Oregon II – Page 6 – NOAA Teacher at Sea Blog

May 1, 2015August 21, 2021

June Teisan, The Big Blue Marble, April 30, 2015

NOAA Teacher at Sea
June Teisan
Aboard NOAA Ship Oregon II
May 1 – 15, 2015

Mission: SEAMAP Plankton Study
Geographical area of cruise: Gulf of Mexico
Date: Thursday, April 30, 2015

Personal Log

The Big Blue Marble. Ever heard the term?

That’s a description of Earth, our home planet. Our amazing, unique, beautiful, water-rich planet.

It is the oceans, lakes, rivers, and streams that give Earth its stunning blue hue and foster life on our planet. I am passionate about protecting our water resources, and equally passionate about sharing this stewardship mission with students and peer educators. So I’m beyond excited that tomorrow I begin a two-week adventure that combines my love of teaching and my passion for water stewardship by sailing with the crew of NOAA’s Oregon II research vessel!

Growing up in Michigan, the Great Lakes State, I enjoyed spending time on the beaches, swimming and boating on the lakes, canoeing the rivers, and exploring the rich diversity of life in these habitats. An early interest in science was probably fostered by these experiences, and motivated me to be a science teacher.

I have taught middle school life science in a small district near Detroit for 27 years, and early in my career I realized that many of my urban students grew up without a connection to nature or exposure to Michigan’s aquatic treasures. So I built exciting outdoor, ‘place-based’ learning and citizen science research into my curriculum, applying for grants to fund the field work and lab supplies.

My students and I have constructed water-quality buoys and deployed them in the Great Lakes.

PIC B — June’s students building a bouy.

We have searched together for macro invertebrates in leaf litter collected in wetland areas.

Teams of these incredible student-scientists have won awards for their lake research.

With all of my water studies and curriculum work, I’d heard about NOAA’s Teacher at Sea Program. For 25 years the Teacher at Sea program has offered a premier educator training experience that launches an educator on an authentic research expedition to work side-by-side with world-class scientists in the field. The teacher can, in turn, share this adventure with students in their classroom. In my case, I’ll be sharing my ocean experiences with educators and students across the country! As an Albert Einstein Distinguished Educator Fellow placed in NOAA’s office of Education in Washington, D.C., I am spending the year presenting to teachers at professional development conferences nationwide, so I’ll bring a vibrant, first-hand account of the Teacher at Sea program to my audiences of educators. And although I don’t have a class of my own right now, I’m also in touch with K-12 students through my home district and in the classrooms of my former student teachers. So let the adventure on our big blue marble begin!

August 8, 2014August 21, 2021

Lynn Kurth: Better to See You With! August 8, 2014

NOAA Teacher at Sea
Lynn M. Kurth
Aboard NOAA Ship Oregon II
July 25 – August 9, 2014

Mission: Shark/Red Snapper Longline Survey
Geographical area of cruise: Gulf of Mexico and Atlantic
Date: August 8, 2014

Lat: 32 12.678 N
Long: 079 38.599 W

Weather Data from the Bridge:
Wind: 10.6 knots
Barometric Pressure: 1014.56 mb
Temperature: 29.1 Degrees Celsius

Science and Technology Log:

I imagine that the names of the crew, the feeling of the boat rocking, the sounds of the water and constant hum of the boat’s engine will fade from my memory. However, there’s one moment at sea I will not quickly forget. It was late in the evening when the crew brought aboard a small hammer-head shark. In the middle of nine people quickly hauling in countless sharpnose sharks, calling out data and moving around fishing gear the female hammer-head rotated one her eyes to look directly at me. At that moment I could feel/sense how people, the ocean and its inhabitants are all inextricably connected.

When a shark uses just one eye the accuracy of its depth perception is limited but the clarity of the image is increased. So, when the hammerhead looked over at me she probably had a pretty clear image of me but would not have been extremely accurate in judging how far away I was. Sharks’ eyes are similar to human eyes with a few “bonus” features to help them survive in the depths of a marine environment. One of these features is called a tapetum. A tapetum is a reflective layer of tissue which lines the back of the eyeball and magnifies the amount of light that enters the eye. Because of this, animals with tapetums (cats, cows, dogs, sharks, etc…) can see extremely well with just a little amount of light. When the hammerhead looked over at me and blinked a few times I was not seeing her eyelid move but rather something called a nictitating membrane. A nictitating membrane is a covering that some sharks use to protect their eyes when they are hunting or in danger of being damaged.

Eye of a sharpnose shark. (notice the reflective tapetum)

Did you Know?

Some sharks such as the Great White Shark will roll their eyes back in their head to protect them when they are attacking their prey or fighting
It is uncertain how much color sharks can see but cells called cones which allow color to be seen have been found in sharks’ eyes.
A shark’s field of vision is almost 360 degrees with the exception of a blind spot directly in front of the shark’s nose and a second blind spot directly behind its head

IMG_3094[1] — Red Grouper caught off the shore of North Carolina

Personal Log:

Teaching issues/topics that I have personally encountered enables me to teach with passion and expertise. Reflecting on my most rewarding teaching experiences I realize that many involve sharing personal experiences that I’ve encountered. Although many of my Wisconsin students have never seen the ocean it is my goal to help them understand that oceans and humans are inextricably connected. It hasn’t been difficult to make connections between what my students need to know as 21st-century learners and the science that I have been part of during my experience at sea. I am confident the students who I have the privilege of teaching will come to know and understand what we have already learned about the ocean and its inhabitants, what remains unknown, and how they are an important part of what happens to our oceans and its inhabitants in the future.

photo(2) — Day crew of the Oregon II (not pictured are the folks driving the boat: Eric, Laura, Dave, Larry and Rachel)

August 4, 2014August 21, 2021

Lynn Kurth: Chomp Chomp! August 4, 2014

NOAA Teacher at Sea
Lynn M. Kurth
Aboard NOAA Ship Oregon II
July 25 – August 9, 2014

Mission: Shark/Red Snapper Longline Survey
Geographical area of cruise: Gulf of Mexico and Atlantic
Date: August 4, 2014

Lat: 33 54.763 N
Long: 076 24.967 W

Weather Data from the Bridge:
Wind: 16 knots
Barometric Pressure: 1017.74 mb
Temperature: 29.9 Degrees Celsius

Science and Technology Log:

IMG_2927[1] — Mouth of a sandbar shark. Notice the rows of teeth and don’t worry about the wound from the hook because the hook is carefully removed and the shark heals quickly.

Much to my surprise a sandbar shark will have around 35,000 teeth over the course of its lifetime! Similar to other species of sharks, a sandbar shark’s teeth are found in rows which are shed and replaced as needed. The teeth are not used to chew but rather to rip food into chunks that the shark can swallow. The shape of a shark’s teeth depends on the species of shark they belong to and what that particular species eats. For example, a tiger shark has razor sharp piercing teeth it uses to rip apart the flesh of its prey and a zebra shark has hefty flat teeth because it eats shellfish.

IMG_2929[1] — Great care is taken to remove the hook before the sandbar shark is released. By clipping the barb off, the hook will slide right out. And, if a tooth happens to get damaged it will be quickly be replaced when a new row of teeth moves forward.

Did you Know?

When sharks are born they have complete sets of teeth
It was recently discovered that shark teeth contain fluoride
Human teeth and shark teeth are equally as hard
Shark teeth are not attached to gums on a root like our teeth

IMG_3010[1] — Lynn Kurth getting ready to measure a silky shark before it is released.

Personal Log:

Through the years I have found that when I am doing something I love I usually meet people who I respect and find intriguing. I love being part of science at sea aboard the Oregon II and I’m not surprised that I have met several people who are passionate about issues that I find interesting. One such person is Katelyn Cucinotta, a member of my work shift, who has a passion for the proper care of the marine environment and what she aspires to do in the future to make that happen. Within minutes of meeting Katelyn she began educating me about the decline of several shark species and the difficulties marine life faces with the amount of man-made debris in our oceans. Katelyn co-founded an organization called PropheSEA in order to share information about the issues our oceans and marine species are currently facing.

IMG_3032[1] — Science at sea with Katelyn Cucinotta!

August 1, 2014August 21, 2021

Lynn Kurth: It’s Shark Week! July 31, 2014

NOAA Teacher at Sea
Lynn M. Kurth
Aboard NOAA Ship Oregon II
July 25 – August 9, 2014

Mission: Shark/Red Snapper Longline Survey
Geographical area of cruise: Gulf of Mexico and Atlantic
Date: July 31, 2014

Lat: 30 11.454 N
Long: 80 49.66 W

Weather Data from the Bridge:
Wind: 17 knots
Barometric Pressure: 1014.93 mb
Temperature: 29.9 Degrees Celsius

Science and Technology Log:
It would be easy for me to focus only on the sharks that I’ve encountered but there is so much more science and natural phenomena to share with you! I have spent as much time on the bow of the boat as I can in between working on my blogs and my work shift. There’s no denying it, I LOVE THE BOW OF THE BOAT!!! When standing in the bow it feels as if you’re flying over the water and the view is splendid.

From my prized bird’s eye view from the bow I’ve noticed countless areas of water with yellowish clumps of seaweed. This particular seaweed is called sargassum which is a type of macroalgae found in tropical waters. Sargassum has tiny chambers which hold air and allow it to float on or near the water’s surface in order to gather light for photosynthesis. Sargassum can be considered to be a nuisance because it frequently washes up on beaches and smells as it decomposes. And, in some areas it can become so thick that it reduces the amount of light that other plant species need to grow and thrive. However, the floating clumps of sargassum provide a great habitat for young fish because it offers them food and shelter.

IMG_2906[1] — Sargassum (notice the small air bladders that it uses to stay afloat)

We have hauled in a variety of sharks and fish over the past few days. One of the more interesting species was the remora/sharksucker. The sharksucker attaches itself to rays, sharks, ships, dolphins and sea turtles by latching on with its suction cup like dorsal fin. When we brought a sharksucker on board the ship it continued to attach itself to the deck of the boat and would even latch on to our arm when we gave it the chance.

IMG_2944[1] — The shark sucker attaches to my arm immediately!

The largest species of sharks that we have hauled in are Sandbar sharks which are one of the largest coastal sharks in the world. Sandbar sharks have much larger fins compared to their body size which made them attractive to fisherman for sale in the shark fin trade. Therefore, this species has more protection than some of the other coastal shark species because they have been over harvested in the past due to their large fins.

Thankfully finning is now banned in US waters, however despite the ban sandbar sharks have continued protection due to the fact that like many other species of sharks they are not able to quickly replace numbers lost to high fishing pressure. Conservationists remain concerned about the future of the Sandbar shark because of this ongoing threat and the fact that they reproduce very few young.

IMG_2928[1] — The first Sandbar shark that I was able to tag

Did you Know?

Sargassum is used in/as:

fertilizer for crops
food for people
medicines
insect repellant

Personal Log:
I continue to learn a lot each day and can’t wait to see what the next day of this great adventure brings! The folks who I’m working with have such interesting tales to share and have been very helpful as I learn the ropes here on the Oregon II. One of the friendly folks who I’ve been working with is a second year student at the University of Tampa named Kevin Travis. Kevin volunteered for the survey after a family friend working for NOAA (National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration) recommended him as a volunteer. Kevin enjoys his time on the boat because he values meeting new people and knows how beneficial it is to have a broad range of experiences.

July 28, 2014August 21, 2021

Lynn Kurth: Eagerly Waiting to Tag Sharks, July 28, 2014

NOAA Teacher at Sea
Lynn M. Kurth
Aboard NOAA Ship Oregon II
July 25 – August 9, 2014

Mission: Shark/Red Snapper Longline Survey
Geographical area of cruise: Gulf of Mexico and Atlantic
Date: July 28, 2014

Lat: 24 17.334 N
Lon: 082 30.265

Weather Data from the Bridge:
Wind: 7.52 knots
Barometric Pressure: 1017.85 mb
Temperature: 31.1 Degrees C

Science and Technology Log:

We have been traveling across the Gulf over the past two days and will continue traveling until Monday night when we will reach our first testing station. Wondering exactly where we are? You can see the ship’s location live at: NOAA Shiptracker

Our official survey has not begun but Dr. Jim Nienow, an instructor from Valdosta University, is aboard for the cruise and has been doing some basic plankton sampling while we are on the move. Dr. Nienow participated in his first shark longline survey back in 2008 and this is his sixth cruise aboard the Oregon II. He enjoys being part of the shark longline survey because it provides him with the opportunity to collect the samples that he analyzes with his students when he returns to the university. In the first few years that Dr. Neinow began collecting plankton samples he was interested in the overall biodiversity he found in the samples.

But over the past few years his work has evolved and he is currently focused on the distribution of diatoms. Diatoms are microscopic single celled photosynthesizing algae and are the most common type of phytoplankton found. Diatoms represent approximately half of the ocean’s production. In other words, these little buggers are important because they serve as the base of the food chain for the ocean. By studying diatoms scientists are able to study the overall health of the particular environment that they were collected from.

We have spent some time preparing the gear for the survey by getting the fishing lines ready. Circle hooks are used for the shark long line survey vs. J hooks so that the sharks are rarely hooked deep which makes the hook easier to remove and reduces the potential of harming the shark.

Did you Know?

Diatoms are used for the following:

as mild abrasives found in cleaning products and sometimes toothpaste
as filter material when making alcoholic/non alcoholic drinks, syrup and medicines
as insulation in sound proof or fire proof doors

Diatoms as seen through Dr. Nienow's scanning electron microscope Photo Credit: Dr. Jim Nienow — Diatoms as seen through Dr. Nienow’s scanning electron microscope
Photo Credit: Dr. Jim Nienow and The Deep C Consortium

Personal Log:

During our time traveling we had an abandon ship drill. If we were to abandon the ship we would put on a full neoprene survival suit before entering the water. The water temperature in the Gulf of Mexico is around 87 degrees Fahrenheit so the suit protects folks from hypothermia that would occur over time.