Pascagoula – NOAA Teacher at Sea Blog

July 28, 2025July 28, 2025

Cheryl Milliken: We’re Steaming across the Gulf, July 26, 2025

NOAA Teacher at Sea

Cheryl Milliken

Aboard NOAA Ship Oregon II

July 26 – August 10, 2025

Mission: Bottom Longline Survey

Geographic Area of Cruise: Atlantic Coast of Florida

Date: July 26, 2025

Weather Data from the Bridge

Latitude: 29° 32.4’ N

Longitude: 087° 53.2’ W

Wind speed: 8 knots (peak 36 knots)

Wave height: 3’ swell (wind waves 1-2’)

Air temp.: 32.6° C

Sky: Cumulus and cirrus clouds, ⅜ cloud coverage

Science and Technology Log

Although we are going to spend a couple of days steaming before we reach our sampling stations on the Atlantic (east) side of Florida, crew and staff having been gearing up to prepare for the work ahead.

Personal Log

After a stormy start that delayed our departure by a day, I’ve officially embarked on my journey aboard NOAA Ship Oregon II. Though the thunderstorms on Wednesday and Thursday scrambled flight plans, the extra day in Pascagoula turned out to be a gift — a chance to explore this small but vibrant coastal city and ease into ship life.

I moved into my stateroom Thursday morning, a cozy space shared with Lila Xenakis, a grad student from Florida Tech researching sharks. The room is compact but comfortable, featuring a bunk bed, a personal sink, and a mini-split A/C unit that’s been a lifesaver in Mississippi’s sweltering July heat. Although Lila and I are on different watch shifts (she will work from midnight until noon, while I will work from noon until midnight), we had a great time getting to know each other before departure.

view of wooden bunks with high sides and individual blackout curtains; we can see chairs and the edge of a sink around the corner

metal storage cabinets; two of the cabinets are labeled with images of life vests and survival suits

Photos, L to R: Bunk bed and sink viewed from your door; our storage cabinets behind the door; cabinet in our room with emergency gear and a foldout desk.

Lila and I walked 6 miles (three each way) to see the beach. Top 5 things we saw there:

5. Buffett Bridge – apparently, Jimmy Buffett lived here as a child, so they named this bridge in his honor. You can also see his house, but it was not along our route.

4. The trains and bridge – many trains pass through Pascagoula, and they need to cross the Pascagoula River. The CSX Transportation railroad drawbridge, a bascule bridge (according to my research), is operated by a bridge tender in Mobile, AL. It was eye-opening to see such long trains coming through this city (I counted 44 cars on one train Thursday evening) and to think about all the industry going on in the southern states.

cement barrier painted with a mural of a beach scene and the words "Buffett Bridge;" there is grass beyond the cement barrier. We also see a small sign on a post that reads: Buffett Bridge, In Honor of Jimmy Buffett, Singer, Songwriter, Author.

view from a distance as a train crosses over the railroad drawbridge. the sky is blue with white clouds.

a fishing vessel approaches an open drawbridge

Photos, L to R: Buffett Bridge along Pascagoula coast; train coming over Pascagoula River; pogie boat passing under drawbridge.

3. Downtown Pascagoula – full of local color, murals, and culinary gems like “Jack’s by the Tracks,” where I chose shrimp and grits one night and mahi mahi tacos the next. The sushi might be the local favorite, but I have no regrets. We spent some time with other crew members, who have been very helpful and kind in welcoming us aboard.

2. Coastal nature – we walked past towering Southern Magnolias and graceful Coastal Live Oaks, plants that rarely survive back home on Cape Cod. The beach itself, rebuilt after Hurricane Katrina (2005) and restored post–Deepwater Horizon oil spill (2010), stands as a testament to the Gulf’s resilience and the hard work of conservation teams.

view from underneath of large moss-covered branches on sprawling live oak

close-up view of a large white magnolia flower

Photos, L to R: live oak on our route; magnolia in bloom; beach.

1. NOAA Ship Oregon II – our home for the next couple of weeks! Built in 1967, this vessel has aged gracefully, with modern updates and full air conditioning throughout. Getting around her isn’t always straightforward (still learning how to get from the stern to the flying bridge), but I’m eager to call her home as we head into the Gulf.

close-up view of a rusted metal plaque that reads: R.V. Oregon II. Designed by R. H. Macy for U.S. Department of Interior Bureau of Commercial Fisheries built by the Ingalls Shipbuilding Corp. A Division of Litton Industries. Pascagoula, Mississippi, 1967.

view over the bow of NOAA Ship Oregon II from the flying bridge as it makes its way out of the port of Pascagoula. The water is calm and the sky is bright blue with a few fluffy clouds.

Photos, Clockwise from left: NOAA Ship Oregon II docked in Pascagoula; plaque on Oregon II acknowledging its origin at Ingalls Shipbuilding in Pascagoula, MS; view of forward deck from above.

Special thanks to my friend, Laura, for showing me around Ocean Springs, MS, on Thursday! We had a great time exploring such a charming place.

Did You Know?

The Gulf is home to more than 1,443 finfish species, 51 shark species, and at least 49 species of rays and skates. Source: sign hanging in the hallway of NOAA Fisheries building in Pascagoula, MS.

Animals Seen Today:

Many birds in port and on the way out to the middle of the Gulf:
- Brown pelicans – they sit on every channel marker out of Pascagoula
- Laughing gulls
- Black skimmer – striking black and white with distinct orange and black bill
- Sandwich terns – identified by yellow-tipped bills like mustard smears
Bottlenose dolphins! (Tursiops truncatus) – right next to NOAA Ship Oregon II in the Pascagoula River!

July 28, 2023July 28, 2023

Martin McClure: Getting Acquainted, July 28, 2023

NOAA Teacher at Sea

Martin McClure

Aboard NOAA Ship Oregon II

July 25 – August 9, 2023

Mission: Shark/Snapper Long Line Survey

Geographic Area of Cruise: Gulf of Mexico/Atlantic Ocean

Date: Jul 28, 2023

Weather Data from the Bridge

Latitude: 25°49.441’N

Longitude: 79°59.970’W

Temperature: 30.5° Celcius

Wind Speed: 7 knots

The Oregon II at dock in Pascagoula, Mississippi.

Science and Technology Log

NOAA conducts the Shark/Snapper Longline Survey each year at the same time and place. It goes from July through September and surveys from Cape Hatteras, North Carolina, to West Palm Beach, FL, and the U.S. northern Gulf of Mexico from southwest Florida to Brownsville, TX. This is a longline survey and one mile of gear is baited and laid down for one hour.

When the line is reeled in, the science and fishing teams take them off the hooks and record data on the fish. The data gathered includes what species (kind of fish) are caught, if they are male or female, their age, weight and length. Additionally, the sharks will be tagged with a number and released.

The data collected will be used by NOAA to help manage the health of the fishery. It is one set of data that goes into deciding how many fish can be safely taken from the ocean each year. Without this information, fishermen might take too many fish to keep the population stable.

a view up at four flags flown on a line, one after the other. the top is a navy blue flag with a black square. the second has vertical bands of red, white, and blue. the third is diagonally split between a lower yellow right triangle and an upper red right triangle. the last has horizontal bands of yellow, navy, yellow. — The *Oregon II* call sign flags, WTDO

NOAA Ship Oregon II is the ship that is used to conduct this survey each year. It takes a lot of people working together to accomplish this. The crew of the Oregon II is made up of several teams. Everyone has a job as a part of the team to make sure everything works as needed.

The NOAA Corps are the officers on the ship. They are responsible for the overall operation of the ship and are in charge of navigation, steering and everyone’s safety. They work in shifts from the “bridge.”

The engineering team makes sure that everything is working properly. This includes the engines, electrical systems, fresh water and the all-important air conditioning.

The deck crew includes the professional fisherman who do boat maintenance, prepare fishing gear as well as handle the big fish.

There are two stewards who prepare our meals and keep the dining area clean. They keep us well fed with several choices available at each meal three times a day.

The electronics department has just one person who is responsible to make sure all of the technology is working properly. That is a very big responsibility on this ship.

Finally, there is the science team. That is where I fit in. There are four NOAA scientists and six volunteers. I am one of the volunteers. The other volunteers are all university students.

There are 29 people on board and everyone works on shifts. The ship operates 24 hours a day so all jobs must be done around the clock. Most teams have two shifts that each last for… you guessed it… twelve hours.

Personal Log

These first few days have been spent getting acquainted with the layout of the ship, learning the routines of life on the ocean and the people on the ship. The most striking feature is that there seems to be an incredible amount of equipment packed into such a small space. Everything a crew of 29 could need for three weeks, emergency equipment and replacement parts. Yet, in any one place, there is adequate room to move and work. I have a “stateroom” that I share with one other member of the science team. Each of us have a “rack” to sleep in, lockers and drawers for personal belongings as well as a fold out desk to work at. We also have a sink and mirror. All this in a room that is about 7’X10’.

view of Martin's stateroom. we see high sided bunk beds built into the wall, a sink and a cabinet, the edge of a desk and a desk chair, two backpacks. — stateroom with two berths

Rarely are we both in there but there is adequate room when that happens. The “passageways” are narrow and it takes coordination to pass another crewmember. The “mess” seats twelve people, at most, so we have to eat meals in shifts.

the mess, or dining area, of NOAA Ship Oregon II. there are two tables anchored to the floor by posts; each table has six swivel chairs anchored to the floor on posts, as at a diner. someone sits at one seat, facing away from the camera. there are two televisions mounted on the wall, one showing a baseball game. in the foreground is a small refrigerator with juices and tea. — NOAA Ship *Oregon II*‘s “mess” seats 12 people at most.

There are three bathrooms and two showers available for general use. Showers should be short to preserve water as well as to make it available for others to use. There are three different “gym” areas with equipment to work out in. My favorite is the flying bridge where you can look out over the ocean.

a view over the bow of NOAA Ship Oregon II, from high up. we can see the front mast, lines, part of a davit arm. the sky is blue, clear of clouds if a bit hazy on the horizon. the ocean is dark blue and calm. — view from the flying bridge of NOAA Ship *Oregon II*

Safety is a priority on board the ship. We start by using basic safety procedures while moving around the ship. While underway, the pitch (front to back motion) and roll (side to side motion) of the ship never stops. This becomes more or less pronounced depending on the weather. So moving through the passageways and doorways and especially on the outside decks, one must be careful to use a hand to keep their balance. The stairwells are narrow and steep but negotiable. When using stairwells always have 3 points of contact, that means use two hands and then a foot is the third point of contact.

view down a narrow metal staircase. equipment is stashed on the other side of a railing to the right of the photo. — view down a stairwell on NOAA Ship *Oregon II*

Moving around comes more easily with time. No open toed shoes are to be worn except on the way to and from the shower. Safety equipment must be worn when working. We will be wearing hard hats, gloves, glasses and a work vest. The work vest looks a lot like a personal flotation device but flat. If you fall overboard it will automatically inflate. There is a lot of equipment and devices all over the ship for use in emergency situations.

firefighting equipment mounted on an interior wall: an axe (labeled "Oregon II"), a crow bar, a folded up fire hose. a red plaque on the wall reads FIRE STATION NO. 4. — firefighting equipment in case of emergencies

Fire extinguishers, AEDs, masks for smoke, and, of course, life rafts. We have to do drills to make sure that we know what to do in emergencies.

four people stand on the aft deck "decked out" in firefighting gear. they wear yellow fireproof pants and jackets, heavy black and yellow boots, large yellow gloves, black or white helmets, gas masks, some sort of backpack. the sky is bright blue with some wispy clouds and the ocean is fairly calm. — our firefighting team

Martin stands on the aft deck in a heavy orange survival suit with his arms raised for the photo. it's only partially zipped, revealing his Teacher at Sea t-shirt underneath. He wears a Teacher at Sea hat and sunglasses. other survival suits and flotation devices rest on deck around him — That’s me in a “Gumby” suit for survival in case we have to abandon ship.

Did You Know?

Did you know that not all sharks reproduce the same way? Be sure to check future blogs to find out how.

Animals Seen Today:

the dorsal fin of a dolphin visible above water — dolphin

and also: masked booby, swallow, flying fish, barracuda.

July 11, 2019July 14, 2019

Hayden Roberts: Data and More Data… July 11, 2019

NOAA Teacher at Sea

Hayden Roberts

Aboard NOAA Ship Oregon II

July 8-19, 2019

Mission: Leg III of SEAMAP Summer Groundfish Survey

Geographic Area of Cruise: Gulf of Mexico

Date: July 11, 2019

Weather Data from the Bridge:
Latitude: 28.29° N
Longitude: 83.18° W
Wave Height: 1-2 feet
Wind Speed: 11 knots
Wind Direction: 190
Visibility: 10 nm
Air Temperature: 29.8°C
Barometric Pressure: 1013.6 mb
Sky: Few clouds

Science Log

As I mentioned in my introductory post, the purpose of the SEAMAP Summer Groundfish Survey is to collect data for managing commercial fisheries in the Gulf of Mexico. However, the science involved is much more complex than counting and measuring fish varieties.

The research crew gathers data in three ways. The first way involves trawling for fish. The bulk of the work on-board focuses on trawling or dragging a 42-foot net along the bottom of the Gulf floor for 30 minutes. Then cranes haul the net and its catch, and the research team and other personnel weigh the catch. The shift team sorts the haul which involves pulling out all of the shrimp and red snapper, which are the most commercially important species, and taking random samples of the rest. Then the team counts each species in the sample and record weights and measurements in a database called FSCS (Fisheries Scientific Computer System).

SEAMAP can be used by various government, educational, and private entities. For example, in the Gulf data is used to protect the shrimp and red snapper populations. For several years, Gulf states have been closing the shrimp fishery and putting limits on the snapper catches seasonally to allow the population to reproduce and grow. The SEAMAP data helps determine the length of the season and size limits for each species.

Tampa Bay area waters — Digital chart of the waters off the Tampa Bay area. Black dots represent research stations or stops for our cruise.

Another method of data collection is conductivity, temperature, and depth measurements (CTD). The process involves taking readings on the surface, the bottom of Gulf floor, and at least two other points between in order to create a CTD profile of the water sampled at each trawling locations. The data becomes important in order to assess the extent of hypoxia or “dead zones” in the Gulf (see how compounded data is used to build maps of hypoxic areas of the Gulf: https://www.noaa.gov/media-release/noaa-forecasts-very-large-dead-zone-for-gulf-of-mexico). Plotting and measuring characteristics of hypoxia have become a major part of fishery research especially in the Gulf, which has the second largest area of seasonal hypoxia in the world around the Mississippi Delta area. SEAMAP data collected since the early 1980s show that the zone of hypoxia in the Gulf has been spreading, unfortunately. One recent research sample taken near Corpus Christi, TX indicated that hypoxia was occurring further south than in the past. This summer, during surveys two CTD devices are being used. The first is a large cylinder-shaped machine that travels the depth of the water for its readings. It provides a single snapshot. The second CTD is called a “Manta,” which is a multi-parameter water quality sonde (or probe). While it can be used for many kinds of water quality tests, NOAA is using it to test for hypoxia across a swath of sea while pulling the trawling net. This help determine the rate of oxygenation at a different depth in the water and across a wider field than the other CTD can provide.

Setting up the CTD for its first dive of our research cruise.

Did You Know?

Algae is a major problem in the Gulf of Mexico. Hypoxia is often associated with the overgrowth of certain species of algae, which can lead to oxygen depletion when they die, sink to the bottom, and decompose. Two major outbreaks of algae contamination have occurred in the past three years. From 2017-2018, red algae, which is common in the Gulf, began washing ashore in Florida. “Red Tide” is the common name for these algae blooms, which are large concentrations of aquatic microorganisms, such as protozoans and unicellular algae. The upwelling of nutrients from the sea floor, often following massive storms, provides for the algae and triggers bloom events. The wave of hurricanes (including Irma and during this period caused the bloom. The second is more recent. Currently, beaches nearest the Mississippi Delta have been closed due to an abundance of green algae. This toxic algae bloom resulted from large amounts of nutrients, pesticides, fertilizers being released into the Bonnet Carre Spillway in Louisiana because of the record-high Mississippi River levels near Lake Pontchartrain. The spillway opening is being blamed for high mortality rates of dolphins, oysters and other aquatic life, as well as the algae blooms plaguing Louisiana and Mississippi waters.

Personal Log

Pulling away from Pascagoula yesterday, I knew we were headed into open waters for the next day and half as we traveled east down the coast to the Tampa Bay, FL area. I stood on the fore deck and watched Oregon II cruise past the shipyard, the old naval station, the refinery, navigation buoys, barrier islands, and returning vessels. The Gulf is a busy place. While the two major oceans that flank either side of the U.S. seem so dominant, the Gulf as the ninth largest body of water in the world and has just as much importance. As a basin linked to the Atlantic Ocean, the tidal ranges in the Gulf are extremely small due to the narrow connection with the ocean. This means that outside of major weather, the Gulf is relatively calm, which is not the case with our trip.

Navigation buoy that we passed leaving Pascagoula harbor.

As we cruise into open waters, along the horizon we can see drilling platforms jutting out of the Gulf like skyscrapers or resorts lining the distant shore. Oil and gas extraction are huge in this region. Steaming alongside us are oil tankers coming up from the south and cargo ships with towering containers moving back and forth between Latin America and the US Coast. What’s in the Gulf (marine wildlife and natural resources) has geographic importance, but what comes across the Gulf has strategic value too.

The further we cruised away from Mississippi, the water became choppy. The storm clouds that delayed our departure the day before were now overhead. In the distances, rain connected the sky to sea. While the storm is predicted to move northwest, the hope is that we can avoid its intensification over the Gulf Stream as we move southeasterly.

Choppy seas as we cruise across the Gulf to the West Coast of Florida to start our research.

I learned that water in the Gulf this July is much warmer than normal. As a result, locally produced tropical storms have formed over the Gulf. Typically, tropical storms (the prelude to a hurricane) form over the Atlantic closer to the Equator and move North. Sometimes they can form in isolated areas like the Gulf. Near us, an isolated tropical storm (named Barry) is pushing us toward research stations closer to the coast in order to avoid more turbulent and windy working conditions. While the research we are conducting is important, safety and security aboard the ship comes first.

July 11, 2019

Hayden Roberts: Wait-and-See (or Is It Sea?) July 8, 2019

NOAA Teacher at Sea

Hayden Roberts

Aboard NOAA Oregon II

July 8-19, 2019

Mission: Leg III of SEAMAP Summer Groundfish Survey

Geographic Area of Cruise: Gulf of Mexico

Date: July 8, 2019

Weather Data from the Bridge

Latitude: 30.35° N
Longitude: 88.6° W
Wave Height: 1-2 feet
Wind Speed: 10 knots
Wind Direction: Northwest
Visibility: 10 nm
Air Temperature: 33°C
Barometric Pressure: 1012 mb
Sky: Few clouds

Science Log

Day one of my trip and we are delayed leaving. Growing up in Oklahoma, you think you know weather until one of the NOAA fishery biologists assigned to the ship provides you a lengthy explanation about the challenges of weather on setting sail. As he put it, the jet stream is throwing off the weather. This is true. Studies have suggested that for a few years the polar jet stream has been fluctuating more than normal as it passes over parts of the Northern Hemisphere. The jet stream is like a river of wind that circles the Northern Hemisphere continuously. That river meanders north and south along the way. When those meanders occur over the Atlantic and the Pacific Oceans, it can alter pressure systems and wind patterns at lower latitudes and that affects how warm or raining it is across North America and Europe.

This spring in Oklahoma, it has led to record-breaking rains that have flooded low lying areas across the Great Plains and parts of the southeastern United States. Thunderstorms have generally been concentrated in the southern and middle section of the US as the jet stream dips down. The NOAA biologist also indicated that the delay in our departure could be blamed on the El Niño effect.

El Niño is a natural climate pattern where sea water in the central and eastern tropical Pacific Ocean is warmer than average. This leads to greater precipitation originating from the ocean. According to NOAA scientists, El Niño is calculated by averaging the sea-surface temperature each month, then averaging it with the previous and following months. That number is compared to average temperatures for the same three-month period between 1986 and 2015, called the Oceanic Niño index. When the index hits 0.5 degrees Celsius warmer or more, such as right now, it’s classified as an El Niño. When it’s 0.5 degrees Celsius cooler or more, it’s a La Niña. During an El Niño, the southern part of the U.S. typically experiences wetter than average conditions, while the northern part is less stormy and milder than usual. During a La Niña, it flips, with colder and stormier conditions to the north and warmer, less stormy conditions across the south. However, the El Niño this year has been classified as weak, which means typically the wetter conditions do not push into the Gulf of Mexico region, but exceptions can occur. With the fluctuating jet stream, the El Nino has vacillated between the Plains region and the upper South and regions closer to the Gulf. Thus, the storm causing our delayed departure comes from a weather condition that has been pushed further south by the jet stream.

While these may be causes for the delayed departure, the actual sailing conditions at the time of our voyage are the main concerns. Looking at the NOAA Marine Forecast webpage (https://www.nws.noaa.gov/om/marine/zone/off/offnt4mz.htm), the decision for our delay is based on a storm producing significant wave heights, which are the average height of the highest 1/3 of the waves. Individual waves may be more than twice the average wave heights. In addition, weak high pressure appears to dominate the western Gulf and will likely last mid-week. Fortunately, we are set sail into the eastern Gulf off the coast of Florida. We should be able to sail behind the storm as it moves west. We do have to watch the surface low forming along a trough over the northeast Gulf later in the week. The National Hurricane Center in Miami (which provided weather data in the Atlantic and the Gulf for NOAA) predicts that all of this will intensify through Friday (July 12) as it drifts westward. This will produce strong to near gale force winds and building seas for the north central Gulf. Hopefully by then we will be sailing south of it.

Gulf of Mexico weather forecasts — Digital interface map for regions of the Gulf of Mexico and its weather forecasts (National Weather Service, NOAA)

Did You Know?

The weather terms El Niño and La Niña can be translated from Spanish to English as boy and girl, respectively. El Niño originally applied to an annual weak warm ocean current that ran southwards along the coast of Peru and Ecuador around Christmas time before it was linked to a global phenomenon now referred to as El Niño–Southern Oscillation. La Niña is sometimes called El Viejo, anti-El Niño, or simply “a cold event.” El Niño events have been occurring for thousands of years with at least 26 occurring since 1900.

Personal Log

I boarded NOAA’s Oregon II yesterday when the ship was virtually empty. It was Sunday, and we were not set to leave until mid-afternoon the following day (and now Tuesday, July 9). Spending the night on the ship was more comfortable than I had expected. While the stateroom was cramped (I share it with one other crew member), the space is surprisingly efficient. I had plenty of space to store my gear. The bunkbed was more cozy than restricted.

NOAA Pascagoula Lab — Even though it was Sunday and everything was closed, I had to stop for a selfie.

NOAA Ship Oregon II — My first look at NOAA Ship *Oregon II.*

My first day in Pascagoula, MS was spent learning about the town. Pascagoula is a port city with a historic shipyard. Pascagoula is home to the state’s largest employer, Ingalls Shipbuilding, the largest Chevron refinery in the world, and Signal International, an oil platform builder. Prior to World War II, the town was a small fishing community, but the population jumped with war-driven shipbuilding. The city’s population peak in the late 1970s, but today, there are less than 25,000 in the area. Pascagoula continues to be an industrial center surrounded by the growing tourism industry across the Gulf region to the east and west of the port. The population also declined when Naval Station Pascagoula was decommissioned in 2006. The old naval base is located on manmade strip of land called Singing River Island and is in the middle of the port. The port still maintains a large Coast Guard contingent as well as serving as the home portfor the NOAA Ships Gordon Gunter, Oregon II, and Pisces. The NOAA port is actually called the Gulf Marine Support Facility and is located a block from NOAA’s National Marine Fisheries Service Mississippi Laboratory.

October 14, 2018October 15, 2018

Andria Keene: Steaming and Dreaming in Safety, October 12, 2018

NOAA Teacher at Sea

Andria Keene

Aboard NOAA Ship Oregon II

October 8 – 22, 2018

Mission: SEAMAP Fall Groundfish Survey

Geographic Area of Cruise: Gulf of Mexico

Weather Data from the Bridge
Date: 2018/10/12
Time: 14:58:22
Latitude: 27 37.15 N
Longitude 091 23.21 W
Barometric Pressure 1015.69mbar
Relative Humidity 60 %
Air Temperature: 27.1 0C

Everyone is an explorer. How could you possibly live your
life looking at a door and not open it? – Robert Ballard

Science/Technology and Personal Log

Hurricane Michael brought a three day delay to our departure. At first, I was a little disappointed that we were not setting sail right away but now I am glad because I had some extra time to explore Pascagoula, familiarize myself with the ship, and slowly meet the crew as they arrived spread out over several days. Plus, the additional time allowed me to start working on my career lesson plan and to prepare a video tour of the ship. I will upload the video to this blog page as soon as it is complete.

Photo collage — #1 – My first tour of Oregon II #2 – Hurricane Michael arrives in the center of where I am and my hometown of Tampa #3 – Exploring Round Point Lighthouse #4 – My first sunset aboard.

On Thursday, Oct 11th at 9:00am, we departed from Pascagoula and headed out into the Gulf of Mexico. I was amazed at how quickly we lost sight of land and at the vastness of this body of water with which I thought I was so familiar. My favorite part was watching the color of the water change from a dark teal to a deep blue.

The various colors of the water of the Gulf

On the “Plan of the Day” board under schedule it reads “Steam and Dream til Saturday Afternoon” and that is just what we are doing. Our path will lead us north of the Mexican border and south of Corpus Christi, Texas, where we will find our first station. Until then, in between steaming and dreaming, we are getting to know each other and learning about our roles and responsibilities.

For example, today we practiced our Fire and Abandon Ship Drills. While it is a little nerve-racking to think that something like that could actually happen, it was reassuring to see that everyone was well-trained and the operations ran smoothly.

My first lesson plan will focus on careers available through NOAA. It is amazing to see the variation in the positions and the backgrounds of the workers on this ship. Basically, on the Oregon II there are three types of employees who make up the ship’s complement.

Types of Employees — This graphic illustrates the structure of the employees aboard Oregon II.

I feel like NOAA has something to offer everyone from entry level positions that require no experience to positions requiring years of experience or advanced college degrees. The best part is that no matter where you start there is always room to advance through hard work and certification. I can’t wait to share all the opportunities with my students!

Did You Know?

Oregon II has a reverse osmosis system that uses salt water to create the freshwater needed aboard. The salt that is removed is returned back to the Gulf.

Challenge Question of the Day
(For my students: bonus points for the first person from each class period to answer it correctly):

This picture was taken from the screen of one of the navigation systems on the bridge.

What do you think is represented by each of the black squares with a dot inside?

Animals Seen Today:

Moon Jellyfish and Flying Fish