Sea Scallop survey – Page 5 – NOAA Teacher at Sea Blog

June 9, 2009April 5, 2021

Jeff Lawrence, June 9, 2009

NOAA Teacher at Sea
Jeff Lawrence
Onboard Research Vessel Hugh R. Sharp
June 8-19, 2009

Mission: Sea scallop survey
Geographical area of cruise: North Atlantic
Date: June 9, 2009

Weather Data from the Bridge
S winds 5-10KT
Seas 1-2ft
Barometric pressure 1029mb
Air Temperature 78˚F
Visibility clear
Cold front moving offshore towards us later today, rain expected.

The contents of the dredge are emptied onto the sorting table.

Science and Technology Log

The sorting table is full of activity as soon as the dredge is pulled aboard the ship. After the crew secure all lines and dump the load the volunteers and scientist begin to sort through the biological that has been brought up from the bottom or the Atlantic Ocean. Each dredge can bring a varied amount of sea life on the ship. We are always looking for scallop, yet every third dredge we also sort for crabs. All fish are also sorted and counted.

After all the sorting is done the fish, scallops, and crabs are weighed and measured for length. They are then logged into the onboard computer for analysis of results for each catch. We are trawling along closed areas for scallops. These areas have been closed for commercial fishing to ensure that the population has time to recover in that area. Scallop surveys are carried out by the R/V Hugh R. Sharp, in three phases during the summer. Duane and I are on the second leg, which encompasses the area to the east of Delaware, areas around Long Island, and the area around Martha’s Vineyard south of Cape Cod, Massachusetts.

Personal Log

You may find some interesting creatures during sorting.

The work aboard the ship can be very long and laborious. The days are long, as each member of the cruise will do a 12-hour shift. My shift is from noon to midnight. The conditions can vary greatly during a shift. During the day the sun may be out with light winds and it gets very warm with all the wet weather gear that is worn during sorting. It is necessary to leave the gear on between dredges, since they occur so often. As soon as the sun goes down the temperatures can drop very rapidly. It is important to keep a hooded sweatshirt and other warm weather gear nearby for the changing conditions. All gear must be taken with you when you leave your cabin so that the other shift can sleep uninterrupted. The days are long, with the goal of all who are onboard to get the science completed in a timely fashion. Keeping a ship stored with goods and running is very expensive so the goal is to get as much science completed in the allotted time as possible.

Question of the Day
What other bottom dwelling species in the Atlantic are under protection from over-fishing?

Animals Seen Today
Scallops, eels, crabs, starfish, clams, silver dollars, urchins, goose fish, and many varieties of bottom dwelling fish.

June 8, 2009April 5, 2021

Duane Sanders, June 8, 2009

NOAA Teacher at Sea
Duane Sanders
Onboard Research Vessel Hugh R. Sharp
June 8-19, 2009

Mission: Sea Scallop Survey
Geographical Area: New England Coast
Date: June 8, 2009

Weather Data from the Bridge
Wind: Speed 16.1 KTS, Direction 50.5 degrees
Barometer: 1014 millibars
Air temperature: 16.8 ⁰C Seas: 1-3 ft.

Science and Technology Log

I have been assigned to participate in the annual scallop survey in the New England fisheries area. Our ship, the Hugh R. Sharp, is two years old and designed specifically for ocean research. The Sharp is owned by the University of Delaware and is under contract with NOAA for the scallop survey. It has laboratories, a workshop and specialized equipment for handling large or bulky devices. There is a continuous data stream gathered by the ship’s instruments and posted on monitors on the bridge and in the lab. This includes some parameters related to ocean chemistry as well as the usual weather data. There are several other high-tech sensing systems to assist in a variety of research projects. The ship’s flexible design allows for the science team to install computers, servers and ancillary equipment specific to the research project at hand. Also, modular labs outfitted for specific purposes can be secured to the fantail (rear deck) of the ship.

My favorite piece of technology is the diesel electric drive system. Diesel generators produce electricity that supply power to the drive motors all other electrical needs on the ship. Propulsion is provided by thrusters, which are capable of rotating in any direction as needed. There are two thrusters in the stern and one in the bow. These three acting together can keep the Sharp within six feet of a specified location. The ship’s engineer can monitor all systems from his station on the bridge. This system is very quiet and vibration is kept to a minimum. That means we can sleep much better than with a conventional diesel engine drive. All in all, this vessel seems to me to be an ocean scientist’s dream come true. It is designed for high-tech applications and configurations that change as the need arises.

Here I am practicing donning my emergency immersion suit.

Personal Log

Today is our first day at sea. We spent the morning hours getting acquainted with each other and learning about safety, emergency procedures and shipboard etiquette. For example, the science team was divided into two watches, midnight to noon and noon to midnight. The rule is that people coming on watch need to take everything they want to use during watch hours with them. This allows those coming off watch to get some undisturbed rest. Living in close quarters requires everyone to be considerate and cooperative. We all rely on each other to do their part to help make the cruise a safe and successful one. While there is always room for some fun, everybody takes their responsibilities quite seriously. Life and limb often depend on this careful approach to our work.

June 8, 2009April 5, 2021

Jeff Lawrence, June 8, 2009

NOAA Teacher at Sea
Jeff Lawrence
Onboard Research Vessel Hugh R. Sharp
June 8-19, 2009

Mission: Sea scallop survey
Geographical area of cruise: North Atlantic
Date: June 8, 2009

Weather Data from the Bridge
SW winds: 5-10KT
Seas: 1-2ft
Barometric pressure: 1035 mb
Air Temperature: 75˚F
Visibility: clear

Science and Technology Log

The Research Vessel Hugh R. Sharp set sail this morning around 9AM from Lewes, DE. There are 11 members of the scientific crew and volunteers, including two TAS participants: myself (Jeff Lawrence) from Oklahoma and Duane Sanders from Ohio. We spent the morning introducing ourselves and watching safety videos in case of emergency on the ship. A ship can be an exciting yet dangerous place to work. There is no ambulance or fire department to call in case of a fire or other emergency. Each member aboard the ship is responsible for not only their own safety, but that of their shipmates also. Above is a photo of Duane and I as we don the safety immersion suits also known as the “Gumby” suit.

Screen shot 2013-03-24 at 11.19.00 PM — TAS Jeff Lawrence and TAS Duane Sanders don their immersion suits during a safety drill.

The suits can be difficult to don but everyone onboard is expected to know how to put the suit on effectively in case of an emergency at sea that may require us to abandon ship. The waters off the northeast coast of the U.S. can still be quite cold even in early summer and hypothermia can set in a matter of minutes.

Personal Log

The Research Vessel Hugh R. Sharp has set sail for a station about 60 miles due east of Lewes, Delaware. I have been on two other research vessels with the Sharp being the smallest. It is a newer ship and while quarters are quite close they are well maintained and comfortable. The day started out with sunny skies and warm winds. The further out to sea we traverse the cooler the temperature feels as the wind blows across the cooler water. We have just run into a fog bank and there is little to see at the present time.

Skies have cleared off and it is a beautiful day out in the Atlantic. We are sailing to the first station and the crew aboard is getting everything ready for the first tow. There is a lot to do on the ship even when sailing between stations. The crew has to make sure there are not structural, hardware, or software problems before we arrive at the first station. As mentioned earlier I also onboard with another Teacher at Sea participant, his name is Duane Sanders and he teaches at a school near Cincinnati, Ohio. Today has been a great start to the trip with the excellent weather and smooth sailing conditions.

Questions of the Day
What is a Sea Scallop and are there differing varieties or species?

Name three other ships that do research for NOAA.

May 19, 2009April 5, 2021

Elise Olivieri, May 19, 2009

NOAA Teacher at Sea
Elise Olivieri
Onboard Research Vessel Hugh R. Sharp
May 9 – 20, 2009

Mission: Sea Scallop Survey
Geographical area of cruise: Northwest Atlantic
Date: May 19, 2009

Weather Data from the Bridge
Air Temperature: 10.78 Degrees Celsius
Barometric Pressure: 1030 mb
Humidity: 71 %

Science and Technology Log

Taking part in the 2009 Sea Scallop Survey has been an experience of a lifetime. I learned how to identify many different species of fish, to use the FSCS computer system, and the many sampling techniques that are involved in fisheries research. I met some incredible people that inspire me to continue volunteering whenever I can for the sake of scientific research. I am very familiar now with many jobs and careers that one can have working for NOAA. My students will be very excited to see all the photographs and data that were collected on this survey. I have planed numerous activities where my students will use the data collected in the sea scallop survey which will help prepare them for the New York Schools Regents Examination. Some research scientists that I have met have promised to come and speak to my classes and educate my students on the many careers that NOAA offers. My roommate Lollie Garay and I had such a remarkable time on the Hugh R. Sharp. Although we worked different shifts, we had a few hours each day to discuss some lesson plan ideas and share pictures with each other.

The watch team: (in order from left to right) Gary Pearson, Cristina Bascunan, Vic Nordahl, me, and A. J. Ward. — The watch team: (left to right) Gary Pearson, Cristina Bascunan, Vic Nordahl, me, and A. J. Ward.

I really enjoyed working with the night watch. My Watch Chief Geoff Shook really knows how to manage a team. He is full of information, patient, and extremely helpful. Cristina, Geoff, Steve, Glynn, A.J., and I really worked well together. The Chief Scientist Vic Nordahl is an amazing guy. He can multitask like no other person I have ever seen. He works on several different tasks at once while checking the data, and even making a little time for Lollie and me too! Kevin McIntosh is another incredible scientist. He and Vic are very busy running the Sea Scallop Survey but he also has made himself very available to Lollie and me whenever we have any questions. Kevin is always there to help with data and explain how different instruments work as well.

I really feel privileged to have had the opportunity to work with such a great group of people. I will never forget it! I have taken so much away from this trip, and my students will appreciate all the new knowledge I will continue to share with them. I am very excited to be returning home tomorrow morning. We are expecting a 10-hour steam tonight and hopefully we will arrive in Lewes, Delaware around 6:00 AM. The last thing we have to do tonight is clean our stateroom and the labs. This is easy work compared with all the tows we are accustom to sorting and measuring.

May 19, 2009April 5, 2021

Lollie Garay, May 19, 2009

NOAA Teacher at Sea
Lollie Garay
Onboard Research Vessel Hugh R. Sharp
May 9-20, 2009

Mission: Sea scallop survey
Geographical Area: North Atlantic
Date: May 19, 2009

Day Shift Crew (left-ft): Larry Brady, Shayla Williams, Vic Nordahl, Gary Pearson, Shad Mahlum, Lollie Garay

Weather Data from the Bridge
Temp: 12.72˚C
True wind: 1.7 KT
Seas: 2-3 Ft.

Science and Technology Log

Our day began on Station 170 with calm seas, clear skies and warm sunshine. We completed the last sampling tow late in the afternoon and began the final clean-up. All the equipment and gear was washed down and packed. We are now headed back to Lewes, Delaware where our voyage began.

Mary Moore waits on the dredge to come in.

It’s hard to believe 12 days have gone by already. It has been amazing journey and I have learned so much. The men and women whose work takes them to the seas are to be commended. It is hard work with long hours in all kinds of weather. But in all of science team and crew I sense the pride and the commitment each has for their work. I am going home with stories and images to share with my classroom, friends and family with a first-hand perspective. And I leave my crew with profound gratitude for all they have taught me.

Personal Log

I spent some time last night talking with the youngest member of the ship’s crew, Mary Moore. Mary comes from four generations of commercial fishermen. She admitted that she decided early on she did not want to follow her parents’ footsteps .But after looking at other career choices she came full circle and does indeed work at sea. Mary earned a Hundred Ton License which allows her to drive vessels up to 100 tons. She went to school in Florida for Seaman Training where she learned Basic fire-fighting, First Aid/CPR, Survival at Sea, and Personal Responsibility. When I asked her what she liked most about her job or the sea she said, “Just being out at sea–it feels like home.” Watching the last rays of sunlight dancing on the smooth, rolling sea, I can understand what she means. In twelve days I found a personal sense of accomplishment and a love of the sea as well.