Tag: sustainability

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Jojo Chang: A Girl in Love with the Sea, June 27, 2025

NOAA Teacher at Sea

Jojo Chang

Aboard NOAA Ship Bell M. Shimada

June 30 – July 15, 2025

Mission: Integrated West Coast Pelagics Survey (Leg 2)

Geographic Area of Cruise: Pacific Ocean, California Coast

Date: June 27, 2025

Introduction

I’ve always been a water girl. My earliest memories are swimming with my mom in an indoor pool and learning how to jellyfish float—a vital survival skill needed if stranded at sea. Blowing bubbles, butterfly, rhythmic breathing: these are swimming words that have been a part of my life from the moment my memories start.

a scanned old photo of a little girl in a bathing suit and swimming flippers standing at the edge of a pool; the colors are washed out, so we can't see the girl's face well.
Young Jojo

Fast forward a few decades, and water is still my element—but now I get to share it from the pool deck, whistle in hand. As both a teacher and a swim coach, I’ve spent well over 10,000 hours diving into both careers—enough to earn the “expert” badge. The roots of my professions were planted early, and I’ve nurtured them with passion and purpose. Growing up in Arizona, this included plenty of pool time but now, I live in Hawaii and swim regularly at the beach by my house.  I  like to tell my friends, “I’ve got salt water flowing through my veins.”

A woman stands at the edge of an outdoor pool and watches as about six children play in the pool with a ball. We cannot make out any faces, but we can see mountains and blue skies beyond the pool area.
Jojo teaching swim

Currently, I teach swimming, music, writing, and journalism at Asia Pacific International—a project-based learning school tucked away in the small, oceanside town of Hau‘ula, Hawai‘i. My eclectic schedule is like a vibrant coral reef: dynamic and busy! I work with students from elementary through high school, and every day brings something new and interesting.

Jojo sits on a couch in a classroom, holding a ukulele and smiling for the camera. Around her on the floor are 8 elementary age students. Most of them are wearing green shirts with their school logo: a hibiscus flower and the words APIS Hawaii.
Jojo teaching music. Photo courtesy of Asia-Pacific International School, Hawaii.

One of my greatest hopes for participating in this NOAA experience is to return with stories and insights from the sea—knowledge I couldn’t possibly gain without being out there in the deep blue myself. I want to share what I learn in a way that sparks curiosity and connection, especially with my middle school writers.  During the research unit, we will explore the various fish populations.  Students will select one specific type of edible fish to research and write about.  The end product will be a book that will explore details about fish from ocean to table.

a man and a woman stand on a dock in front of a Hawaiian coastline - steep mountains, palm trees. The woman, grinning triumphantly, grasps a fishing pole (above the reel) in her left hand and holds her right hand above her head to stretch out a fishing line. The fishing line is attached to an interesting spotted tropical fish. The man stands next to her and steadies the fish for the photo.
Jojo shows off a broom fish

In this photo, I’m beaming with wonder and joy after catching a broom fish off the coast of Moloka‘i—yes, a broom fish! (Sadly, it does not sweep the ocean floor, but is named for the shape of its tail.) My love for the sea runs deep, and it’s been a guiding current throughout my life. I care deeply about making smart, sustainable choices and empowering my students to do the same. Whether we’re writing stories or swimming laps, I try to weave in the message: this planet is ours to protect.

The Teacher at Sea adventure began as a simple search for a meaningful professional development opportunity. I applied, crossed my fingers—and got in! Now, with wholehearted enthusiasm, I’m preparing for the journey ahead. Tomorrow, I’ll fly from Honolulu to San Francisco to board the NOAA Ship Bell M. Shimada.

I’m armed with Dramamine and sunscreen, a cozy winter hat for chilly nights, and a big summer hat for the sunny days. Adventure and learning, I’m ready. Aloha!

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Cary Atwood, July 28, 2005

NOAA Teacher at Sea
Cary Atwood
Onboard NOAA Ship Albatross IV
July 25 – August 5, 2005

Mission: Sea scallop survey
Geographical Area: New England
Date: July 28, 2005

Weather from the Bridge
Visibility: undetermined
Wind direction: SSW (217 degrees)
Wind speed:  11 knots
Sea wave height: 0.4’
Swell wave height: 1.4’
Seawater temperature: 18°C
Sea level pressure: 1013.3 millibars
Cloud cover: Obscure, Fog, Haze, Dust

Question of the Day: 

Lesser Shearwaters are common pelagic birds we often sea in great numbers near our ship. What does pelagic mean?

Answer to yesterday’s question: Astropectin species (sea stars) prey primarily on young scallops.  Asteria vulgaris, another kind of sea star will prey upon adult scallops by wrapping themselves around the bivalves and tiring out their muscle.  Once that is done, they will use their mouth to suck out and make a tasty meal of the scallop’s soft, fleshy parts.  Other scallop predators include crabs, lobsters, and some flounder species that eat small scallops.  Wolf fish eat scallops as well.

Science and Technology Log 

I am so pleased to have Dr. Dvora Hart on our cruise.  She has given me a great deal of context regarding the scallop survey conducted aboard the Albatross IV.  As an official operations research analyst, Dr. Hart is responsible for taking the raw data from the yearly scallop surveys and creating mathematical models of past and current surveys and projecting those numbers for future management decisions of the scallop fishery.  Because the fishery is worth about $300 million annually to fishermen, and more than a billion dollars in retail, it is as valuable a fishery resource as the lobster industry.  Together they represent the two most valuable fisheries on the New England coast.

Dr. Hart has worked for the Northeast Fisheries Science Center for over six years now.  Having a strong math and statistics background has put her in a unique position to develop tools and models that help biologists understand the distribution of surf invertebrates. Every three years, stock assessments are reported to local and regional fishery boards with recommendations for the management of scallops.  Needless to say, the messenger is not always a popular person, especially when areas show diminishing populations and should be closed. However, armed with so much longitudinal data can be a benefit, too, in that areas in the past that have been overfished, if left alone, can, over the course of time, recover.  In order to make the scallop fishery a sustainable industry for all who depend on it for their livelihood, a person like Dvora has pioneered the mathematical modeling on scallops’ fishery management.  Her devotion and passion to this endeavor is clear, and one hopes that these management recommendations will enable fishermen to sustain their livelihood for years to come.