SEDAR – NOAA Teacher at Sea Blog

October 5, 2026October 7, 2026

Krista Fleming: From Otoliths to Officers: Exploring the Science and Mission of NOAA, Sept. 20, 2026

NOAA Teacher at Sea

Krista Fleming

Aboard NOAA Ship Oregon II

September 5-20, 2026

Mission: Shark/Red Snapper Bottom Longline Survey, Leg 3

Geographic Area of Cruise: Western Gulf of America

Date: September 20, 2026

Science and Technology Log: Otoliths, Red Snapper, and SEDAR

One of the things I’ve really enjoyed about this trip is how willing the scientists are to explain their research. I’ve learned quite a bit about otoliths, small structures inside a fish’s head that help with balance and hearing. They also record a fish’s growth throughout its life. By studying the growth rings in an otolith, scientists can determine the age of a fish, much like counting the rings on a tree.

Dr. Tera Winters studies otoliths and the information they provide about fish age and growth. Knowing the age of red snapper helps scientists understand how quickly they grow, when they mature, how long they live, and the age structure of the population. It gives scientists a better idea of what is happening within the population rather than simply knowing how many fish were caught.

I even had the opportunity to remove otoliths myself. We caught a red snapper that had been partially eaten—we assume by a shark—so I removed its otoliths to bring back and use when teaching my students. I also assisted Dr. Trey Driggers and Dr. Winters with removing otoliths from other red snapper that will be used for further research. It was a great opportunity to take something I’ve learned aboard the ship and bring it back to my classroom.

close-up photo of two fish ear bones extracted, cleaned, on a surface — Otoliths that I removed from a red snapper!

The information collected from these otoliths becomes part of SEDAR (Southeast Data, Assessment, and Review), which brings together years of data from scientific surveys, commercial and recreational fisheries, and biological samples to assess fish populations. These assessments help scientists and fishery managers understand population size, age structure, growth, and mortality, and provide information used in making decisions about managing fisheries. It’s pretty amazing to think that something as small as an otolith can help tell the much bigger story of red snapper in the Gulf of America.

Krista, wearing a life vest, boots, yellow gloves, and her Teacher at Sea hat, stands on the aft deck of NOAA Ship Oregon II. she holds up a red snapper in each hand, grasping the line still connected to the hook in each fish's mouth. the sky and water are bright blue. — Two red snapper that were saved for research purposes.

Personal Log

Before I left, I got the chance to tour the engine room with Mike Fountain, a Junior Engineer aboard the NOAA Ship Oregon II. He showed me how the engineering crew keeps all of the ship’s systems running. One thing that surprised me was that we take salt water and turn it into drinking water right here on the ship. Mike showed me the system and explained how the process works.

I was amazed by the size of the engines and the number of gauges and systems they have to monitor. There are so many things happening below deck to meet the needs of everyone onboard and keep the ship running.

I also met with Chief Engineer Joe Howe, who gave me more insight into the day-to-day operations in the engine room. He explained just how much the engineering crew has to keep track of while we are at sea.

I’ve spent most of my time learning what happens on the deck and in the labs, so it was interesting to get a look at another part of the ship. It definitely gave me a greater appreciation for the crew members working behind the scenes to keep the NOAA Ship Oregon II moving and all of us supported while we do our work at sea.

Ship Engines

NOAA Corps Aboard the NOAA Ship Oregon II

One of the things I really enjoyed learning about during my time aboard the NOAA Ship Oregon II was the NOAA Corps and the important role these officers play in making NOAA’s scientific missions possible. I spent some time on the bridge, where I was able to see the officers at work and learn about everything they monitor and manage while the ship is underway. I learned about navigation, ship handling, communications, safety, weather conditions, and planning the ship’s movements. I was especially surprised by how much weather and environmental data is collected from the bridge. The officers make regular observations and monitor conditions that contribute to NOAA’s larger understanding of the ocean and atmosphere. Seeing this firsthand helped me realize that the bridge is not just where the ship is “driven”—it is an important part of the data collection and scientific mission as well.

I also learned that NOAA Corps officers typically spend about two years assigned to a ship before moving to a shore assignment, generally for two to three years. Throughout their careers, they can move through different positions and take on increasing levels of responsibility, from junior bridge officers to Operations Officer, Executive Officer, and eventually Commanding Officer.

Commander Jesse Milton, the Commanding Officer of the Oregon II, was a wealth of knowledge and experience. I especially enjoyed hearing about his 13-month expedition to Antarctica and learning from his experiences there. Listening to him talk about his career gave me a better understanding of just how many different opportunities and experiences can come with serving in the NOAA Corps.

One of my biggest takeaways was seeing how closely the NOAA Corps, ship’s crew, and scientists work together. Everyone has a different role, but all of those roles have to come together for the mission to be successful. The scientists depend on the ship and its crew to safely get them where they need to go, while the officers and crew work to make sure the vessel can support the research being conducted.

Spending time on the bridge gave me a completely different perspective on what happens behind the scenes of a scientific expedition. I came aboard the NOAA Ship Oregon II expecting to learn about fisheries science and the research being conducted, but I left with a much greater appreciation for the people who operate the ship and make that research possible.

Reflection

view of sunset or sunrise out a round portal window on the ship — View out portal window

My time aboard the NOAA Ship Oregon II was an incredible learning experience that expanded my understanding of marine science far beyond what I could have imagined. From studying red snapper and collecting otoliths to learning about shark research, tagging, and fisheries management, I had the opportunity to work alongside scientists and experience firsthand how research is conducted at sea. I also gained a greater appreciation for the engineering, navigation, and daily operations that keep the ship running, as well as the important role of the NOAA Corps in supporting scientific missions. Most importantly, I built lasting connections with an incredible group of scientists, officers, and crew members who were willing to share their knowledge and experiences. I am returning to my classroom with new knowledge, real-world experiences, and ideas that I can share with my students to help bring marine science to life. This experience has strengthened my passion for environmental education and reminded me that learning never stops, especially when you step outside the classroom and become part of the science yourself.

June 2, 2013August 11, 2021

Elizabeth Nyman: The Science Continues, May 31, 2013

NOAA Teacher at Sea
Elizabeth Nyman
Aboard NOAA Ship Pisces
May 28 – June 7, 2013

Mission: SEAMAP Reef Fish Survey
Geographical Area of Cruise: Gulf of Mexico
Date: May 31, 2013

Weather Data:
Surface Water Temperature: 24.55 degrees Celsius
Air Temperature: 25 degrees Celsius
Barometric Pressure: 1016.3 mb

Science and Technology Log

Work continues here on NOAA Ship Pisces. By the end of today, we’ll have sent the camera array down to 35 spots and caught at least 45 fish with the bandit reels. I’ve personally gotten to see some of the camera footage, as well as help the scientific crew with their analysis of the fish we caught.

This work goes on for the entirety of daylight hours, beginning with our arrival at the first location sometime between 7 to 7:45 a.m., and not ending until around 6:30 to 7 p.m. It’s a long day, with 8-10 drops of the camera array and 4 different attempts to catch fish with the bandit reels. But the Pisces doesn’t sleep just because the sun goes down. When most of the ship goes to bed, the crew continues scientific work by driving the ship around in circles. The circles are actually well-plotted lines, and the route is chosen to allow the ship’s ME70, a multi-beam sounding unit, to map the sea floor.

Map — Here’s an example of the routes we do at night. It will take all night to do one of these three blocks pictured here. (Picture courtesy of NOAA.)

Every possible moment of time is devoted to gathering as much data as possible, whether it’s fisheries data from the camera array and the bandit reels, or the mapping data that goes on at night. It’s expensive and time consuming to send a ship out here, 60-80 nautical miles off the west coast of Florida, and so everyone has to work hard while we’re out at sea. I have nothing but admiration for the entire crew of the Pisces, from the officers to the scientific crew to the deck crew, stewards, and ship’s engineers, because they all are always hard at work making NOAA’s scientific mission possible. But you might be wondering, what’s the point of all this? Why are we out here taking pictures and video of fish, and catching them to take back to the lab for testing?

This voyage is part of the SEAMAP Reef Fish Survey, which has been going on for over 20 years. The point is to gather information on the abundance of certain species of fish, which is why we need to see how many there are down there, through the cameras, and what their size, age, and fertility look like. This crew is based out of Pascagoula, MS, and that’s where the video taken of the fish is analyzed. They determine how many fish are present, and can actually measure the size of the fish by taking pictures with stereo cameras and using parallax, the difference in position from one camera to the next. They combine this data with the information that the Panama City lab generates from the ear bones and the sex organs, as well as any relevant external data from fishery observers and the like, to create a full a picture as possible about the overall health of the fish population.

Looking at numbers — Ariane Frappier, graduate student volunteer, examines NOAA reef fishery data from the Dry Tortugas for her thesis.

Cool. I like gathering data, and I definitely think that more knowledge of our fish and oceans is better than less. But we aren’t looking at fish out here just to look at fish, as awesome as that would be. This survey has a purpose. Data collected here is used by the SEDAR program, which stands for Southeast Data, Assessment, and Review. SEDAR will examine a particular species and analyze all the data collected about that species, before holding a series of workshops open to the public about that fish. At the end of the process, a series of experts will recommend how much fishing should be allowed for that population, in order to properly manage the fishery and prevent overfishing.

Personal Log

What we don’t get to record in our data, but is still pretty awesome, is the ability to view wildlife from the boat. I don’t mean the stuff we catch, though that’s pretty cool too, but the creatures that we just get to observe.

Me and Shark — Okay, some of the stuff we catch is really cool. This is me with a silky shark.

So far, I’ve seen loggerhead sea turtles, just kind of relaxing and swimming not too far from our boat. I also got to see a pod of Atlantic spotted dolphins – I saw several of them, but the way they were swimming around in the waves, it’s hard to be precisely sure how many. I missed seeing at least two other dolphins – the seas have been kind of choppy, and so they disappear from view pretty quickly.

Atlantic Spotted Dolphins swimming very near the Pisces.

Then, pretty much right as I was writing this up, I got to see a leatherback sea turtle who surfaced for air pretty close to our boat. I didn’t get a picture, since you pretty much have to have the camera in hand for these things, they happen so quickly.

Did You Know?

The leatherback sea turtle is an Appendix I creature under CITES, the Convention on International Trade of Endangered Species of Wild Flora and Fauna. Appendix I creatures are those at risk of extinction, and international trade in these species or any part of these species is forbidden.

July 8, 2011April 28, 2021

Heather Haberman: Groundfish Surveying, July 7, 2011 (post #2)

NOAA Teacher at Sea
Heather Haberman
Onboard NOAA Ship Oregon II
July 5 — 17, 2011

Mission: Groundfish Survey
Geographical Location: Northern Gulf of Mexico
Date: Thursday, July 07, 2011

Weather Data from  NOAA Ship Tracker
Air Temperature: 29.2 C      (84.6 F)
Water Temperature:  29.3 C    (84.7 F)
Relative Humidity: 72%
Wind Speed: 2.64 knots

Preface: There is a lot of science going on aboard the Oregon II, so to eliminate information overload, each blog I post will focus on one scientific aspect of our mission. By the end of the voyage you should have a good idea of the research that goes into keeping our oceans healthy.

In case you’re new to blogging, underlined words in the text are hyperlinked to sites with more specific information.

Science and Technology Log

Topic of the day: Groundfish Surveying

To collect samples of marine life in the northern Gulf of Mexico, NOAA Ship Oregon II is equipped with a 42-foot standard shrimp trawling net. NOAA’s skilled fis hermen deploy the net over the side of the ship at randomly selected SEAMAP (Southeast Area Monitoring and Assessment Program) stations using an outrigger. The net is left in the water for 30 minutes as the boat travels at 2.5 to 3 knots (1 knot = 1.15 mph).

shrimp net — Shrimp trawl net attached to an outrigger. Notice the large wooden “doors” that help spread the net as it is lowered into the water.

Bottom trawling is a good method for collecting a random sample of the biodiversity in the sea because it is nonselective and harvests everything in its path. This is excellent for scientific studies but poses great problems for marine ecosystems when it is used in the commercial fishing industry.

One problem associated with bottom trawling is the amount of bycatch it produces. The term bycatch refers to the “undesirable” fish, invertebrates, crustaceans, sea turtles, sharks and marine mammals that are accidentally brought up to the surface in the process of catching commercially desirable species such as shrimp, cod, sole and flounder. At times bycatch can make up as much as 90% of a fisherman’s harvest. To address this problem, NOAA engineers have designed two devices which help prevent many animals from becoming bycatch.

All sea turtles found in U.S. waters are listed under the Endangered Species Act and are under joint jurisdiction of NOAA Fisheries and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. In an effort to reduce the mortality rate of sea turtles, NOAA engineers have designed Turtle Exclusion Devices (TED). TEDs provide these air-breathing reptiles with a barred barrier which prevents them from going deep into the fishing net and guides them out of an “escape hatch” so they won’t drown. TEDs have also proven to be useful in keeping sharks out of bycatch.

loggerhead_ted_sm-noaa — Loggerhead sea turtle escaping a trawling net through a TED.

Another device that was introduced to the commercial fishing industry is the Bycatch Reduction Device (BRD). BRDs create an opening in a shrimp trawl net which allows fishes with fins, and other unintended species, to escape while the target species, such as shrimp, are directed towards the end of the capture net.

Notice the location of the TED which prevents the turtle from entering into the net and the BRD that allows swimming fish to escape. Illustration provided by the University of Georgia Marine Extension Service

net sample — This is a very small catch we harvested from 77 meters (253 feet).

Once the trawl net is brought back on board the Oregon II, its contents are emptied onto the deck of the ship. The catch is placed into baskets and each basket gets weighed for a total weight. The catch then goes to the “wet lab” for sorting. If the yield is too large we randomly split the harvest up into a smaller subsample.

Each species is separated, counted, and logged into the computer system using their scientific names. Once every species is identified, we measure, weigh, and sex the animals. All of this data goes into the computer where it gets converted into an Access database spreadsheet.

My team and I sorting the catch by species.

species entry — Amy entering the scientific name of each species into the computer.

measuring — I measure while Amy works the computer. Collecting data is a team effort!

When the Oregon II ends its surveying journey, NOAA’s IT (Information Technology) department will pull the surveying data off the ship’s computers. The compiled data is given to one of the groundfish survey biologists so it can be checked for accuracy and consistency. The reviewed data will then be given to NOAA statisticians who pull out the important information for SEAMAP (Southeast Area Monitoring and Assessment Program) and SEDAR (Southeast Data and Review)

SEAMAP and SEDAR councils publish the information. State agencies then have the evidence they need to make informed decisions about policies and regulations regarding the fishing industry. Isn’t science great! Most people don’t realize the amount of time, labor, expertise and review that goes into the decisions that are made by regulatory agencies.

Personal Log

day crew — Day crew from left to right: Chief Scientist Andre, college intern Brondum, myself, Team Leader Biologist Brittany and Biologist Amy

During our “welcome aboard” meeting I met the science team which consists of a Chief Scientist, four NOAA Fisheries Biologists, three volunteers, one college intern, one Teacher at Sea (me) and an Ornithologist (bird scientist).

I was assigned to work the day shift which runs from noon until midnight while the night shift crew works from midnight until noon. This ship is operational 24 hours a day in order to collect as much information about the northern Gulf fisheries as possible. The Oregon II costs around $10,000 per day to operate (salaries, supplies, equipment, etc.) so it’s important to run an efficient operation.

I am learning a lot about the importance of random sampling and confirming results to ensure accuracy. Amy and Brittany taught me how to use the CTD device (Conductivity, Temperature and Depth), set up plankton nets as well as how to sort, weigh, identify and sex our specimens.

The food has been great, the water is gorgeous and I love the ocean! Stay tuned for the next blog post about some of the most important critters in the sea! Any guesses?

Species seen (other than those collected)

Birds: Least Tern, Royal Tern, Sandwich Tern, Laughing Gull, Neotropical Cormorant, Brown Pelican, Magnificent Frigatebird

Go to http://www.wicbirds.net for more information about the various bird species seen on this trip.

Mammals: Common bottlenose dolphin

NOAA Teacher at Sea Heather Haberman Onboard NOAA Ship Oregon II July 5 — 17, 2011

NOAA Teacher at Sea
Heather Haberman
Onboard NOAA Ship Oregon II
July 5 — 17, 2011