NOAA Teacher at Sea
Tara Treichel
Onboard NOAA Ship Nancy Foster April 15-27, 2008
Mission: Lionfish Survey Geographical Area: Atlantic Ocean, off the coast of North Carolina Date: April 27, 2008
Weather data from the bridge
Visibility: 10 n.m.
Wind: 11 knots
Waves: 1-2 feet
Ocean swells: 3-4 feet
Sea temperature: 23.0
Air temperature: 23.0
At 120 feet, the water has absorbed red, yellow and green wavelengths of light, muting the brilliant colors of these Lionfish and other reef organisms (the Lionfish in the foreground is partially illuminated by the video camera)
Science and Technology Log
I wanted to explain a little more about the purpose of the Lionfish study. The technical name of the study is Assessment of Lionfish Ecosystem and Fisheries Impacts. The Principal Investigator/Chief Scientist is Paula Whitfield, who works out of the NOAA Lab in Beaufort, North Carolina. Several years ago, Paula had heard reports of Lionfish seen off the coast of North Carolina. A recreational diver, Paula visited these sites to see for herself; what began as a casual observation turned into the guiding question for a complex Lionfish ecosystem study that is now in its seventh year. As I understand, the guiding questions framing the study are:
Initially the scientists needed to understand, to what extent Lionfish have invaded the coastal waters of the eastern US. Under this broad question fall many sub-questions: Are they successfully reproducing? How large is their population? Are they expanding their geographic range, and is their population growing? Finally, what biological and physical factors may limit their survival (i.e. what environmental conditions do they need to survive)?
After the initial research results revealed a widespread and well-established presence of Lionfish, researchers refined their objectives to better understand the fisheries and ecosystem impact of Lionfish. This is a very broad question and includes many sub-questions such as: What species are they eating? Is the number of “conspicuous fish” species (large and easy to see and count) decreasing in areas where Lionfish are present? Are the number of “cryptic fish” species (small typically prey species that hide within the habitat) decreasing in areas where Lionfish are present?
The scientists also seek to better understand how Lionfish impacts may be further complicated by other variables such as overfishing and climate change. Examining this question requires looking at many other aspects of the marine ecosystem as indicators of ecological health. Sub-questions are: How are the physical and chemical ocean parameters changing over time (e.g. sea temperature, ocean currents, chemical composition)? How are algal populations changing over time? How are invertebrate and soft-bottom communities changing over time?
Initial results of the study were eye-opening. Everywhere the research team went, they found Lionfish. From 20042007, the data across the sampling sites showed an increase in population of well over 300%. Considering that these fish have no known predators, and females release 30,000 eggs at a time, it is not hard to imagine the severe impact that these fish could potentially have on the marine food web and ecosystem. In addition, Lionfish are tropical reef fish, which require warm water to survive and reproduce. As climate change occurs, it is conceivable that Lionfish could expand their range in response to rising sea temperatures or a shift in Gulf Stream currents.
Paula Whitfield (right), Chief Scientist of the study, and I enjoy the sunshine.
NOAA Teacher at Sea
Tara Treichel
Onboard NOAA Ship Nancy Foster April 15-27, 2008
Mission: Lionfish Survey Geographical Area: Atlantic Ocean, off the coast of North Carolina Date: April 25, 2008
The diver support boat NF-4 waits for the dive team to surface.
Weather Data from the Bridge
Visibility: 10 n.m.
Wind: 2 knots
Waves: 1 foot
Ocean swells: 2-3 feet
Sea surface temperature: 23.4
Air temperature: 21.5
Science and Technology Log
Today the morning dive at Lobster Rocks went to 125 feet. The report was that it was an excellent dive, and the video showed this to be true. The visibility was excellent and the habitat looked rich. Among the Amberjacks, Grouper, Blue Angelfish, and Hogfish, were tons of Lionfish! They were everywhere, lurking around every ledge and rock. They look like princes of their domain, regal in their showy capes of red and white, brandishing lances to keep out intruders. Neither aggressive nor fearful, as they have few if any predators, they hover in place, guarding their territory from other lionfish.
NOAA Teacher at Sea, Tara Treichel, has just taken length and fin ray measurements from this large lionfish, and has removed gonads and a gill sample for lab analysis.
The morning divers brought a small collection of creatures back for further study, including a sample of bryozoans (a form of attached invertebrates that looks a lot like algae), a large spiny lobster (carapace at least 5 inches in diameter), a handful of fish for the cryptic fish survey, and about a dozen Lionfish. I helped Wilson take basic measurements from the Lionfish, and dissected them to remove gonads and gill samples for DNA analysis. The fish ranged in size from 150 to 380 mm, from mouth to end of tail. Next, dorsal and anal fin rays are counted, to help determine species classification (lionfish are of Indo-Pacific origin, and are classed in two subspecies based on number of fin rays). On the fish sampled, dorsal fin rays varied between 10 and 11.5, but anal fin rays consistently numbered 7.5. After I had removed the gill section and gonads, I gave the fish to Brian, who opened up their stomachs to take a cursory look at what the fish had been eating. In one, he found a small spiral shell about the size of a shirt button. In another, the stomach was bulging full, and contained four small fish, whole but partially digested and terribly stinky. All in a day’s work of a scientist! After this initial information was collected, the fish were labeled in zip-lock bags and frozen for later study.
The stomach of this small Lionfish contained four partially digested whole fish.
Personal log
Today I had the fortune—and the misfortune—of getting out in one of the small boats. I say fortune because the conditions were ideal: calm seas and sunny blue skies. It was a great day to be out on the water, and I expressed an interest in going for a swim. We were responsible for shuttling the safety diver to assist the dive team, and transporting the dive team back to the NANCY FOSTER. The misfortune occurred toward the end of the dive, as the safety diver was trying to reboard the boat. To make it easier for him to enter the boat, the skipper removed the side door of the craft, a routine task. Under normal circumstances, the bilge pumps purge any water that splashes into the boat, but on this day, for reasons unknown the bilge was already full of water, and the water that surged into the open door space quickly filled the stern of the boat. We tried to replace the door, but the water was spilling in too quickly, and the boat slowly overturned. So, I got my wish to swim faster than I’d expected! Fortunately, as I mentioned, it was a fine day for a swim. Minutes later, two rescue boats were deployed from the NANCY FOSTER, and shortly after we picked up the dive team and were safely onboard the mother ship again. The ship had quite a challenge getting the overturned boat back onboard and into its cradle, but with skilled use of the crane, the boat was recovered in little over an hour. It was the sort of adventure I had least expected when going out to sea. I was happy that no one got hurt, and impressed with the response of the NANCY FOSTER crew.
NOAA Teacher at Sea
Tara Treichel
Onboard NOAA Ship Nancy Foster April 15-27, 2008
Mission: Lionfish Survey Geographical Area: Atlantic Ocean, off the coast of North Carolina Date: April 24, 2008
Weather Data from the Bridge
Visibility: 10 n.m.
Wind: 7 knots
Waves: 2-3 feet
Ocean swells: 3-5 feet
Sea surface temperature: 24.5
Air temperature: 23
NOAA Divers at the rail of the ship just before a dive
Science and Technology Log
Today the NANCY FOSTER deployed four dive teams, two each at two survey sites. This is a tricky maneuver, requiring the coordination of many people. Preparations included an hour-long briefing of the plan and review of safety information, in which divers were reminded, among other things, to stay close to their buddies since an “out of air” emergency could spell the end of future diving opportunities with NOAA. On the deck, the chaos was well managed. With extensive use of hand-held 2-way radios, communication was maintained between the bridge (control station of the NANCY FOSTER), the two small boats, and the deck support: the two small boats were launched with the aid of the crane, and the mother ship was jockeyed into position alongside the dive site target buoys that had been dropped earlier. When the position was just right, the call was made, “Divers to the rail,” and the four divers, weighed down by double layers of wetsuit, twin tanks, dive computers, and mesh bags holding notepads and pencils, were lead to the edge of the boat. One by one, they stepped off the boat and disappeared beneath the surface, leaving a trail of bubbles to mark their descent.
The divers will visit sites that were selected years ago when the lionfish study first began. The sites were chosen using benthic maps of the ocean floor to help identify favorable fish habitat. Today’s dives were at “WOO6” and “Big Fish”, in 130 and 150 feet respectively. These depths are beyond my PADI Open Water limit of 90 feet, and require mixed Nitrox gas in order to extend the underwater dive time. Use of mixed gas at these depths qualifies this as “technical diving” and involves an increased risk to the divers, so the NOAA lab has contracted with NURF (National Underwater Research Foundation) to provide technical dive support. Divers have strict bottom time limits and must make several safety stops on their ascent; in addition, a Hyperlite recompression tank stands at ready for any nitrogen sickness emergencies (“the bends”). During the dives, the researchers do a variety of tasks. All of the researchers take general habitat notes, and record the presence of marine debris. Paula and Brian are surveying the large, “conspicuous” fish, including lionfish, by estimating the population size of each species along a given transect length. Paula also will collect a temperature logger that she placed at the site 1 year ago, which has recorded temperature data every half hour. Roldan and Christine are surveying “cryptic” fish communities (prey species that are very small or that hide within the habitat). Roldan lays out a one-meter square PVC quadrate and chemically stuns and collects the fish, which he then captures in a Ziploc bag for later study. Wilson is studying the algal community, but finds that there is very little to collect this early in the season. He also spears a number of lionfish for later study, which he bags carefully to avoid being stung by the venomous spines. Finally, Thor and Doug alternate between video camera duties, documenting the underwater habitat.
NOAA Ship NANCY FOSTER as seen from the divers’ support boat
Personal log
First impressions, and notes on the boat: The ship is due into port at 1700, and it is right on time. After the events of the past week, this is a pleasant surprise. I am struck by the size of the ship. It is massive and bulky, with a flared steel bow that towers over me as I watch from the pier. Quite unlike the nautical parallel parking that I learned as a teenager growing up on a northern Wisconsin lake, this ship is equipped with side thrusters that allow it to maneuver its bulk with some amount of precision. Immediately, I can see that understanding momentum is a key factor in handling this boat: the ship is anything but “quick on its feet” when a change in direction is needed, and lack of planning for this fact could be disastrous. But today is not the day for a demonstration of this lesson. After 20 minutes of adjustments, the two-inch deck lines are thrown out from the ship, and it is securely tied to rest for the night.
A flurry of activity ensues. There is excitement in the air, like the charge before an electrical storm. The outgoing crew is anxious to be on home turf again, after weeks away at sea and in foreign ports, and the new team of scientists is equally anxious to get underway and begin their mission. The wind adds to the fervor, whipping my hair across my face and sending the Stars-n-Stripes cracking over the stern of the ship. The gang plank is lowered into position by the lower deck crane and a cargo net is secured below. For the next 10 minutes, there is a steady flow of bodies and boxes, as mail is shipped onboard and supplies from the previous mission are offloaded. A deck crane is used to hoist crates of heavy equipment on board, including dozens of SCUBA tanks.
Loading the scientists’ equipment onto the FOSTER using the ship’s deck crane
The NANCY FOSTER is an oceanographic research vessel of the NOAA fleet. One hundred eighty feet on deck and built of steel, she is made for ocean navigation and equipped for scientific research. She was built in 1986 by the Navy as a torpedo tester, and is considered very seaworthy. Throughout the year, she is used for a variety of scientific research missions, each research team outfitting the boat with its own specific technical equipment. Two onboard labs are designated for this purpose: a dry lab, housing numerous computer stations and data processing equipment kept dry (and frigid) with continuous air conditioning. All told, including mine, there are 16 computers in this room. One wall holds 7 flat-screen monitors, one of which displays a live video stream of the stern decks of the ship, where at the present moment a hopeful engineer is dragging a fishing line through the rolling blue waves. Adjacent to the dry lab is the wet lab, mostly an empty room that quickly fills with scientists’ tools of the trade: bins, underwater cameras, measuring devices, dissecting equipment and specimen preservation chemicals, and bags upon bags of SCUBA gear. In the wet lab, I get my first glimpse of our quarry, and the purpose of the mission: numerous copies of fish identification books adorn the tables, and the walls are full of color posters depicting creatures of the deep—echinoderms, manatees, Caribbean reef fishes.
Looking around the ship, one can’t help but notice the references to danger. All around are reminders of things that could go wrong (and undoubtedly have). Most noticeable is the large red motorized rescue craft hanging from the mid deck crane. Next to it is a green painted stamp indicating an emergency meeting or “muster” area. To the left of this is a coiled canvas fire hose, with the stamp “No Smoking” printed above (elsewhere, crew are instructed to smoke aft of the rear crane, preferably “away from the gasoline cans” and where the SCUBA oxygen bottles are being filled). Across the deck from the fire hose is a closet holding 10 Immersion Suits, 5 medium and 5 large, as well as 15 life jackets. Around the corner are three oversized barrels containing full immersion survival gear, including 25 person life rafts. Down the railing from the barrels and placed all throughout the ship in various conspicuous places are the timeless classic orange life-rings printed with the ship’s name in black blocky script. Inside the boat, there are more reminders: emergency procedures, the ship’s interior plan depicting the location of every rescue device and exit onboard, and numerous posters outlining CPR in simple steps and photographs. I would not want to have an emergency on board this ship, but if the unthinkable happened, I am confident that this ship and crew are well prepared.
I am led through watertight doors and down a narrow flight of stairs into the belly of the beast, on the first floor of the ship. My berth is in Stateroom 17, which sleeps four, in bunks containing mattresses that give a whole new definition to the size “single”. I choose a top bunk, which gives me a little more head room amidst the crisscross of pipes overhead. I am instructed to unload everything into the closets and cabinets that line the walls, since everything that’s not strapped down or contained in a box will be subject to repositioning by the motion of the ship. And motion there is! As soon as we get out of the harbor and away from shore, the 4-5 foot waves set the boat into an irregular pattern of constant swaying from side to side as well as front to back, like a rocking horse on a swivel. I won’t elaborate on the effects of this motion on my body and mental state, since seasickness has been well described elsewhere. Suffice to say that the benefit of the tiny pink pills can’t be overstated, and I am now feeling fine. A few more notes on ship travel: Why was I surprised to see the stream of water from the faucet sway back and forth? (okay, if you want to be technical, this is a matter of perspective: in actuality, the water stayed straight and it was the sink/boat that moved relative to the vertical line of water, but the effect was still startling). Another amusing note: the dry lab was full of wheeled cushy office chairs, on a painted steel floor. Remedy? Each chair’s legs were bungeed to the nearest bench support. Depending on the bungee, this left a range of motion of each weighted chair of a foot or two. Picture it: a room full of scientists at work on their computers, all sliding in unison into their neighbor’s workspace for a moment, only to be yanked back to center, and then rolling away to the other side…
NOAA Teacher at Sea
Claude Larson
Onboard NOAA Ship Albatross IV July 23 – August 3, 2007
Mission: Sea Scallop Survey Geographical Area: North Atlantic Ocean Date: July 31, 2007
Weather Data from the Bridge
Air Temperature: 17º C
Water Temperature: 18.3º C
Wind Speed: 10.8 knots
Wind Direction: W Latitude: 41 24.54 N Longitude: 66 34.50 W
Cloud Cover: 8/8
Humidity: 100%
Dive Master and Executive Officer Kurt Zegowitz (left) and Commanding Officer Steve Wagner (right) inspect the hull of the ALBATROSS IV prior to setting sail.
Science and Technology Log
NOAA ships are equipped with the necessities for successful scientific research and sea voyages. Much of which goes unnoticed, unless a specific set of circumstances arises. With these capabilities, there is an understanding that not only does the ship have a wealth of material resources, but the ship’s crew has been trained in the operation, maintenance and procedures required for use of all of these devices. One aspect of gear and training I’d like to focus on is this log entry is the SCUBA capabilities on board. I caught up with the ship’s Dive Master and Executive Officer, LCDR Kurt Zegowitz to get a better understanding of what the SCUBA team does on board the ALBATROSS IV.
The ALBATROSS IV SCUBA team also includes crew members Commanding Officer Steve Wagner, Operations Officer ENS Chris Daniels, and Navigation Officers ENS Chad Meckley and ENS Chris Skapin. Their primary responsibility is ship husbandry or taking care of the ship’s hull. To ensure proper operation of the ship the hull must be inspected, usually before each sail. The propeller is checked for line entanglement. The bow thruster, transducers and sea suction intake grates are also cleaned. The sea suction intake grates allow sea water to be brought in to cool the engine as the boat steams along. While in Woods Hole, the crew also helps the aquarium by clearing the intakes for their sea water supply.
Some other aspects of SCUBA team work throughout NOAA include research, sample taking and fish collecting. For example, on research trips off of the Hawaiian Islands scientists will have the divers collect species of fish and other sea creatures for scientific study. In order to collect fish, the divers use a Hawaiian sling and collect the fish in a bag that is attached to their leg and towed behind them at a distance of about 30 feet. This precaution protects the divers in the event that a shark in search of the injured fish is in the area.
NOAA Corps personnel who choose to receive SCUBA training can go to one of two sites, Seattle, Washington or the Florida Keys. The basic training requires three intense weeks of work with SCUBA gear and dives. Upon completion of the training they receive the title of working diver and with increased experience and training can move up to advanced diver, master diver and diving instructor. NOAA divers are required to dive every six weeks and do so in both warm and cold water. They have wet suits for warmer weather and dry suits for colder months.
Now for a quick physics lesson. The SCUBA air tanks are filled with compressed air and weigh approximately 35 pounds when full. Which is quite a lot to tow around on land however, in the water the buoyant force equalizes the weight and the divers can float easily even with the 35 pound weight on their backs. The air lasts for approximately 40 minutes give or take, depending on their rate of breathing and lung capacity. The divers must also wear weight belts to help them stay submerged easily. Some physics here again, the larger you are the more buoyant you are and the leaner you are the less buoyant you are. This means that if you a larger person you will need a heavier weight belt to keep you submerged, whereas a thinner person will only need a small amount of weight. Again, these belts feel like they’d be rather uncomfortable to wear on land, but with the counter force of buoyancy the divers do not feel the weight once they are in the water.
Although modest about his skills, it is obvious that Kurt is an accomplished diver and that he enjoys it thoroughly. SCUBA training has given Kurt opportunities to dive in Hawaii, Alaska, Seattle, New England and the Chesapeake Bay. He’s been up close and nosey with tiger sharks at 80 foot depths and has seen giant kelp beds and coral reefs. Executive Officer LCDR Kurt Zegowitz encourages anyone from the Corps who is interested in becoming SCUBA certified to go through training with NOAA.
NOAA Teacher at Sea
Kim Wolke
Onboard NOAA Ship Rainier July 23 – August 11, 2006
Mission: Hydrographic Survey of the Shumagin Islands Geographical Area: Alaska Date: August 9, 2006
Weather from the Bridge
Skies: Cloudy (CL)
Visibility: 10 nautical miles (nm)
Wind Direction: West (W)
Wind Speed: 10 knots
Waves: 0-1 foot
Sea Water Temp. (°C): 11.1
Sea Level Pressure: 1010.0 millibars (mb)
Temp. (°C): 12.2 (air temperature)
Port-side engine on the NOAA ship RAINIER
Science and Technology Log
Since I’ve been aboard the RAINIER, I’ve wondered how the ship has been able to go for so long on fuel and water given that we are at sea for 19 days. I also wanted to know what happens to all of the sewage we’ve been creating. I spoke with 1st Assistant Engineer Glen Quintino and General Vessel Assistants (GVA) Chris Zacharias and Milton Ellison from the Engineering Department to find out. There are 2 engines on the ship, one on the starboard side and one on the port side. The engines run on diesel fuel. There are 26 diesel fuel tanks on the ship with a total capacity of approximately 114,000 gallons. Since there’s a lot of added weight from the fuel, as it’s used, the fuel needs to be moved around from tank to tank to keep the weight evenly distributed. Although the RAINIER does not use all of the fuel on a leg as long as this one, they do re-fuel when they get into port.
One of the two evaporators on the NOAA ship RAINIER which processes salt water into fresh water
Fresh water is made on board the ship. There are two water tanks, each with a capacity of about 8000 gallons. Salt water is pumped into the ship from below and heated to a very high temperature in the evaporator in order to evaporate the water and leave the solid salt behind. Once the salt is removed and disposed of, the desalinated water is then further purified by the addition of bromine and used as fresh water on the ship for drinking, cooking, and bathing. I’ve been drinking it since I arrived and it’s great! The toilets do not use freshwater; they use salt water to flush everything out. Any of the sewage waste created aboard the ship is also treated. The sewage is literally electrocuted using a Marine Sanitation Device (MSD). Between the salt in the sewage water and the electricity, sodium hypochloride (essentially chlorine) is created. The treated sewage is placed in a holding tank and then pumped into the sea.
The Marine sanitation Device (MSD) which treats the sewage produced aboard the NOAA ship RAINIER
Who’s Who On the RAINIER?
In the Engineering Department, the 1st Assistant Engineer is Glen Quintino. Currently a resident of Seattle, WA, Glen is originally from California. He has been with NOAA for six years, first working on the NOAA Ship McARTHUR before joining the RAINIER. Glen went to a trade school in Denmark to study being a machinist. He then worked for a company that made non-ferrous propellers, oil filters, and ship windows before joining NOAA in 1998. Glen was recently married in February 2006.
Engineering GVA Chris Zacharias and GVA Milton Ellison were both in the Navy in their former lives, each for 10 years. Chris is from Kansas where he still resides with his wife. Milton is originally from Tennessee, however, his residence is currently Michigan where his wife’s family is from. Milton has been with NOAA and on the RAINIER for 4 months. His prior experience was working in Engineering on commercial vessels in the Great Lakes area.
Many of the crewmembers, like Glen, Chris, and Milton, are married or have significant others at home. Almost everyone I’ve spoken to agrees that one of the most challenging parts of their job is to be away from their loved ones for extended periods of time, especially the ones on board who are newlyweds.
RAINIER’s First Assistant Engineer, Glen Quintino
Personal Log
We continue our journey back to Seward, AK traveling at approximately 13 knots. It feels like we’re speeding compared to the speeds we were going for the past few weeks. Although cloudy, the water is still amazingly calm which I am very grateful for. It seems we may have left the blue skies and sunshine back in the Shumagin Islands since the extended forecast for the Seward area calls for rain or showers. We’re currently scheduled to actually arrive early in Seward if the weather and mechanics of the ship cooperate. I’m looking forward to being back on land and checking out Seward before I depart for Anchorage Friday evening and a short excursion up to Denali National Park before flying home next Monday. Keeping my fingers crossed and eyes open for more animals!
