Geographic Area of Cruise: Northwest Atlantic Ocean
Date: August 2, 2025
Weather Data from Bridge: Latitude: N41o30’0’’ Longitude: W67o17’0’’ Sea Wave height: 8 feet waves Wind speed: 13 kt Wind Direction: 40o SW Visibility: overcast Air Temperature: 20.oC Barometric Pressure: 30.22 inHg Sky: gray to clear
Photos: NOAA Ship Pisces in port in Newport, Rhode Island; NOAA Ship Pisces’ call sign; Teacher at Sea Dorothy Holley and NOAA Ship Pisces.
Science at Sea
When someone I care about tells me they don’t feel so good, the first thing I want to do is put the back of my hand to their forehead. Do you have a temperature? If so, your body is probably fighting off something. A thermometer can give a more quantitative answer. With more precise data, I can best treat the underlying cause.
Photos: Bongo nets on deck, awaiting deployment; Ed Williams and Alyssa Rauscher deploying the bongo nets; Pulling the nets back on board. Photos by LT Karina Urquhart
NOAA scientists help us take the temperature of our oceans by monitoring plankton – the base of the marine food web. I’m not talking about sticking tiny thermometers into copepods or krill, I’m talking about measuring plankton abundance and composition over time. NOAA collects plankton data four times each year – summer, fall, winter, and spring. With over four decades of plankton data, NOAA scientists are able to help fisheries make informed decisions to maximize production as well as protect vulnerable species.
Our team uses Bongo nets to collect plankton on this NOAA Summer Ecosystem Monitoring cruise. We will make over 100 (I think there are about 160 planned stations but we probably won’t have time to get to all of them) stops from Cape Hatteras to the Gulf of Maine, collecting samples that will later be sorted and catalogued. (For a more detailed description of Bongos, see Teacher at Sea Tonya Prentice’s blog here)
You do the math: If we are out at sea for two weeks, and deploy the Bongo nets at 100 different stops, how many times does each group need to collect plankton from the Bongo nets each day? Check in the next bog post for the answer.
Mess hall or Cafeteria?
Interesting Things: I am surprised by the ways I have been prepared for life on a NOAA ship by classroom life in a public school. The chairs all come with tennis balls on the bottom. In my classroom, we put tennis balls on the chairs so that they don’t make loud noises or create as many scuffs on the floor. Why do you think we have tennis balls on the chairs on a NOAA ship?
NOAA Ship Pisces home port is Pascagoula, MS
Amanda Jacobsen, Science FIeld Party Chief, NOAA Ship Pisces
Career Spotlight
Amanda Jacobsen is our Science Field Party Chief. She works in the NOAA Fisheries lab in Rhode Island, and sails on NOAA cruises like this one. She grew up in Connecticut and attended a small, liberal arts school, Connecticut College. While there, Amanda took a broad spectrum of science courses including Biology, Physics, Chemistry, Environmental Science, and even Environmental Law. Her degree in Environmental Studies helps her understand the many impacts on Marine Ecosystems.
Amanda is now a full-time NOAA scientist and a part time graduate student, studying to earn a Master’s degree in Marine Biology from the University of Massachusetts Dartmouth. Her thesis examines the energy of plankton in the food chain. (Alert: we will do bomb calorimetry labs next year with Amanda’s data!) Better understanding the bottom layer of the energy pyramid is important to harvesting all of the tropic levels above it. If you like eating fish or even fish sticks, you will benefit from Amanda’s work because plankton provides food for nearly every creature in the ocean either directly or indirectly!
One tool that Amanda can’t live without is the Katy Clip (shout out to NOAA Ship Henry B. Bigelow survey technician Katy McGinnis!). The Katy Clip helps us wash down the Bongo nets when collecting plankton.
Amanda is currently reading the Red Rising Series by Pierce Brown. She also recommends The Ocean’s Menagerie by Drew Harvell. Amanda enjoys doing just about anything as long as it is outside. I am glad she is helping take the temperature of our oceans so that we might enjoy fishing for many years to come!
A part of our Science team: Dorothy, Amanda, and Miles
Personal Log
The ship is going 24/7, so the scientist are, too! Our team is divided into two groups – one that works 3 am – 3 pm and the other works 3 pm- 3 am. Amanda, Miles and I are in the second group. We get to see the sunset every day, but I probably won’t make it to breakfast!
Mission: Oceanographic and Biological Monitoring of Davidson Seamount
Geographic Area: Davidson Seamount/Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary
Date: July 26, 2025
Weather Data: 15°C/ 59°F in Berkeley, CA
Science and Technology Log:
Our mission ended and I disembarked in Alameda on Thursday morning. The Lasker is now headed back to its home port of San Diego. We accomplished the seven days of transects and had two additional days of data collection in which we did several more deep CTD drops (to 2400m) and two more full days of bird and mammal observations. Our total bird and mammal observations were 1333 with 986 birds and 347 mammals. Leach’s Storm Petrel and Red-necked Phalarope were the most common birds. Fur seals and whales (both unidentified) were the most common marine mammals with Fin whales coming in third. Besides these observations, we also observed 14 ocean sun fish (Mola mola), 12 sharks and 20 pieces of floating plastic and styrofoam. It was jarring and painful to see a plastic bottle floating by so far from land. This data will be added into the long term study of the Davidson Seamount which has been happening every few years since 2010. The past missions have been in 2010, 2015, 2018, 2022 and 2024. Thus, together with our work this year, we are building a story of the life above and below the seamount.
Overall, we surveyed over 500 miles and the ship traveled twice that- 1000 miles- since it doubled back in the night, collected more CTD samples, and then transited to the next line. Overall, we did 86 CTD casts and collected 81 eDNA samples which will give us a picture of the character and life of the ocean below the surface. This picture will complement our observations above the water and allows us to know how animals interact with their environment so we can work to conserve them. Given the fact that 95% of the ocean is unexplored, it feels amazing to be part of this effort and contributing to our understanding of the Monterey Bay National Sanctuary and specifically the Davidson Seamount.
In the down time between observation efforts on the flying bridge (highest deck on the Lasker), I had the chance to interview the two early career scientists- Kylie Marozsan and Melissa Ashley. Everyday Kylie and Melissa added so much enthusiasm and positivity to our work and I was inspired by how much they have accomplished in their lives so far. I believe they are great role models to my 5th grade students and the middle and high school students I mentor.
Melissa and Kylie holding ocean ‘shrinky dinks’ (projects compressed by adding them to the CTD drops)
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Kylie entering bird and mammal data
Early career scientist- Kylie Marozsan
Kylie is from Pennsylvania and is a rising senior at the University of Miami majoring in marine biology/ecology and minoring in microbiology/immunology. Beyond her studies, she is president of the marine mammal rescue team; a team of volunteers who are basic stranding certified so they can assist local officials with rescuing marine mammals. She is here as a NOAA Hollings Scholar.
What is a NOAA Hollings Scholar?
It is an eight-week program where students intern in NOAA between their junior and senior year of college. You fill out an application, write an essay and send in your resume. Then you have access to possible placements. I saw a post by Chad King, research ecologist for Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary, interviewed and did a site visit. While I have been at the Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary, I have worked on improving the sanctuary’s video database, assisted with microplastic field work on both the beach and the ocean, and participated in this 10 day research cruise aboard the Reuben Lasker. On July 29th, I will present my summer work at the NOAA Headquarters in Silver Spring, Maryland.
What do you enjoy about your experience?
I am enjoying the research with the Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary. The experience is well rounded with both field work and office work and being on a research crew.
What has been a challenge?
Moving to a new place, adjusting to a new climate with my first “adult” job and living on my own have all been challenges. Yet, the people and everyone have been so welcoming and kind.
Why is this work important?
We have been given a beautiful planet; we must do what we can to protect it and we can’t protect the people we love without protecting the place we love.
When did you know you wanted an ocean focused career?
Ever since the 6th grade I loved Shark Week on the Discovery Channel. Shark Week happens for a week every summer. I loved it so much I messaged the filmmaker that I wanted to do his job and he told me “live the life you dream”.
What is a book/ activity you recommend to someone who wants an ocean focused career?
I recommend the book Silent Spring by Rachael Carson. It is an eye-opening book about the chemicals in our world written by a woman. It made me more aware about products and their sustainability. Silent Spring discusses how pollution from land can accumulate and hurt all different levels of ecosystems including the ocean.
For activities- go snorkelling! You can learn a lot from what’s out there.
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Early career scientist- Melissa Ashley
Melissa collecting water for eDNA sampling
Melissa is from San Jose, California. She grew up going to northern California beaches and loved visiting the Monterey Bay Aquarium. In high school, she enjoyed marine biology so much that she led a marine biology club that did dissections, presentations and river clean-ups. She graduated from the University of San Diego in environmental and ocean sciences and then received her master’s degree from the Middlebury Institute of International Studies in Monterey. She focused on ocean and coastal management. Melissa now lives in Monterey and is a California Sea Grant Fellow.
What is a California Sea Grant Fellow?
It is a one year placement in a state agency focused on marine and coastal policy. I have been with Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary since February. Over the past ten years, we have seen a decline in bull and giant kelp throughout different parts of northern and central California believed to be attributed to a combination of marine heatwaves, sunflower sea star die-offs and a sea urchin population surge. Since we aren’t able to restore all of the kelp that has been lost, I am helping identify which kelp bed locations throughout the sanctuary are the most important to people who rely on them. One of the things I love most about being a fellow at a marine sanctuary is the chance to be involved in such a wide range of work. While I don’t typically work with seabirds or eDNA in the office, trips like this highlight the many different roles that go into managing a sanctuary.
Why is your work important?
My work is important because it helps bridge science and policy. Studying marine resources is incredibly important, but without strong policy, we can’t protect the resources that we study. Long term, I’d like my work to help protect the marine resources that we study, but also help the people that rely on these resources for their livelihoods.
What do you enjoy about your work?
On this mission, I love learning about so many new marine mammals and sea birds- like the Cook’s Petrel which you can only see offshore. It’s also been so fun getting to meet and spend time with such a dedicated and passionate team on board also enjoying getting to know everyone on board.
What is a challenge?
I’d say my biggest challenge right now is just adjusting to life at sea. It’s very comfortable here on the ship, but sometimes we’re stationary for long periods of time. As someone who likes being active, I have to make an effort to find different ways to stay active – whether that’s going to the ship’s gym in the evening or having impromptu dance parties during our breaks on the flying bridge!
When did you know you wanted an ocean focused career?
Ever since elementary school, I’ve loved both art and science, and I’ve always been curious about the natural world. As I watched documentaries online, I discovered that while the ocean is beautiful and inspiring, it also faces many threats. Studying environmental and ocean sciences in college felt like a natural path. It took some time, but I eventually found the policy space. Working in policy allows me to combine science, law, and policy-making it a perfect fit where I can draw on all my different interests.
What is a book/ activity you recommend to someone who wants an ocean focused career?
A couple of my favorite books I’ve read are California Against the Sea by Rosanna Xia and Seaweed Chronicles by Susan Hand Shetterly.
In terms of activities, try getting involved by volunteering to help with beach cleans up or starting a club of your own at school. If you’re in high school, community college courses and summer programs are a great way to explore topics of interest too. In high school, I participated in UC San Diego’s Academic Connections program where I lived on a college campus for three weeks and took a marine ecology class at Scripps Institute of Oceanography.
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More Learning from the Science Team
Last sunset with the entire science team:
Front: Amity, Mike, Holly/ Back: Rudy, Chad, Mel, Kylie, Jim, Julie, Erica and Jacqueline
During the moments in which we were ‘off effort’- not observing birds and mammals- I was able to have in-depth conversations with each member of the science team. I learned so much during these exchanges and would like to share some excerpts from our conversations. Since Chad, Mike and Holly were featured in a previous blog, I will focus on Rudy, Erica, Jim, Amity and Julie.
Erica Burton (marine ecologist) :
My favorite movie is Incredible Mr. Limpet because he loved the ocean so much, he wished for it and fell into the ocean and became a fish. I also recommend the book Dove by Robin Graham about a boy who sails around the world.
Advice: Don’t be afraid to take courses to find out what you like and don’t like; you never know what will be of interest. Volunteer in your community to do community science with all your friends.
Jim Tietz (Point Blue Marine Scientist):
New learning: A ‘spark bird’ which is the bird that gets you interested in birding. For me, it was the American Kestrel, which is a very beautiful bird I found in my neighborhood while in college. It led me to get a book out and learn to identify birds in my yard. It is important to get out into nature and have people show you animals and plants where you live.
I recommend The Song of the Dodo by David Quammen because it describes how scientists have approached evolutionary problems.
Rudy Wallen (Point Blue Marine Scientist):
Story: I saw my spark bird when I was five at grandfather’s farm in Wisconsin. I was walking near the barn and kicking up insects with my steps. The bird swooped by and banked -stretching its wings and flaring its tail- and I saw a deep iridescent blue black color, a midnight steely blue, and then an orange rust color on the underside. I still have a snapshot of that moment; it is frozen in time for me.
Julie Howar (Point Blue Marine Scientist):
Advice: Go to the beach and look around. Focus on looking at little things- especially things you might think of as ‘gross’- something dead even. Look and really see what is there… on a rock, or under a rock. Also when an opportunity presents itself, take it if you can. (Julie speaks from experience as she travelled to Antarctica on the Polar Duke as part of a volunteer research team to study krill in 1994.)
Amity Wood (Education and Outreach Coordinator for Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary):
Advice: Explore nature! Get out to the tidepools, an estuary, a beach, and only take binoculars or a magnifying glass. Bird watch, take photos, and draw or paint what you see! It’s amazing what you’ll become excited about from opening your mind and senses to your natural surroundings. Humans are a part of nature and we should make connections daily.
Personal Log:
Last sunset over the Pacific Ocean. View from the bow of Reuben Lasker.
In these 10 days at sea, crossing 1000 miles of ocean, I spent days on end with no ship or land in sight. I was outdoors, invigorated by the fresh breeze, from early morning to after sunset. From the flying bridge, I looked out in full circle for miles into the horizon and watched the waters change as the skies changed – from cobalt to teal to silver and from glassy to rippled to white capped. With each rock and sway, the ocean spoke to us with her breath and reminded us that she is the one who sustains us.
As the project progressed, I learned that science takes time and patience. I honed my observation skills as I began to master my binoculars. With practice, I changed from my first days of missing every sighting, to being able to spot whale spouts on the horizon, a shark fin drifting by in the distance and to identifying birds- such as storm petrels and Red-necked Phalaropes- as they crossed our bow. As my patience grew, I became accustomed to the long days of observation and eagerly awaited each experience with the hope of new discoveries. Yet, we had days where there rarely was a bird or mammal in sight. We also had long waits- up to 1 hour 45 minutes- for the CTD rosette to descend and return from a 2400m drop. However, in these times, each scientist had so much to share to keep up the positive spirit. In the wet lab, Erica had a box of amusing finger fidgets, long lasting candies and a waterproof card game. On the flying bridge, people shared stories, favorite songs (click the link to listen), jokes and a range of crunchy snacks. There was always joy and laughter.
The story of science is also a story of the people who make it happen. We were 36 people alone on the ocean, on the Reuben Lasker, doing science as a team. The science couldn’t happen without the ship crew; our 11 member science team was supported by 25 crew. Each person aboard was unique and yet everyone was bound together by a desire to further understand our ocean and to protect it. For me, since I too love the ocean and science, being part of such a community was both fulfilling and awe-inspiring. I leave with a deep sense of hope that our work will have a lasting impact for the good of the ocean.
Now my mission continues at home, as I work to pass on this curiosity and joy of exploration to the next generation of sanctuary stewards. As my students and I study the 50 states (a 5th grade standard), we will also learn about the 18 national marine sanctuaries with a focus on the Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary and the work of this cruise. We will identify, study and monitor birds (‘being on effort’) right where we are- on our school grounds. Thus, I hope to empower my students as explorers of the natural world with the same joy and wonder I have experienced.
Did you know?
Red-necked Phalarope in front of the bow. Photo Credit: Jim Tietz
Red-necked Phalaropes breed in the Arctic tundra and winter at sea. They are only seven inches long. The females are brightly colored and fight fiercely over males. Yet, once they lay their eggs, they lose interest and the males incubate and raise the young. Meanwhile, the females seek out new males and lay a new clutch. On our cruise, the Red-necked Phalaropes and other birds were attracted to the night lights of the ship. After this was discovered, the ship turned its outside lights off at night to protect the birds.
Red-necked Phalarope. Photo Credit: eBird
Final Thanks …
I’d like to thank the Teacher at Sea program and specifically Emily Susko for offering me this special experience in my local Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary. I am also grateful to Chad King and the entire science team for allowing me to learn, sample, observe, appreciate and wonder with them. And finally, thank you to the entire crew of Reuben Lasker that transported us safely to the Davidson Seamount and back.
NOAA Teacher at Sea Nick Lee Aboard NOAA Ship Oscar Dyson June 29 – July 20, 2024
Mission: Pollock Acoustic-Trawl Survey
Geographic Area of Cruise: Eastern Bering Sea
Date: July 12, 2024
Weather Data from the Bridge:
Latitude: 60° 02.17 N
Longitude: 176° 37.3 W
Wind Speed: 14 knots
Air Temperature: 5.5° Celsius (41.9° Fahrenheit)
Science and Technology Log
Once the trawl is completed, the codend is unloaded onto a conveyor belt for sorting. Usually, we just sort by species, picking out any organisms that aren’t pollock and storing them in separate baskets. Overall, I’ve been surprised with how “clean” or uniform the catches have been. We will usually have some jellyfish, but other than that we tend to have only a few fish of other species in a catch with hundreds or thousands of pollock.
The catch is first emptied onto a conveyor belt where it is sorted by species.
When the catch has a mix of juvenile and adult pollock, we’ll also sort them by size, which roughly correlates to age group. The size cutoff used for sorting is only an approximation of age (the exact age is determined later), but it is still useful in ensuring that we sample a consistent number of each size class in every trawl.
Distinguishing between the larger juveniles and smaller adults on the belt can be tricky, so on one trawl we got creative and found what we named a “measuring fish.” This fish was the smallest length that had been designated as an adult in the previous trawls – anything smaller we left on the belt with the juveniles and anything larger we put in a separate basket with the adults. While not the most conventional solution, it served our purpose well and showed that anything can be made into a measuring instrument!
Using a “measuring” fish to sort the catch according to size (Photo Credit: Matthew Phillips).
Once the fish are sorted, we take length and weight measurements for a representative sample of all species in the trawl. We measure the length of hundreds of pollock in a given trawl, so luckily the system is very efficient.
When I length a pollock, I’ll grab the fish in one hand and place it on the magnetic length board so that its head is against the end at zero. Then I’ll use my other hand to straighten the fish and place a magnet at the fork of the tail. The length board records where the magnet touches the length board, measuring what is known as the “fork length” of the fish.
The length board records where the red magnet is placed.
For a subsample of pollock, we will also record the sex and maturity of each individual. To collect this data, we’ll first make a cut along the side of the pollock. This allows us to observe the pollock’s ovaries or testes and compare them to a chart showing the stages of development. Based on the time of year, most of the pollock we catch are in the “developing” stage. Also visible are the pollock’s liver and its stomach, which is often filled with krill!
Scientist Matthew Phillips showing me how to identify the sex and maturity of a pollock (Photo Credit: Mike Levine).
For a subsample of the pollock in this group, we’ll also collect otoliths, which are similar to tree rings in that they allow scientists to visually determine the age of the individual. Otoliths are part of pollock’s inner ear, and they help the fish to detect vibrations in the water. Like tree rings, they grow throughout a fish’s life, adding visible layers each year. During times when the fish is actively feeding (usually during the summer), an opaque layer forms around the otolith. In contrast, when the fish is eating less, the otolith layer formed is translucent. By studying otoliths, scientists can determine the age of a fish, as one opaque layer and one translucent layer together represent one year. (Source: https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/national/science-data/age-and-growth)
Extracting an otolith from the head of a pollock (Photo Credit: Mike Levine).
One important and sometimes overlooked step in scientific data collection is the clean-up. At Codman Academy, we use the phrase “Leave No Trace,” and I try to model this idea in the fish lab as well. Working with fish can be smelly, and the smell only grows when fish are allowed to sit for extended periods of time. The process of recording sex and extracting otoliths can be especially messy, so we are constantly spraying down baskets and surfaces (and each other!) between data collection steps.
All of the fish that are processed are ultimately disposed of overboard – usually during the processing of the trawl dozens of seabirds follow the ship in search of discarded fish!
Seabirds flying past the fish lab.
Personal Log
Outside of my stateroom, there is a tongue-in-cheek poster claiming to be a “Bering Sea Weather Guide.” The poster has the labels “Good Day,” “Some Days,” and “Other Days,” below paint swatches, all of them different shades of gray. There are also gray paint swatches for “Summer,” “Winter,” and “Days Ending in Y.”
“Bering Sea Weather Guide” outside my stateroom.
We’ve certainly had our share of gray days this cruise, and I’ve become used to falling asleep to the sound of the ship’s foghorn. However, we’ve also gotten a few moments of sunshine and blue sky, providing some great moments for bird and whale watching from the bridge. Being on the night shift, I’ve also been able to observe a couple of sunsets from the water!
View from the bridge on a clear day (left) and sunset at sea (right).
Did you know?
Because we are so far north and west in the time zone, the sun sets very late here, usually around 1 am!
Mission: Rockfish Recruitment and Ecosystem Assessment Survey (RREAS)
Geographic Area of Cruise: Pacific Ocean; U.S. West Coast
Date: June 11th, 2024
Weather Datafrom the Bridge
Date: Tuesday, June 11, 2024 Latitude: 35.42 °N Longitude: 121.22 °W Sea Wave Height: 4-5 ft Wind Speed: 4 knots Air Temperature: 57 ° F Sky: Foggy / light rain
Science Log
Arriving on the Lasker
We’re off! After landing in San Francisco and driving down to Santa Cruz, I arrived on the NOAA Ship Reuben Lasker by way of small boat transfer. The Lasker was anchored in Monterey Bay, and sent a small boat to pick up myself and some of the science team and crew to be taken aboard. We boarded the small boat, the “RL-2 Shark,” then traveled to the side of the Lasker where we were hoisted up via a winch. I then got a full tour around the ship, and the opportunity to meet many people who work on the Lasker, including members of the science team, NOAA Corps, and Lasker crew.
Charlotte boards the RL-2 Shark in Santa CruzApproaching the LaskerRL-2 Shark on board the LaskerThe RL-2 Shark approaches the Lasker
The Night Shift
Running a ship like the Lasker is a 24-hour-a-day operation. At all times there are some groups of people sleeping and others who are working. The majority of the science crew works at night, so my day typically begins with dinner at 5:00 pm and then working with the science team from approximately 9:30 pm until 6:30 am. As a morning person this was very difficult at first! But after two nights working, I’m finally adjusting to our new schedule.
What is the Goal of the Survey?
The main scientific focus of the upcoming mission is the Rockfish Recruitment and Ecosystem Assessment Survey (RREAS). This survey has been conducted since 1983, and collects data on rockfish and other organisms in their ecosystem.
Rockfish are a very important fish commercially and recreationally in California and on the West Coast. One of the primary purposes of the survey is to use the data collected to help provide additional information about the management of commercial and recreational fisheries off the west coast.
CTD Operations
CTD rosette, ready to be deployed into the ocean.
I began my first night shift by observing a CTD deployment. CTDs are instruments that measure Conductivity, Temperature and Depth (CTD). CTD measurements are conducted approximately 5-6 times a day, and twice at night. The CTD descends down into the ocean to a depth of up to 500 m . There are other instruments and sensors attached to the CTD that measure things like chlorophyll levels and oxygen levels. The data taken from the water column serves as a foundation for scientists to understand the ocean environment.
All of the CTD data, and all the data that the Lasker collects, is free and available to the public.
Trawling
Hand-drawn diagram of trawl net, courtesy of scientist Tanya Rogers.
When do we trawl?
The reason the science team trawls at night because there is net avoidance during the daytime, meaning the fish will see the net coming during the day and swim away from it. Other creatures migrate towards the surface at night. In a pattern called vertical migration, these mesopelagic species migrate to shallow waters to feed during the night, while spending day hours at depth.
Having more diverse species to study is useful for the Rockfish Recruitment and Ecosystem Assessment Survey (RREAS). The more data that is collected on rockfish and other species helps scientists to better understand the heath of different fish species, and make predictions and assessments of ocean trends.
How does trawling work?
Each night, the Lasker crew, NOAA corps officers, and science team work together to trawl for different fish species.
In our Rockfish Recruitment and Ecosystem Assessment Survey, the science team conducts midwater trawls, at approximately 30m depth to target the fish and other ocean organisms that are targeted for the study.
The last few days we’ve averaged 5 trawls per night. The process begins by deploying the trawling net behind the ship into the midwater section of the water column, and trawling for fish for either 5 or 15 min. After the net is brought in, the contents of the trawl are sorted, measured, and recorded by the science team. This data will be later analyzed to help better understand the ocean ecosystem.
Teacher at Sea Charlotte with the catch of a trawl.
The science team sort fish and other organisms from the trawl.
Personal Log
NOAA Ship Reuben Lasker: My New Home at Sea
NOAA Ship Reuben Lasker (photo courtesy of NOAA)
My new home for my time at sea is the NOAA Ship Reuben Lasker. The Lasker is a NOAA fisheries vessel, with a home port located in San Diego, CA.
During my time at sea, the Lasker will be sailing off the coast of California, sailing out of Santa Cruz and back into port in San Diego.
Living on the ship reminds me a lot of my college dorm room. On the ship most people have roommates, and we all have shared spaces like the mess (cafeteria), science labs, outside decks and places to relax. Everyone aboard the ship has been extremely welcoming and kind, always answering any questions I might have and teaching me about life aboard a ship. I am happy to call the Lasker home over my trip at sea!
There are three major teams working and living as a cohesive unit aboard the Lasker. The Reuben Lasker crew, NOAA science team, and NOAA Corps officers each have distinct roles and work together each day to accomplish various science projects.
Sunset aboard the Lasker.
Did you know?
Adjusting to working the night shift (approximately 9:00 pm – 7:00 am) as a typical morning person has meant sleep is often on my mind. Chatting before our second night shift, scientist Ily Iglesias shared with me how dolphins sleep. Both dolphins and whales sleep much differently than most mammals. Known as unihemisphericsleep, dolphins
As we travel along the coastal shelf of Texas to Louisiana, scientists have already mapped out drop sites for the Sphere Cameras. There are five cameras that have a 360 degree view, one camera is stereo paired for measurements, and one is facing straight up. The cameras are attached to a rosette (cage), as well as bait to attract fish. Once the cameras are dropped in their designated location they will record for approximately 30 minutes. It is a process dropping the cameras in and picking them up that both the scientists and deck crew all have to help out with. It is hard to believe that by the end of their mission (Legs 1-4) they will have done this over and over around 500 times. Once all footage is collected from the day and downloaded it is then stitched together. This information allows scientist to see a number of things including biodiversity, distributions, and habitat classifications. This is helpful because it is also a much less invasive way for scientists to collect data.
Deploying Cameras
Camera Recordings
Shark
Red snappers
Tony VanCampen, Electronics Technician
Tony demonstrating the Global Maritime Distress System
Tony is responsible for anything electronic. This could include things like wind, temperature and pressure sensors, electronic connections for the scientific computer systems, and GPS position for mapping. He states, “Anything that can be recorded for future data collection accuracy is very important.” Tony is also in charge of letting others know if the ship needs help. Tony has been on several ships in his lifetime including spending twenty years in the Navy. When Tony retires he hopes to work at a train museum in New York, due to his fascination with trains. He has been a great person to talk to while on this journey and is always willing to give me any information I ask. He even took time out to give me a tour of the bridge and flying bridge, as well as giving me several lesson ideas of coding for my students.
Chris Rowley, Lead Fisherman
Chris helping deploy cameras
Chris is the lead fisherman on Pisces. His job is to assist the scientists in deploying cameras and CDT, and anything else needed. NOAA provides great benefits to support his family. Chris also is a coxswain who drives the Fast Rescue Boat (FRB) if needed. He is also part of the fire drill and you can see him in the pictures below during the drill. Chris lives in Louisiana and enjoys spending any off time he has with his twin daughters and wife.
Student Questions of the Day for Tony and Chris
Alivia and Tucker ask: How many different ships have you been on?
Tony was a great one to answer this question. Tony was on two naval ships, and eight different NOAA ships. I would say he has had a lot of experience in maritime.
Aryan and Alivia ask: When did you start working for NOAA?
In 2004 Tony started working for NOAA.
Maverick asks: What do you do in your free time?
Tony enjoys woodworking, religious teaching, and is involved with a food bank rescue ministry when he isn’t out to sea.
Konnor asked: What did you do before this job?
Chris started in High School working in the summers on shrimp boats as a deckhand in Louisiana. Before working for NOAA, he worked several years on offshore supply vessels (OSV).
Holden, Karson, Gary, Macie, Zane, Haylee, and Liam ask: What is the coolest and largest thing you have seen in the ocean?
Chris states that at night, while working on the supply vessels, lights would shine in the dark water and he saw an albino barracuda. The largest marine life he has seen has been a whale shark and he has seen several orcas.
Meela and Parker ask: Do you get lonely and do you get personal time?
Chris works out on the ocean over nine plus months out of the year. He looks forward to vacation where he can spend more time with his family back home. The ship now has internet that helps keep them in touch with family.
Personal Log
Last night we had to start working our way inland about 20 miles offshore, due to a large storm out in the Gulf. Tomorrow we plan to head back out towards our mission locations to continue where we left off. We have been tracking the storm for a few days and knew that we would need to go somewhere due to the heavy winds and waves. Since we can’t deploy cameras at our designated locations, everyone is using this day as a catch up day. We also did fire drills and abandon ship drills today. Safety is a huge priority on the ship, and I am confident that if there were to ever be an emergency situation, that everyone on Pisces would handle it excellently. I am taking advantage and downloading photos and working on the blog today, and checking in with my students work back home. Yesterday was amazing! I love getting my hands dirty and take every chance I can get to help cut bait for the baited cameras. I got to see my first whale at sea, and I have had the opportunity to see dolphins a few times now. I find myself often looking for marine life. There are always amazing sunsets at the ocean.
Fire drills
Sunset over the Gulf of Mexico
Bait fish
Bait fish
Bait (squid)
Cutting and filling bait bags for the baited cameras
