Tag: tropical storm

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Hello…Houston? And an unexpected end… 3F’s! June 21, 2024

NOAA Teacher at Sea

Ryan Johnson

Aboard NOAA Ship: Oregon II

June 18 – July 2, 2024

Mission: SEAMAP Summer Groundfish Survey

Geographic Area of Cruise: Gulf of Mexico

Date: June 21, 2024

While we do get some extreme weather in the Midwest (2011 Snowmageddon is a personal favorite), phenomena like tropical depressions, storm surges, and ‘named’ storms are merely words to me; they’re weather events that I know exist, but have never had to deal with, or imagined I ever would. Turns out, I was wrong, and I had to learn about all of these terms pretty quickly as they were imminently impacting where I was staying on Oregon II. Per NOAA: “Tropical Storm Alberto is expected to produce rainfall totals of 5 to 10 inches across northeast Mexico into South Texas. Maximum totals around 20 inches are possible [and] this rainfall will likely produce considerable flash and urban flooding along with new and renewed river flooding” with flooding in Galveston predicted to be between 2-4 feet.

photo of a television screen showing a weather forecaster pointing to a digital map of the Gulf Coast. the map uses shades of green to indicate amounts of predicted rainfall, and the area around Houston and Galveston is dark green. the map is labeled "Excessive Rainfall This Week." The chryon reads: Tropical Showers Aim for Gulf
Tropical Storm Alberto made national news and Oregon II was predicted to be right in line of direct impact. Picture taken of a WeatherNation morning newscast on local television.

The expedition was delayed and the decision was made to move me off the vessel and head to Houston and hopefully avoid the most serious effects of the storm. I knew I didn’t want to spend all of my time holed up in a hotel room, so I did a bit of digging as to what Houston had to offer. Houston and Chicago are often compared (and I’ll discuss some similarities/differences in this blog), so for my first stop, I wanted to explore a place that I couldn’t find at home… and it was amazing.

photo of a backlit sign that reads Space Center Houston
Chicago might have (in my biased option) a superior skyline/downtown…but it doesn’t have NASA!

Tuesday

My first stop was Space Center Houston (SCH), a museum dedicated to science, which functions as the primary place for visitors to NASA Johnson Space Center in Houston. An affiliate museum of the Smithsonian, SCH is a top-notch destination full of science, discovery, inspiration, and wonder, dedicated to the power of human ingenuity. I got choked up in a few exhibits, found my jaw on the floor in others, and left with the same feeling of awe I would have experienced as a 10 year old.

photo of the museum display about Space Crops
Can’t wait to share this to go with our hydroponic work!
an an exhibit labeled Touch Mars; we can see other visitors standing in line
Only place you can touch a piece of Mars & the Moon!
the command module on display; we see the metal exterior, and there are lights illuminating the few windows. an interpretive sign in front is titled America: Apollo 17 Command Module.
Apollo 17 Command Module!
images of people who do different kinds of jobs at NASA
Very inspiring about ALL of people NASA needs
exterior of a warehouse like building painted with the words SATURN V and a line diagram of a rocket
Inside is a Saturn V rocket!
room full of lines of old computers, large screens
Historic Mission Control from the Apollo 11
air-tight cabinet display with moon rocks on little stands
Biggest moon rocks on public display…have never touched Earth’s atmosphere!
view outside of the parking lot getting rained on
Rain from Alberto felt in Houston. It rained steadily for over a day

Due to hazardous conditions brought on by Tropical Storm Alberto, my expedition was eventually postponed from the initial Tuesday departure until Saturday. This was incredibly disappointing, but I had such an incredible time at SCH, I decided to spend my remaining days until departure exploring the area to its fullest (well, at least inside due to ongoing rain/heat).

Wednesday

Next, I went to the Houston Museum of Natural Science. It reminded me a lot of the Field Museum in Chicago in theme and content, but it was cool to see how different exhibits were approached and experience different histories, objects, and phenomena. One major observation about this museum (and all around the Houston area from what I had seen so far) was the presence of oil and gas companies. It seemed like every other exhibit was ‘Brought to you by…’ or ‘Presented in sponsorship with…’ Shell, BP, Exxon Mobile, Chevron, and others, while the entire fourth floor, Wiess Energy Hall, was seemingly devoted to oil and drilling. It was interesting to see how messages were communicated compared to Chicago, and how events like the Exxon Valdez disaster were handled. Overall, it was an exceptional museum and I learned a lot. Like the Field Museum, it is HUGE and if I ever return in the future, I’ll make a plan before jumping in.

an arm reaching down into a tank to pet a small spotted shark
There was a shark and ray touch pool!
plants in pots and tanks, with lights mounted a couple feet above the tanks, and interpretive signage behind
Like SCH, an exhibit dedicated to growing crops
close up view of two statues showing figures in indigenous Hopi dress
Kachina dolls – my mother in law has a great collection too
view down a hallway with columns and display cases
Very impressive Hall of Ancient Egypt Exhibit
view into a recreation of an egyptian tomb
A less impressive Tutankhamun special exhibit
exhibit room with gems and minerals in display cases
Cullen Hall of Gems and Minerals was HUGE
a large periodic table made up of small cases that display a mineral or object with the featured element
One of the coolest ways of displaying the Periodic Table I’ve come across
dinosaur skeletons in active poses
The museum ‘actively’ displays their dinosaurs, making for a fun and interesting exhibit

Thursday

The next journey was to the Houston Museum of Fine Arts, which was a free day thanks to Shell. Free museum days in Chicago tend to be a bit crowded in my experience, so I was pleasantly surprised at how empty the museum felt. The campus itself is really interesting in that the art is displayed in different buildings which are all interconnected through a series of subterranean tunnels. The maps were very clear and it was easy to move from gallery to gallery and see what looked interesting. Much like the Art Institute of Chicago, you probably can see everything in one day, but you don’t really get the full experience or get to see things in detail. I appreciated the focus on modern, contemporary, and Houston-based artists, as well as local underrepresented and/or marginalized communities. Like many art museums I’ve been to, most patrons gravitated to the historical paintings, but I found some of the sculpture and mixed-media pieces to be the most interesting.

photo of a mixed-media piece by Berni of a boy walking to town with a sack on his back
Berni – Juanito va a la ciudad
elaborately framed painting of fishermen on a ship under sail
Manet – Impressionism – The Toilers (Teachers?) of the Sea
black and white photograph of someone behind a sign that reads in part, Cleaners and Shoe Shine
A Chicago photographer! Wayne Miller
modern artwork...
Zipped Up by Harry Geffert. Yes, that’s all bread!
small Hopi figurines mounted on a wall
More incredible kachina dolls
mixed media sculpture
Picasso – Woman with Outstretched Arms
suspended lights or candles in front of mirrors arranged to create an eternally repeating reflection
Kusama – Aftermath of Obliteration of Eternity
stained glass artwork
Tiffany – Stained Glass – A Wooded Landscape in Three Panels

Friday

With Oregon II set to sail the following day, I headed back to Galveston. I was due on the ship at 10:30 the next day so I decided to make the most of my final ‘off’ day and visit Moody Gardens. The flooding in Galveston was noticeable, but not devastating, and most of the roads were open and only some rail traffic was still impacted by receding floodwaters. Moody Gardens is like nothing I’ve quite seen before. Dominated by three themed pyramids, there is also a hotel, golf course, pool, restaurant, and more. I planned on visiting all three pyramids with my day: the aquarium, the rainforest, and the discovery (science themed), in that order. The aquarium pyramid took me by surprise. Whereas the Shedd in Chicago follows a traditional floorplan, Moody maximizes vertical space, taking visitors up, down, and around the area which is dominated by an enormous cylindrical tank. Penguins are front-and-center and there was quite a bit of space dedicated to FGBNMS, which was great to see. While I know TAS is a nautical adventure, the rainforest pyramid stole my heart. While there were traditional zoo-ish elements, the open-air free range section was remarkable. Brookfield Zoo in has some similar aspects, but doesn’t come close to the interactive nature of Moody. It was really amazing to looks, smell, and feel like I was IN a South American rainforest… in Texas!

view through a window of coral laboratories
Coral Labs in partnership with FGBNMS
penguins in their exhibit
STINKY penguins. You can do an encounter if you want!
display case containing two bird skeletons for comparison
Skeletons comparing flight vs flightless birds
in the rainforest exhibit; tropical plants line the walkways, a beautiful purple bird walking past, and a sign that says Roul Roul Crossing
Birds, monkeys, sloths, and more walk right up to you
entrance to the bat exhibit, with a small sign that reads Bat Cave
Bats are my 3rd favorite animal; this was a cool exhibit
a spoonbill sits on the edge of a water feature
Never seen a spoonbill, but use them a lot in class!
outdoors, a large sculpture of a penguin labeled Brody the Adelie Penguin
Like the shark in downtown Galveston, a penguin made out of ocean plastic
raised walkway surrounded by rainforest trees
The rainforest raised walkway that starts visitors though the exhibit/journey.

During the aquarium pyramid I started feeling a bit unwell, which was (I thought) exasperated in the rainforest pyramid due to the heat/humidity/all of the days finally catching up to me. I sat down for lunch with little appetite, developing a sore throat that no amount of hydration could seem to slake. I decided it would be best to skip the discovery pyramid and take it easy for the rest of the afternoon. I headed back to the Strand (the main hub of town) to just relax and see if I felt any better.

In the car, I started to feel REALLY unwell and, after what happened to fellow TAS Jaqueline Omania, I decided to take a Covid test. It was positive. I went to a hotel and took another test. Positive again, which I knew meant I couldn’t sail out on Oregon II. I was devastated. After being delayed so long, moving back and forth, and then finally getting to the cusp of departure only to be delayed indefinitely. I’m so glad that I was able to live and learn so much in Texas, but to not be able to go out on groundfish survey was heartbreaking. Ah well, as always, follow the three F’s!

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Ryan Johnson: An Unexpected Start… Follow the Three F’s! June 18, 2024

NOAA Teacher at Sea

Ryan Johnson

Aboard NOAA Ship: Oregon II

June 18 – July 2, 2024

Mission: SEAMAP Summer Groundfish Survey

Geographic Area of Cruise: Gulf of Mexico

Date: June 18, 2024

Personal Log

Prior to Departure

In the opening meetings/trainings, Teacher at Sea are introduced to the three F’s to a successful voyage: Flexibility, Fortitude, and Following orders. I love a good alliterative acronym as much as the next person, and this trio of foundational precepts really solidified for me as solid advice to always keep in the back (or front!) of my mind. Time and again, they have come in handy as a way to ground myself, take stock of the situation, evaluate, and purposeful act.

My 8th graders graduated on Friday, June 14th. As with most graduations, it was bittersweet. This was an interesting group as they were in 4th grade when Covid 19 lockdowns interrupted their school year. They were completely remote for 5th grade. Their 6th grade year (in Illinois) was completely in masks with extremely strict protocols that saw us stop classes and return to remote learning at least four times throughout the year. Their 7th grade year was all about triage/recovery, and while some progress was made, we lost our principal, assistant principal, dean, and instructional coach, making this year a complete unknown when we all walked back through the doors in August. Thankfully, it was an absolutely fantastic year (as I detailed in my first blog), and I will miss the kiddos greatly.

top down view of a graduation cap held out for a photo by a hand. the cap is white with beautiful pick and white fake flowers adorning two back edges and a large pink bow. there's a cutout image of Hello Kitty wearing a graduation outfit, beneath a message that reads, Gracias mama por tu apoyo; esto es para ti.
A beautifully decorated graduation cap by a student thanking her mother for her support

Two days later, on Sunday, June 16th, I boarded a plane for Texas to begin my Teacher at Sea adventure. The turnaround was a bit jarring, but the timing worked out as this journey feels like an extension of the school year.

Welcome to Texas – Bienvenido a Texas!

The flight was easy and uneventful, and as I took my shuttle from the airport into Galveston, Texas (the docking point for my ship, the Oregon II), the driver filled me in with a bit of local history, some points to see (and avoid), and what she enjoyed about living and working on the island. Somewhat ominously, she asked what my plans were for the week and when I told her about serving on the groundfish survey, she said, “Sounds fun, I hope you make it off, we have a big storm coming through.”

a collage of two photos. on the left, a view of buildings and a merry-go-round at a beach boardwalk. on the right, view out a balcony over the road and beyond to the beach and the Gulf.
The Pleasure Pier on the left chock full or roller coasters and carnival games. The seaside beach view (can you believe that!?) from the hotel before moving onto the Oregon II the next day.

Famous last words. Word quickly came through that instead of leaving on Tuesday as originally planned, we were pushing our departure to Thursday due to a forecast of heavy rain, surging sea swells, and a whole lot of wind. While disappointed, I figured I would follow those three Fs and show my flexibility and fortitude while following orders by exploring Galveston and seeing what I could find.

a collage of two photos. on the left, cactus growing in a field of grasses and orange and yellow wildflowers. on the right, view of birds flying overhead past the top floors of a hotel
Opuntia anahuacensis – Texas Beach Prickly Pear Cactus and Pelecanus occidentalis – Brown Pelicans flying overhead. You don’t see either of those in Chicago!

My favorite way to explore a new place is on foot… so I went for walk! It was hot and humid at 90+ degrees with 90%+ humidity, but it was fun! I loved the wild cactus just growing along the sidewalk and all of the native sights, sounds, and smells were so different than home. Everything was going fine until the sidewalk ran out (cue Shel Silverstein joke here) and I had to do a bit of off-roading.

Within my first fifty steps I felt a sharp pain in left ankle and immediately thought I had been stung by a bee, which I also (in somewhat of a weirdly lucid moment) thought was strange as I hadn’t seen any bees yet. My next (not so lucid) thought was that I had been snakebit, and while that was sort-of an illogical thought at the time, I learned there actually are quite a few species of snakes in Galveston… “and some of them are venomous.”

Turns out, neither of those thoughts were correct. Oh no. I had just been introduced to the sand bur, described by Texas blogger Mimi Swartz as… “pernicious,” “noxious,” and “hateful.” Truly tiny but mighty, getting these burs off of my socks was even worse than getting speared in the first place as the spines drove into my fingers, one even drawing blood! I popped into the closest restaurant and used bunched up napkins to carefully rid myself of these tiny demons. They even drove into the rubber of my shoes!

a collage of photos: two close-up views of sand burs stuck to sneakers. each sandbur is maybe 1/4 inch in length with sharp spines sticking out in all directions
The new bane of my existence…sand burs (Cenchrus incertus).

After ridding myself of these creatures from R’lyeh, I decided to continue my walk along the beach instead…telling myself I was doing it to get a full picture of the area rather than cowardly avoiding the scary prickly plants…. showing fortitude indeed. Along the beach I found all sorts of cool bits and bobs amongst the detritus. The gulf coast of Galveston is totally different than most other beaches I’ve visited. The water is distinctly brown-ish (more on that later), extremely warm (about 85 degrees), and seemingly endless (32 MILES of beach!). I decided to turn in for the night as the next day I was scheduled to meet with the team at Flower Garden Banks National Marine Sanctuary (FGBNMS) team.

a view up a sandy beach to a seawall with a staircase. there are tire tracks and drag marks all over the sand, and a lifeguard tower is now perched on the top of the seawall
a top-down view of flowering beach plants on sand
two fishing poles lean against a sign warning about rip currents planted in the sand; beyond, we see the Gulf waters, a distant bridge, and the sky.
view down the beach, with the surf to the left of the image and the seawall to the right. the sand is lined with tire marks. in the distance we see a pier stretch across from the seawall into the ocean, and some buildings to the right of the seawall. near the pier, on the sand, are two white pickup trucks and a bobcat loader
a close-up view of an orange-and-yellow wildflower
Clockwise from the top left: Galveston city ominously moved all of the life guard towers to the top of the seawall in preparation for the storm. Fiddle-leaf morning-glory beach flowers (Ipomoea imperati); two fishing poles I found tangled in seaweed; Indian blanket wildflowers (Gaillardia pulchella); more movement of beach equipment

Flower Garden Banks National Marine Sanctuary – Santuario Marino Nacional Flower Garden Banks

The next morning I checked out of my hotel and took an Uber to FGBNMS offices about 15 minutes away. The morning news was ominous, with massive amounts of rain and flooding predicted. Our departure date was officially pushed again to Friday. I kept telling myself to follow the three Fs and show my flexibility in the face of uncontrollable circumstances.

Arriving at the sanctuary, I met with Taylor Galaviz (Constituent Engagement Specialist) as well as Rebecca (Becky) Smith (A research fishery biologist whose focus area is fishery management for the Southeast Fisheries Science Center, specifically shrimp). They gave me a wonderful overview of the history and mission of FGBNMS, as well as the educational components, outreach efforts, and plans for the future, as well as why the water here is its color because of the turbidity caused by rivers (especially the Mississippi) dumping into the Gulf.

Afterwards, I met some of the research team including Michelle Johnston (Sanctuary Superintendent), Desda Sisson (Vessel Operations Coordinator), and Research Specialists Olivia Eisenbach (fish), Ryan Hannum (water quality), Marissa Nuttall (mesophotic ecosystems), Josh Harvey (mooring buoy specialist), and FORMER CHICAGAN Kelly O’Connell (data specialist). It was fascinating to learn what the team does, coordinating expeditions, and the value of long-term monitoring.

view of buildings, some with red roofs; outdoor tanks; in the foreground, a grassy field with a shrimp net containing a turtle exclusion device (a ring with metal bars) stretched out on the lawn
Flower Banks’ iconic red roof buildings (a former military fort) in the background and a fishing (shrimping, to be precise) net on display that helps prevent bycatch by providing redundant systems for escape.

Next, I met with Sasha Francis (Gulf Restoration Education & Outreach Manager, Deepwater Horizon (DWH) Mesophotic & Deep Benthic Communities Restoration) who took me to the coral labs to see the amazing work being done to research, preserve, and conserve mesophotic (deep water) corals, especially in the aftermath of the DWH disaster. HERE’S a great NOAA article if you’re interested in learning more about this inspiring work!

a collage of three photos, each showing corals growing in tanks
Numerous corals in various states of growth and investigation. Each of the little square plates has 1-2 tiny baby corals that the team is propagating. The entire facility is new and excitingly nearing completion.

Welcome to the Ship: Oregon II – Bienvenida al barco: Oregon II

The entire experience at FGBNMS was stellar. I was sorry to go but I had to check in with the crew of Oregon II. Taylor graciously offered to drive me and took me on a mini-tour of the Texas A&M Galveston campus (her alma mater) before heading to Pier 21. I met Commanding Officer (CDR) Adam Reed and ENS PJ LeBel (Safety Officer) who would be my initial bunkmate and showed me the vessel. It was a bit surreal. I have never been on a ship like the Oregon II before, so it was almost like experiencing culture shock as I was touring around. The engine room was particularly impressive and it was fascinating to see how logical and organized everything was. Even though PJ told me that it was a older ship (launched in 1967, commissioned with NOAA since 1977), everything seemed tip-top and I moved into my bunk with an eager sense of excitement, even though I knew we wouldn’t be leaving for a bit due to the storm.

a collage of four photos. top left, a view down at the engines of NOAA Ship Oregon II. top right middle, a view inside an engine room with a strange monkey-like toy animal perched on a wall. top right, view of a stateroom. we see a desk, sink, chair, suitcase, wardrobe closet. bottom, a panoramic view of NOAA Ship Oregon II in port, as seen from just beyond the gangway.
Clockwise from top left: The engines of the Oregon II; a Kowakian monkey-lizard, presumably cousin of Salacious B. Crumb helping to oversee engineering; my assigned stateroom, #11; panorama of the 170 foot ship!

I decided to tour ‘The Strand’ (the historic Galveston downtown) before tucking in for the night. It’s a really cute and historic downtown with plenty to see and do. I easily could see the draw of Galveston for visitors from near and far and plan on coming back with my family in the future. I was particularly impressed with all of the (sustainable!) community art! After dinner, I headed back to the ship to tuck in and see what the next days would bring.

a collage of three photos. top, a large outdoor sculpture of a great white shark made out of trash. there's an interpretive sign in front that identifies the sculpture as Greta the Great White Shark. on the buildings beyond, we see a mural that reads Greetings from Galveston, Texas. Bottom left, an outdoor sculpture of a lion roaring with a paw raised in the air, made out of metal. bottom right, a crepe myrtle tree in bloom.
Top: Greta, a shark made completely of beach plastic; Bottom Right: A crape myrtle (Lagerstroemia indica) which are found all over Galveston; Bottom Left: A lion made completely of recycled/repurposed metal.
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Diane Stanitski: Day 12, August 22, 2002

NOAA Teacher at Sea

Diane Stanitski

Aboard NOAA Ship Ka’imimoana

August 16-30, 2002

Day 12: August 22, 2002

Weather log:
We currently have nearly overcast skies again with rain falling from cumulus and stratocumulus clouds. Our observations at 0800 this morning are:
Latitude: 10°38’N
Longitude: 141°26’W
Visibility: 12 nautical miles (nm)
Wind direction: 200° (direction from which the wind is blowing)
Wind speed: 13 kts
Sea wave height: 4-6′
Swell wave height: 6-8′
Sea water temperature: 27.6°C
Sea level pressure: 1010.0 mb
Cloud cover: 7/8, rain from cumulus and stratocumulus clouds

I awoke last night to swells approaching 8′ and the ship rockin’ and a rollin’! We were in the tail end of a low pressure system with lots of convection (new word from yesterday’s log) causing turbulence in the air and seas. A bottle had fallen over in the bathroom and it continued to roll back and forth hitting the walls for about 10 minutes before I was awake enough to realize the source of the sound; I then climbed down the ladder from the top bunk to rescue the bottle.

Right now, we are attempting to avoid Tropical Storm Fausto, which is currently located to our east and heading 275° (just north of west) at 11 kts. Its central pressure is 994 mb and its maximum sustained winds are 55-65 kts with 12′ seas. The Hurricane Prediction Center’s 72-hour forecast shows 75 kt winds with the possibility of gusts to 90 kts on the 25th with continued movement NW. We should slide just south of the storm and might feel some effects, but they’ll likely be minimal. Aaah, wonderful tropical weather in August! Check out www.weather.gov and view their tropical weather or hurricane page to determine the actual path of the tropical storm.

Science and technology log:
We conducted another live test broadcast this morning with the main Office of Global Programs office and Caption Colorado, the company that will provide captioning for the broadcast. It was 18 minutes long and the transfer was a success. The decision has been made that we’ll do a 20 minute live broadcast tomorrow (Friday) to be received at 4:00 PM EST in the U.S. If you miss Friday’s live broadcast, be sure to contact Jennifer at jennifer.hammond@noaa.gov before next Monday to tune into our upcoming broadcasts next week. I’m also anxious to hear from more of you about your interests in oceanography and climatology and the questions that you have for me that I’ll share with our global audience next week. I will do my best to find the answers!

The first official CTD data collection took place last night at 7:30 PM (1930) and a 3:30 AM reading this morning also proved to be successful. I awoke at 2 AM to see if Jason and Paul needed help, but it wasn’t yet time to conduct the test so I happily went back to bed. I did assist with today’s CTD at 12:20 this afternoon. I was so amazed at the entire process. First, the ship must stop and hover for approximately 1 to 1-1/2 hours over the same spot while the CTD sampling takes place. There are 12 depths at which water samples are collected in large cylinders between the ocean’s surface and 1000 m down (See yesterday’s photos for a picture of the CTD cylinders.). Just think of the pressure being exerted on the cylinders at over 3000 ft below the surface! Kirby, one of our two NASA scientists, gave me a styrofoam cup that was intentionally sent down with the cylinders and it’s now a small crushed, but perfect cup. I can’t wait to show my students! The person who controls the CTD from the computer end must work in close cooperation with the winch operator who is in charge of carefully lowering the heavy CTD device into the water and releasing it at different rates of speed to various depths. Any air bubbles that are present must be pushed out of the cylinders so the CTD is first lowered to 10 m, raised to just below the surface, and then lowered again to the greater depths. If the ship’s schedule is not rushed (unlike today), the CTD is lowered to approximately 200 meters off the ocean floor, which could be down to almost 5000 meters, our current depth below this ship! We only had time to lower the sensors to 1000 m today, and then the winch operator raised the CTD to 12 different depths where the carousels (cylinders) were “fired” to allow the bottles to flush and for samples to be collected. Lastly, two samples were taken at the surface. Once the CTD was lifted out of the water, Nadia, my roommate, collected water samples (see photo log) from each of the 13 cylinders to study salinity levels, which tells us something about the conductivity of the water. One reason that this is useful is because the degree of salinity in the water is related to flow of warm and cold ocean currents to and from higher latitudes, and may have been responsible for sudden shifts in climate in the past based on the slowing of our global currents! I have found that it’s incredibly important to ask why each study on the ship is significant to place it in context and to understand the big picture.

John and I met in the early afternoon to create the storyboard for tomorrow’s broadcast. We will highlight the Captain or Skipper of the ship; our Chief Scientist; Medical Officer; Lobo, the Chief Engineer; and Doretha, the Cook. We’ll also have an opportunity for you to win a NOAA T-shirt if you respond with the correct answer to our KA quiz question.

The Chief Scientist and I played 2 out of 3 Yahtzee games tonight just after dinner. It looks like I’m heading to the next round, lucky me! That’s about all that Yahtzee is, luck, but an awful lot of fun. I was invited to ride the RHIB tonight to make our way to a buoy that needed repair. The evening ride was beautiful! There was a full moon with a gorgeous halo around it (good question for tomorrow’s log) and approximately 4′ swells that made it just a bit rocky. There were six of us in the boat. Two scientists hopped onto the floating buoys and started making repairs because there was major damage to the anemometer and the precipitation gauge. One of them started feeling seasick because you’re swaying (just a bit) back and forth and you’re about 8′ above the ocean surface. He hopped off and they asked if I’d like to jump on to help with the buoy repair! Wow! (Mom, please skip this part…I couldn’t help myself.) It was safe, yet thrilling. I helped get the new rain gauge in order and placed small spikes on the top to keep birds from sitting on the edge of the sensor making their own contributions to the contents of the inner gauge. I also helped test it by pouring water through as Dave downloaded data from all the sensors to a computer and checked to make sure they were up and running. I couldn’t believe how lucky I was! I was floating on a buoy in the middle of the Pacific Ocean helping to fix meteorological instrumentation! The ship was all lit up in the distance about ½ a mile from the buoy. We found the exact location of the buoy because of the ship’s radar that spotted it right away and led us to the floating donut. I’ll include some (very dark) photos of this adventure tomorrow.

Well, I’m going to review my notes for tomorrow’s broadcast before heading to bed. It has been another grand day on the great Pacific.

The question of the day for all of you is: What are crepuscular rays? Yes, please consult your meteorology text sitting on your shelf, the Web, or my photo log, to find out. Then, email me to let me know how smart you are!

The FOO’s quote of the day: “Adversity is the first path to truth.”
– Lord Byron

Hope to hear from you soon,
Diane