:54am, Pacific Daylight Time

Currently, the air temperature is 58°F (14°C) with a wind speed of 23 knots and a wave height of 9 feet. Not only are the seas rough offshore, but the wind is making it very chilly to work outside. Luckily, we have some gear that keeps us warm for times when we need to be outside for extended periods. The sky is clear, and the sun is shining, so I am counting my blessings despite the cooler temperatures.

two women bundled up for outdoor work in large red "float coats" and beanies - they are striking somewhat silly poses for the camera. Jenna (left) is wearing a Teacher at Sea beanie. — Melissa (left) and myself (right) preparing to go outside for UCTD deployment.

Science and Technology Log

It’s been an exciting week regarding technology! I had the opportunity to help prepare a CTD (a piece of equipment mentioned in a previous blog post) for deployment as well as the opportunity to observe a UCTD being deployed. A CTD (Conductivity, Temperature, Depth) is a tool that measures how salty and warm the water is at certain depths . For larger CTDs, the ship comes to a stop, scientists then lower the CTD using a cable, and it collects data as it goes down. A UCTD (Underway CTD), however, is a smaller version that can be used while the ship is moving. It’s dropped into the water and pulled behind the ship, collecting data as it sinks. This allows scientists to gather information more quickly and without stopping the ship. Both tools are important for helping scientists understand seawater conditions and how they change based on depth, time of day, season, location, etc.

Elias stands, and Jenna kneels, near a large apparatus consisting of a white metal frame, a ring of gray water sampling bottles, and a scientific probe. Jenna is wearing a hard hat and doing something (stringing a wire?) on the CTD as Elias looks on. — Elias and myself preparing the CTD for deployment.

Jenna, wearing a red float coat and Teacher at Sea beanie, stands on deck and holds what appears to be a metal tube in both hands for a photo. — Photo of me with UCTD equipment.

In other news, we have run into several different cephalopods this week. Cephalopods are part of a group of marine invertebrates that includes octopus, squid, cuttlefish, and nautilus. They are known for having large heads, arms or tentacles, and relatively high intelligence when compared to other invertebrates. In our case, we caught a few different kinds of squid, a few small octopus, and a nautilus in our trawling net. I was particularly excited to see the nautilus, because I had never seen one in person before!

close up view of a paper nautilus against a white background; we can see the curved shell with sawtooth bumps, and the eye of the nautilus peeking out the opening of the shell — Paper Nautilus

a squid in a green plastic basket — Robust Clubhook Squid

smaller squid photographed against a plastic blue background — Market Squid

close-up view of a small octopus — Tuberculate Pelagic Octopus

three octopus in messy piles in a green plastic basket — A group of three (3) Seven-Armed Octopus.

As you can see, cephalopods come in many different varieties. I enjoy teaching about them in the classroom because of their unique evolutionary features, like chromatophores, which are specialized cells that enable cephalopods like squid, cuttlefish, and octopuses to rapidly change color. It should also be noted that cephalopods are part of the phylum Mollusca, just like the abalone that I discussed in a previous blog post. In general, I really love teaching about mollusks in the classroom because of the amount of diversity that we see within the phylum.

Personal Log

Speaking of squid, I tried calamari (fried squid) for lunch yesterday. I typically do not eat seafood of any kind, but when you’re on a ship, the food options may not always be what you want them to be. (That’s not to say that the food isn’t amazing, because it is. I am simply a picky eater.) Let’s just say that I will not be eating any more squid any time soon. (But I will still pose for pictures with them!)

a gloved hand holds out a very round squid for a close-up photo — Me, holding a Sandpaper Squid.

I also got to photograph a sunrise on the Pacific! The mornings have typically been hazy, or the boat has been facing the wrong direction for me to view the sun properly, but I finally managed to catch the sunrise while out on the back deck after processing our last catch of the night. Seeing the sunrise and sunset on the Pacific are two goals that I had when I started this journey. Unfortunately, because of my night shift hours, I do not think I will be able to catch a sunset any time soon. Perhaps on the last night of the cruise, I will stay up past my “bedtime” and wait for the sunset!

view through the A-frame on the aft deck of the sun rising over the ocean. seabirds trail the boat, silhouetted against the sun. to the right of the deck, a group of four crewmembers wearing personal flotation devices and hard hats work to untangle a trawl net. — Sunrise on the Pacific ocean from the fishing deck of NOAA ship Bell M. Shimada.

On another note, it has been 10 days since I left Georgia and arrived on the west coast, and I am starting to feel the effects of working such long days. I miss my family, and I miss the comfort of home. That is not to say that I am not enjoying this learning experience, because I am. But I want people to know that individuals who conduct research on scientific vessels like NOAA ship Bell M. Shimada are some of the most hard-working people I have ever met. I get to go home after 16 days and return to my own house with my own bed and other creature comforts. Some people are on this ship for several legs between now and September, and if they’re not at sea, they’re at their respective places of everyday work, such as an office or science center. It’s quite admirable, and humbling, to see how dedicated these people are to marine science and to the well-being of our oceans. It makes me want to be a better teacher so that we have people in the future who love and care for the ocean and are interested in preserving it as well.

view through a porthole window of a churning ocean — A view of the rough seas from my stateroom.

Did You Know?

Let’s talk about butterfish! Off the Atlantic coast, there is a commercial fishery for Atlantic butterfish. There’s another species of butterfish known as the Pacific butterfish that is quite common off the coast of California even though it’s not fished commercially in this region. I have decided that butterfish are the cutest fish that we have caught in our net so far! I love them so much that my teammates toss me all the butterfish when we are sorting our catch, and I make excited noises when I find them buried amongst our anchovies, mackerels, and sardines. In honor of the humble butterfish, I dedicate this Did You Know? section to them!

a hand holds a fish up to a laminated photo of a group of fish (labeled Peprilus simillimus, Pacific butterfish) mounted on a metal wall — A Pacific butterfish from our catch being compared to an image of the species.

According to NOAA, butterfish are small, round fish that are bluish on top with silvery sides and belly. They have small mouths, blunt noses, and grow to about 6–9 inches long, though some can reach 12 inches and weigh up to 1.25 pounds. Butterfish grow quickly but don’t live long; most only live about 3 years and can reproduce by age 1. They spawn in the summer (June and July) and swim in loose groups, feeding on small invertebrates. Why do we care about butterfish? Many animals, like bigger fish, marine mammals, and seabirds, eat butterfish. That means that they are a humble yet important piece of a healthy and balanced ocean ecosystem.

an orange-gloved hand holds three fish by their tails, splayed out like flowers, above a pile of smaller fish (probably anchovy) — A bouquet of butterfish, my new favorite fish.

September 13, 2024November 9, 2024

Lisa Werner: How Does Communication with Popoki Work? September 11, 2024

NOAA Teacher at Sea

Lisa Werner

Aboard NOAA Ship Bell M. Shimada

August 29-September 13, 2024

Mission: EXPRESS Project

Geographic Area of Cruise: Pacific Coast, near Northern California

Date: September 11, 2024

Weather Data from the Bridge (Coquille Bank):

Latitude: 42º58.378’ N

Longitude: 124º50.146’W

Wind Speed: 23.78 knots

Air Temperature: 14.3ºC/57.74ºF

Conditions: Rain

Science Log

Let’s talk about how Popoki, the autonomous underwater vehicle (or AUV), ‘converses’ with the AUV pilot aboard the ship. The map and directions for the route Popoki will be mapping is programmed into her computers ahead of each dive. On this mission, Popoki has been deployed daily, so every evening, the scientists carefully plan out where she will go on each deployment. They also plan the path Popoki will go when on location – this cruise she has made a lot of sawtooth-shaped patterns to give the scientists the greatest survey of what is in the areas they want to study.

photo of a computer screen showing, at center, an image from a computer-generated model of the underwater bathymetry of an area. Overlaid on the image are topographic lines and depth numbers. overlaid on that is a zig-zagging white line showing Popoki's route. — *Of course, tomorrow’s dive pattern is not a sawtooth pattern. The pattern is drawn out in the white lines over the diagram of the ocean floor contour.*

Though this seems like it would be easy to set up Popoki and let her run her course, that is not quite the end of the story. During a dive, the ocean current is sometimes unknown in any given area, so the AUV pilot needs to be able to help Popoki adjust her positioning. It would not be a very big help to get pictures of an entirely different area than the scientists were aiming for because the ocean currents took Popoki to a different area of the sea floor. The scientists also need to be able to help Popoki if she gets stuck on fishing line, or if the conditions above the water change – such as weather changes or vessel traffic – that would require Popoki to surface ahead of her scheduled time.

To communicate with Popoki, an acoustic modem system is used. There is a modem aboard the ship that can send messages to Popoki through a series of chirping sounds. The pitches and lengths of the chirps are all part of the code that Popoki can understand. She has a device that ‘listens’ for these sounds and can then follow the coded instructions to alter her pre-programmed course. She also communicates regularly with the AUV pilot – sending the coordinates she believes she’s at, her depth, battery life, and how many pictures she has taken so far in the dive.

close-up view of a piece of electronic equipment inside a water-proof housing (with the lid removed to show the contents). There are knobs, dials, CAT-5 cables. — *The modem that communicates with Popoki*

Popoki’s communication device points upward, so when deployment is taking place, the scientists place a transducer into the water to use to communicate. Once Popoki is on her way to her programmed starting point, and farther away from the ship, the transducer is removed from the water.

crewmembers, wearing hard hats and life vests, lean over the rail of the ship and use hooked poles to guide a small yellow object suspended from what looks like a fishing pole safely down toward the water's surface. — *This is the transducer that is placed in the water for deployment*

Sometimes there are difficulties with this communication, and this is where the ship’ crew plays a very important role. The officers on the bridge work to position the ship in areas that allow for Popoki and the acoustic modem to speak to each other easily. The angle of the ship will change as Popoki goes through her programmed patterns, adjusting so that the chirps of the modem have a direct line to Popoki. Distance also plays an important part of the communication process – if the ship and Popoki are too far away from each other, there can be interference with the communication. Ocean current, wave heights and lengths, and other sounds coming from the ship can interfere with the communication, as well. The AUV pilot and the ship’s crew work very closely together throughout the entirety of the dive to help the Popoki and the pilot have clear communication.

photo over someone's shoulder of a computer screen displaying a gridded graph. on the graph is a simplified outline of the ship (like a rectangle with a triangle attached to one end) and some dots to the ship's port side — *AUV pilot Jeff Anderson’s screen showing the ship’s position and Popoki’s position (Denoted as dots)*

At this point, you may be wondering WHY do we use Popoki. I’m sure that you can see her benefits in exploring areas we have not yet seen, but the why actually goes much deeper than that (no pun intended). One of the first things Popoki is doing is looking at areas that are being considered for future offshore wind farm sites. There is a great interest in putting wind turbines over the ocean to create renewable energy for our country. Having been on the Pacific Ocean for 2 weeks now, I can definitely attest to the fact that the wind is very strong in these areas, so there is plenty of energy to harvest. Popoki is identifying the deep sea habitats and geological features on the seafloor that would need to be considered when anchoring any wind turbines.

Popoki is also looking at the changes to the habitats as a result of different regulations that have taken place in fishing areas in this region. Some of the locations we have visited were mapped out by Popoki in the past, and scientists are looking to see whether fishing regulations have helped the populations of ocean life return. Finally, Popoki has been looking for evidence of seeps in the ocean floor. These geological areas are spots where cracks in the ocean floor have occurred due to plate tectonics.

underwater image of the seafloor. it's mostly muddy, with only a little relief, but through the center is a dark crack in the floor, with what appears to be steam (maybe hotter water) rising out of it. we can also make out what might be corals, and a fish. — *Picture of an ocean seep (Photo credit: Popoki)*

Personal Log

The ship’s crew spends a lot of time preparing for safety. Just like we have fire, tornado, and lockdown drills in our school, the ship has drills to practice for emergencies as well. They need to be ready for any emergency, and everyone has a role to play. We have practiced the drills each week.

Throughout my time on NOAA Ship Bell M. Shimada, I have gotten to experience some pretty amazing things. However, my absolute favorite moment was getting “Helm time.” That’s right – I got to drive the ship! With Ops Officer Lieutenant Jaime Hendrix and Ensign Megan Sixt guiding me, I got to turn the ship to hard rudder, causing her to drive in a circle. I also got to get her back to her appropriate heading for the transit we were making, and then practice keeping her on course. It was really interesting to see how the ship reacts to the controls and to see what she does! I am so grateful to CO Laura Gibson for this opportunity, and really appreciate the help LT Hendrix and ENS Sixt gave me!

photo of Lisa wearing a bright red survival suit - all we can see of her is her eyes (with glasses) and a portion of her Teacher at Sea beanie hat. she stands on deck on a clear day and stretches her arms out for the photo — *Me wearing the Immersion (or “Gumby”) suit (Photo credit: Curt Whitmire)*

We practice where to gather, or ‘muster,’ in the event of a fire or abandoning ship. At the very beginning of the cruise, we get right to work with a tour of where to find the lifeboats, how to deploy them, and then we get to the drills.

Recently, I had the opportunity to learn to use the flares and the line thrower. The line thrower is used for ship to ship transfers or for rescuing someone who’s fallen overboard. Although it is really fun to get the experience to use these devices, it is definitely something that you hope only gets used in training. However, knowing they are there and that everyone knows how to use them makes you feel a bit better if an emergency does happen.

Lisa, wearing very large, thick gloves, poses near the ship's railing and smiles at the camera. in her left hand, over the railing, she holds a lit flare. it's a mostly clear day, and the sky is blue with a few clouds, and the ocean has a few whitecaps. — *I now know how to use the flares! (Photo credit: Alice Kojima-Clarke*)

Trying out the line thrower

We are not on autopilot!!! ENS Sixt and LT Hendrix helping me learn to drive a ship! (Photo credit: Randy Scott)

Music Connections

Communicating with Popoki has a lot to do with acoustics. Listening to her pilot talk about how important the angles between Popoki and the ship are reminded me a lot of preparing for a recital when I was a music education student at UW-Whitewater. As an undergraduate, we had several performance requirements per semester. For solo performances, the more experienced music majors would always pass on a very important piece of acoustic information to the new undergrads – always aim the trombone bell at the 3rd exit sign along the stage right wall. Hitting this sweet spot would cause the recital hall to ring, the trombone sound to be dark and full, and the experience to be the best for all who were listening. New trombone majors learned very quickly that this was not a piece of urban legend, but by bouncing the brass sound off of the wall at this angle, it was much more pleasant for the audience than to play directly at their faces.

view of an empty performance hall — *The beautiful Light Recital Hall at the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater – a great place to perform and explore acoustics! (Photo credit: Dr. Glenn Hayes*)

Communicating with Popoki is similar in a way – rather than bouncing her communications off of corners and walls, however, she responds better to the sound waves coming directly at her. She has a sweet spot, too, but it is more about decreasing the angles. This is a much more efficient method of communication for her, because she does not care about the timbre of her chirps!

Another great moment I really enjoyed during our time together was helping our Chief Scientist Dr. Clarke learn ukulele! I always believe that music is everywhere, and Dr. Clarke proved that theory again for me by bringing her ukulele along on this cruise when she heard the Teacher at Sea was a music teacher! Hopefully she had as much fun as I did!

In the computer lab, Lisa and Dr. Clarke sit in chairs facing one another. Lisa, smiling, leans forward to hold up an open laptop where Dr. Clarke can see it easily. Dr. Clarke watches the screen as she picks at her ukulele. — *Dr. Elizabeth Clarke showing off her virtuoso skills with a little “Hot Cross Buns” (Photo credit: Alice Kojima-Clarke*)

Sounds from the ship today will feature the sound of the ship’s engine outside from the very top deck of the ship.

This is the sound of the engine humming from the Fly Deck. You can also hear the waves, as we are in transit to our next station!

Student Questions

St. Bruno students are fascinated by sea creatures, and they have sent me on a quest to learn about the octopus. I think they will be very excited to see this picture and learn about the deep sea octopus!

underwater image of the seafood showing many brittle stars and some corals. in the lower right, there is a sponge, which since it is viewed from above appears as a white ring. inside the sponge, an octopus is curled up - we can see one eye and several tentacles — *Look at the octopus curled up in a sponge in the bottom right corner. You can see the octopus’s eye sticking out! (Photo credit: Popoki*)

Final Notes

The NOAA Teacher at Sea Program is an incredible opportunity for any teacher. As you can see, you do not need to be a science teacher in order to apply. There are so many connections to be made with the ocean, and students get really excited about learning through their teacher’s experience. Applications for the program will open soon. You can find more information here. Thank you so much to the crew of NOAA Ship Bell M. Shimada, the EXPRESS Scientists, and the NOAA Teacher at Sea program for this opportunity. What an incredible experience!

June 17, 2024June 17, 2024

Charlotte Sutton: Science at Sea, June 14, 2024

NOAA Teacher at Sea

Charlotte Sutton

Aboard NOAA Ship Reuben Lasker

June 7 – June 18, 2024

Mission: Rockfish Recruitment and Ecosystem Assessment Survey (RREAS)

Geographic Area of Cruise: Pacific Ocean; U.S. West Coast

Date: June 14th, 2024

Weather Data from the Bridge

Date: Friday, June 14, 2024
Latitude: 33°34.07 N
Longitude: 119°03.108 W
Sea Wave Height: 4ft
Wind Speed: 5.57 knots
Air Temperature: 62°F
Sky: Clear

Science Log

view over the ocean toward the coast. the water is dark, with waves but no whitecaps. we see a thin line of gray clouds in front of the low, gray silhouette of the coastal mountains. beyond the mountains, the sky is orange-to-yellow, fading into gray toward the top of the photo. — View from the deck just before daybreak.

What ocean organisms are you finding?

Each night, the Lasker NOAA Corps Officers, crew, and science team work together to conduct a series of trawls, deploying nets behind the boat to collect samples for the Rockfish Recruitment and Ecosystem Assessment Survey (RREAS).

After the catch from the trawl comes onto the Lasker, scientists identify and measure each of the organisms on board. One of my main tasks during my time as a Teacher at Sea is to help the science team sort and identify the trawl catch each night. A sample of the organisms caught during each trawl, and all of the juvenile rockfish, are collected, labeled and saved for further analysis back at the Southwest Fisheries Science Center Santa Cruz Lab when the science team returns to shore.

Some of the most common organisms caught include pyrosomes, salps (including the large Thetys), krill, and fried egg jellyfish. We also catch a lot of fish, including juvenile anchovy, juvenile hake, many different varieties of myctophid fish, and of course rockfish. To me, some of the most exciting and special organisms caught include the juvenile octopus, all types of squid and king-of-the salmon fish. I am learning so much each day!

Five members of the science team, including Charlotte, stand on two sides of a long metal table. They are wearing sweatshirts, orange fishing overalls, and long orange gloves, and holding tweezers. on the table between them are white plastic trays with piles of krill and sorting buckets.

two women stand behind a large white plastic basin. The basin is filled with soupy green water which, at closer inspection, contains a mix of larger fish and smaller organisms. The women wear sweatshirts, orange overalls, long orange gloves, and hats. The woman on the left uses two hands to grasp a small, perhaps quart-sized plastic bucket filled from the large basin.

Photos: Trawl catch being sorted in the wet lab, trawl catch just after it came in on the ship.

a small octopus in a quart-sized plastic bucket of water

lines of tiny organisms arranged by type on a white tray. we see pyrosomes, tiny, squid, small metallic-colored fishes, a salp

empty white sorting trays line a long metal table; in the foreground we see a pair of orange-gloved hands

four members of the science team, wearing overalls and long orange gloves, stand on two sides of a metal sorting table; three science team members facing the camera, and one with her back to the camera. they each hold tweezers and carefully place tiny fish into long neat lines on the sorting trays.

a top-down view of a single sorting tray with 8-9 lines of tiny juvenile fish, each laid out so that it is facing the left side of the tray

close-up view of a small octopus in a white circular sample cup

Photos: Ocean organisms from the trawl being sorted in the wet lab, octopus saved from the catch.

How are marine mammals protected?

scientific equipment laid out on a beige plastic box; it's difficult to describe - a large piece that likely emits noises, and several smaller cannister attached to carabiners

a whiteboard mounted on a metal background - a wall or a refrigerator - reads: Marine Mammal Watch Morro Bay! then a table with columns labeled: Haul / Station / Inside / Outside. The hauls are numbered 104-107, Stations are numbered 341-344, and Inside and Outside contain names of the scientists assigned to the watch

Photos: Marine mammal deterrent device (L), mammal watch schedule (R)

view over the aft deck from an upper deck. we can see the a-frame for deploying trawl nets; a folded davit arm; an orange small boat stowed on the starboard side. in the distance, at the horizon, we see the coastal mountain range. — View of marine mammal watch station from deck

Each night, and throughout the night, a member of the science team goes on “Mammal Watch” during trawling operations to protect marine mammals. Fifteen minutes before a trawl, a member of the science team goes up to the bridge mammal watch station, and looks for protected marine mammal species like dolphins, sea lions and whales. If a marine mammal is spotted, then the trawl cannot happen until there are no marine mammals within one nautical mile of the ship. When the trawl begins, another scientist begins mammal watch on the deck from the time the net is launched into the water, until it returns to the ship. Again, if a marine mammal is spotted during this time, the trawl will be canceled and the net will be reeled in immediately.

There are also devices attached to the net called “dolphin deterrent devices.” These devices, often called “dolphin pingers” by the science team, activate as soon as they hit water, and emit sounds to deter dolphins and other marine mammals. This helps to keep marine mammals away from the net to prevent them from getting unintentionally tangled, and do not cause harm to marine animals.

an orange and gray plastic canister, about 7 or 8 inches in length, with what is likely a loop for a hook at one end. On the orange portion is a beautiful painting of a rockfish in yellow, green, and black. — Retired marine mammal deterrent device with hand-drawn rockfish art (by Jackie – one of the ship’s deck crew)!

Personal Log

What is the NOAA Corps?

The NOAA Corps is one of the nation’s eight uniformed services, and the only one to consist only of officers. All NOAA Corps Officers attend the Basic Officer Training Class (BOTC) at the U.S. Coast Guard Academy and train alongside Coast Guard officer candidates. NOAA Corps Officers support all aspects of the NOAA mission and may be assigned to serve on either ships or aircraft. The Lasker currently has 6 officers aboard, under the leadership of Commander Claire Surrey-Marsden.

a woman in a navy blue uniform and sweatshirt, with a radio mounted on her hip, stands on the uppermost deck of the ship. she is speaking, probably addressing a group of people behind the camera. we see gray waters and gray skies beyond the railings.

a NOAA corps officer with a whiteboard stands to the left of the photo, speaking. other crewmembers sit on couches or stand listening. we see a computer, a sink area, and lines of windows around two sides of the bridge.

row of navigation computers; monitors mounted overhead; line of windows around every side of the room; three people stand at the computers, facing away from the camera

Photos: CDR Claire Surrey-Marsden on the flying bridge, Daily safety meeting in the bridge

I got a chance to interview CDR Claire Surrey-Marsden. Originally from the Bronx in New York City, CDR Surrey-Marsden has always been interested in the ocean and has a background studying marine biology from Florida Tech. After college, she interned and then worked for Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, where she worked with manatee conservation. She then applied and was accepted into the NOAA Corps, and went on to officer training at the Global Marine and Transportation School (GMATS) at Kings Point Academy.

NOAA Corps officers alternate between land and sea assignments in different locations. Her second sea assignment was actually on the delivery team of the NOAA Ship Reuben Lasker, then NOAA’s newest fisheries ship. CDR Claire Surrey-Marsden had land assignments in the Marine Mammal Division, Southwest Fisheries Science Center, and in Washington D.C. working with NOAA Rear Admiral Cary. She now returns to the Lasker on her fourth sea assignment as the Commanding Officer, coming full circle from delivering the same ship early in her career.

When asked what advice she would have for a student interested in a marine science career, CDR Surrey-Marsden advises to volunteer for any opportunity/activity, and to do a good job wherever you go.

Book Recommendations

One of the people I work closely with on the ship is scientist Ily Iglesias. Before arriving on the Lasker, Ily just defended for her P.h.D in ocean sciences at University of California Santa Cruz.

Ily is also a mom to a 3 year old daughter, and they love to read books together. Ily gave me several recommendations of her and her daughter’s favorite science-themed books to read together. Ily has been on survey trips several times, and each time before she leaves she enjoys reading the children’s book Love, Mama by Jeanette Bradley. A story about baby penguin with a mama scientist that goes out to sea on a ship, and both a very relevant and helpful book for Ily and her family. Other ocean related favorites include Who’s Afraid of the Light? by Anna McGregor, and Where the Weird Things Are by Zoleka Filander. I’m excited to read these to my preschool students back in Alaska!

cover of the book Love, Mama by Jeannette Bradley showing an illustration of a baby penguin sitting on the ice, grasping a heart, watching a research ship in the distance

cover of the book "Who's Afraid of the Light?" by Anna McGregor featuring deep sea creatures - octopus, angler fish, barrel eye fish, plus a pair of eyes with a speech bubble that says "arghh! this cover glows in the dark!"

cover of "Where the Weird Things Are: An Ocean Twilight Zone Adventure" by Zoleka Filander and Patricia Hooning, featuring squid, octopus, angler fish, and a removely operated vehicle with a face

How’s the food?

One of the most asked questions of my family and friends from home is asking about what my meals are like at sea. I am happy to report that the food is great! Breakfast, lunch, and dinner are prepared each day by chefs Arnold and Jude, and available to everyone aboard the Lasker at specific times each day. Working the night shift, I typically begin my day with dinner at 1700, and end it with breakfast at 0700. At night while the science team is working, there is always a full salad bar available, as well as sandwich supplies, snacks and leftovers from the day before. Everyone available on the sip eats together in the “mess” – it’s a great time to relax and get to know everyone.

plated meal with what might be steak? (hard to tell) plus vegetables, salad, roll — Beef and vegetables

plated meal of beef, rice, vegetables, salad. — Beef and vegetables

Photos: Some favorite dinners so far from the cruise.

August 5, 2019

Erica Marlaine: You Never Know Where a Good Book Will Take You, July 15, 2019

NOAA Teacher at Sea

Erica Marlaine

Aboard NOAA Ship Oscar Dyson

June 22 – July 15, 2019

Mission: Pollock Acoustic-Trawl Survey

Geographic Area of Cruise: Gulf of Alaska

Date: July 15 , 2019

Weather Data from the Bridge:

Latitude: 57º 0.79 N

Longitude: 152º40.72 W

Air Temperature: 16º Celsius

Interview with the Chief Scientist

When Sarah Stienessen was a little girl, she got a book about dolphins, and fell in love. She read the book over and over, dreaming about meeting a real-live dolphin one day. The problem was she grew up in Wisconsin, not a place with a lot of dolphins. However, as Sarah says “If you have an interest, don’t let location deter you from your dreams.”

When she grew up, Sarah studied zoology at the University of Wisconsin, Madison, but her burning fascination with the ocean led her to graduate school at Texas A&M where she finally got to study DOLPHINS (more specifically, the vocal behavior of dolphins). Her research there included using a hydrophone to listen to dolphins. She later moved to Seattle and began working for NOAA conducting acoustic surveys on walleye pollock in Alaska. On this leg of the Oscar Dyson, Sarah acted as the Field Party Chief (or Chief Scientist). Sarah pointed out that while her use of acoustics with dolphins was passive (placing a hydrophone in the water and listening to the dolphins) she is now using acoustics actively by sending an audible PING into the water and reading the echos that the fish send back.

Sarah was part of the amazing NOAA science team onboard the NOAA Ship Oscar Dyson, which included, Denise McKelvey, Kresimir Williams, and Taina Honkalehto.

Scientists — Back row: Sarah and Kresimir Front row: Denise and Taina

Denise was on the day shift, so I mostly saw her during shift changes and on those rare mornings when I was still awake at 7 a.m. and came down for breakfast (okay, bacon). However, early in the trip, she took the time to explain the fish lab procedure to me, even drawing pictures and a flow chart. (Thanks!)

While the duties of the science team often overlap, Kresimir is definitely the “techie” who enjoys inventing and creating new underwater cameras and other devices. Do you remember the TV show MacGyver? MacGyver was a secret agent who was beyond resourceful and had an encyclopedic knowledge of science. Every episode, he would solve the problem at hand in a matter of minutes using a combination of ordinary objects such as duct tape, household cleanser, a Q-tip, and some matches. Kresimir reminded me of MacGyver. If something broke, he would enter the room, grab tools and items that just might work in place of the broken piece, and sure enough, within minutes, the device would be up and running again!

Taina was always in the chem lab during drop camera time, her eyes riveted on the screen. I was excited whenever the camera spotted something, but I loved that Taina seemed equally excited to see what marine species the camera would uncover each night. One of the most exciting, and clearly the biggest, was the Giant Pacific Octopus!

Science and Technology Log

The Giant Pacific Octopus (or Octopus dofleini) is often rumored to weigh more than 600 pounds, but most adult octopuses are much smaller. An adult female might weigh up to 55 pounds while an adult male can weight up to 88 pounds. According to NOAA, the plural of octopus is octopuses, NOT octopi as some people say. Because it doesn’t have bones, a giant octopus can squeeze through a hole the size of a quarter! The body of an octopus is shaped like a bag and it has 8 long arms (or tentacles) covered in suction cups.

A mature octopus can have as many as 280 suction cups on each arm. That’s 2,240 suction cups! The Giant Pacific Octopus loves to eat crabs, but it will also eat snails, oysters, abalone, clams, mussels, and small fish. The octopus’ mouth or jaw is shaped like a parrot’s beak. It is the only hard part of an octopus, and it’s more-or-less indigestible. That means that if a sperm whale eats an octopus, and the contents of the whale’s stomach are later studied, you will see the octopus beak even if you find no other sign that he ate an octopus.

In order to avoid whales and other predators, an octopus will camouflage, or change its color and skin texture to match its surroundings! When he feels threatened, he releases a cloud of purple-black ink to confuse his enemy.

Octopus Elementary Math Time

(Remember, an octopus has 8 arms.)

If an octopus has 2 suction cups on each arm, how many does he have all together? _______
If an octopus has 5 suction cups on each arm, how many does he have all together? _______
If an octopus has 10 suction cups on each arm, how many does he have all together? ______
If an octopus has 2 suction cups on 4 of his arms, and 3 suction cups on his other 4 arms, how many does he have all together? _____________
If an octopus has 4 suction cups on 7 of his arms, but half as many on his 8^th arm, how much does he all together? _____________
If an octopus has 259 suction cups and his octopus friend has 751 suction cups, how many do they have all together?

July 24, 2019July 24, 2019

David Madden: Engines, Dolphins, and Sharksuckers, July 24, 2019

NOAA Teacher at Sea

David Madden

Aboard NOAA Ship Pisces

July 15-29, 2019

Mission: South East Fishery-Independent Survey (SEFIS)

Geographic Area of Cruise: Atlantic Ocean, SE US continental shelf ranging from Cape Hatteras, NC (35°30’ N, 75°19’W) to St. Lucie Inlet, FL (27°00’N, 75°59’W)

On board off the coast of South Carolina – about 50 miles east of Charleston (32°50’ N, 78°55’ W) – after a slight change of plans last night due to the approaching tropical depression.

Date: July 24, 2019

Weather Data from the Bridge:
Latitude: 32°50’ N
Longitude: 78°55’ W
Wave Height: 3-4 feet
Wind Speed: 15 knots
Wind Direction: Out of the North
Visibility: 10 nm
Air Temperature: 24.6°C
Barometric Pressure: 1011.8 mb
Sky: Cloudy

NOAA Pisces Full Track 7-20-19 — This is a map from the other day outlining the path of the ship. The convoluted pattern is the product of dropping off and picking up 24 (6 x 4) fish traps per day, along with the challenges of navigating a 209 foot ship in concert with gulf stream currents and winds.

Science and Technology Log

Life and science continue aboard NOAA Ship Pisces. It seems like the crew and engineers and scientists are in the groove. I am now used to life at sea and the cycles and oddities it entails. Today we had our first rain along with thunderstorms in the distance. For a while we seemed to float in between four storms, one on the east, west, north, and south – rain and lightning in each direction, yet we remained dry. This good thing did indeed come to an end as the distant curtains of rain closed in around us. The storm didn’t last long, and soon gathering the fish traps resumed.

Dave with red grouper — Processing fish: measuring length and weight of a red grouper, *Epinephelus morio*.

Fish Count for July 23, 2019 — Yesterday’s fish count. Compare to other day’s catches: Tons of vermillion snapper, tomtate, and black sea bass. And one shark sucker (read on for more). Thank you, Zeb, for tallying them up for me.

The highlight of yesterday (and tied for 1^st place in “cool things so far”) was a tour of the engine room lead by First Assistant Engineer, Steve Clement. This tour was amazing and mind-blowing. We descended into the bowels of the ship to explore the engine rooms and its inner workings. I think it rivals the Large Hadron Collider in complexity.

I kept thinking, if Steve left me down here I would surely get lost and never be found. Steve’s knowledge is uncanny – it reminded me of the study where the brains of London cab drivers were scanned and shown to have increased the size of their hippocampus. (An increase to their memory center apparently allows them to better deal with the complexities of London’s tangled streets.) And you’re probably thinking, well, running a massive ship with all its pipes and wires and hatches and inter-related, hopefully-always-functioning, machinery is even harder. And you’re probably right! This is why I was so astounded by Steve’s knowledge and command of this ship. The tour was close-quartered, exceptionally loud, and very hot. Steve stopped at times to give us an explanation of the part or area we were in; four diesel engines that power electric generators that in turn power the propeller and the entire ship. The propeller shaft alone is probably 18 inches in diameter and can spin up to 130 rpm. (I think most of the time two engines is enough juice for the operation). Within the maze of complexity below ship is a smooth running operation that allows the crew, scientists, and NOAA Corps officers to conduct their work in a most efficient manner.

Dave and Steve and engines — First Assistant Engineer Steve Clement and TAS Dave Madden in the Engine Room

I know you’ve all been wondering about units in the marine world. Turns out, students, units are your friend even out here on the high seas! Here’s proof from the bridge, where you can find two or three posted unit conversion sheets. Makes me happy. So if you think that you can forget conversions and dimensional analysis after you’re finished with high school, guess again!

Speaking of conversions, let’s talk about knots. Most likely the least-understood-most-commonly-used unit on earth. And why is that? I have no idea, but believe me, if I were world president, my first official action would be to move everyone and everything to the Metric System (SI). Immediately. Moving on.

Back to knots, a unit used by folks in water and air. A knot is a unit of speed defined as 1 nautical mile/hour. So basically the same exact thing as mph or km/hr, except using an ever-so-slightly-different distance – nautical miles. Nautical miles make sense, at least in their origin – the distance of one minute of longitude on a map (the distance between two latitude lines, also 1/60 of a degree). This works well, seeing as the horizontal lines (latitude) are mostly the same distance apart. I say mostly because it turns out the earth is not a perfect sphere and therefore not all lines are equidistant. And you can’t use the distance between longitude lines because they are widest at the equator and taper to a point at the north and south pole. One nautical mile = 1852 meters. This is equal to 1.15 miles and therefore one knot = 1.15 miles/hour.

This next part could double as a neato fact: the reason why this unit is called a “knot” is indeed fascinating. Old-time mariners and sailors used to measure their speed by dropping a big old piece of wood off the back of the boat. This wood was attached to some rope with knots in it, and the rope was spun around a big spool. Once in the water the wood would act kind of like a water parachute, holding position while the rope was let out. The measuring person could then count how many evenly spaced knots passed by in a given amount of time, thus calculating the vessel’s speed.

Personal Log

The scientists on board have been incredibly helpful and patient. Zeb is in charge of the cruise and this leg of the SEFIS expedition. Brad, who handles the gear (see morning crew last post), is the fishiest guy I’ve ever met. He seriously knows everything about fish! Identification, behavior, habitats, and most importantly, how extract their otoliths. He’s taught me a ton about the process and processing. Both Zeb and Brad have spent a ton of time patiently and thoroughly answering my questions about fish, evolution, ecology, you name it. Additionally, NOAA scientist Todd, who seeks to be heroic in all pictures (also a morning crew guy), is the expert on fish ecology. He has been exceptionally patient and kind and helpful.

The fish we’re primarily working with are in the perches: Perciformes. These fish include most of your classic-looking fish. Zeb says, “your fish-looking fish.” Gotcha! This includes pretty much all the fish we’re catching except sharks, eels, and other rare fish.

For more on fish evolution here are two resources I use in class. Fish knowledge and evolution: from Berkeley, A Fisheye View of the Tree of Life.

Fish Tree of Life Berkeley — Fish Tree of Life, from University of California-Berkeley

And check out Neil Shuban’s Your Inner Fish series.

General Updates:

Plenty of exciting animals lately. Here’s a picture of those spotted dolphins from the other day.
The weather has been great, apart from yesterday’s storm. Sunrises and sunsets have been glorious and the stars have been abundant.
We found a common octopus in the fish trap the other day. The photo is from crew member Nick Tirikos.
I’m missing home and family. I can’t wait to see my wife and son.
That tropical depression fizzed out, thankfully.

common octopus — Common Octopus (Photo by crewmember Nick Tirikos)

Neato Facts =

Yesterday we caught a shark sucker in the fish trap. I was excited to see and feel their dorsal attachment sucker on top of their head.

Hold on. I just read more about these guys and turns out that sucking disc is their highly modified dorsal fin! That is the most neato fact so far. What better way to experience the power of this evolutionarily distinct fish than to stick it to your arm?! The attachment mechanism felt like a rubber car tire that moved and sealed against my skin. (Brad calls them sneakerheads).

Consider all the possible biomimicry innovations for the shark sucker’s ability to clasp onto sharks and fish and turtles while underwater. This grasp and release adaptation surely has many cool possible applications. Here are a few: Inspiring New Adhesives. Robotic Sticky Tech. Shark Sucker biomimicry

I’d love to hear your questions and comments!