NOAA Teacher at Sea
Beverly Owens
Aboard NOAA Ship Henry B. Bigelow
June 10 – 24, 2013
Mission: Deep-Sea Corals and Benthic Habitat: Ground-Truthing and Exploration in Deepwater Canyons off the Northeastern Coast of the U.S.
Geographical Area: Western North Atlantic
Date: June 17, 2013
Weather Data from the Bridge:
Air temperature: 17.60 oC (63.68 oF)
Wind Speed: 13.41knots (15.43mph)
Water Depth of current dive: approximately 1800 m (5905 ft)
Science and Technology Log
I have been amazed in watching the Science Crew (scientists and TowCam engineers) operate this week. With any challenge that is presented, they work as a team to make minor adjustments, troubleshoot, and correct any issues that may arise. That got me thinking…what skills or characteristics are important in becoming an engineer or a scientist?
I surveyed the Science Crew, and based on their responses, have developed a list of skills important for scientists and engineers:
- Have a positive attitude.
- Be an excellent student. Learn to think independently.
- Be a good writer.
- Communicate well with others.
- Develop analytical thinking skills.
- Volunteer or become familiar with resources, like labs, museums, or other scientific institutions.
- Develop strong math skills.
- Develop computer skills or computer programming skills.
- Perseverance: If you make a mistake you can’t get down about it. You have to pick yourself up and try again.
- Curiosity: If you are curious, you’ll be passionate about what you’re studying, and will be able to communicate that to others. If you’re passionate, you will persevere and work through the challenges.
Personal Log
During my Teacher at Sea experience, I have had the opportunity to observe the Science Crew during many different activities. Below are some skills or characteristics that I have seen exhibited by the scientists and engineers involved in this research expedition.
- Work as a team.
- Cooperate: Get along with others.
- Be tenacious and persevere; be steadfast, never give up.
- Look at things from different perspectives; think “outside of the box.”
- Listen to and respect other people’s ideas.
- Focus on the task at hand.
- Think things through before jumping in.
- Come up with hypotheses or solutions and test them. If the solution doesn’t work, try another one.
As science teachers, we try to instill these traits in our students in the classroom. Whether it is completing a group project, conducting a lab, or taking notes, there is always opportunity to improve our science and engineering skills.
Did You Know?
One feature of the deep ocean is that this region of ocean is subject to very high pressure due to the tremendous weight of the water above. So, how about a demonstration?
Take one Styrofoam cup, decorate it, and send it over a mile deep in the ocean. What happens to the Styrofoam cup?
It shrinks! Why? Pressure in the ocean increases about 1 atmosphere for every 10 m increase in depth. The increased pressure compresses the air inside the Styrofoam, and the cup condenses. It’s the same reason why your ears start “popping” when you drive to an area of higher elevation, like the mountains, or fly in an airplane. In that case, increase in altitude means a decrease in pressure
