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Sinh Nguyen: A Change of Command, July 8, 2025

NOAA Teacher at Sea

Sinh Nguyen

Aboard NOAA Ship Pisces

July 7, 2025 – July 24, 2025

Mission: Larval Bluefin Tuna Slope Survey

Geographic Area of Cruise: North Atlantic Ocean, Slope Sea

Date: July 8, 2025

Weather Data:

12:06 PM Eastern Time

Currently, the temperature is 28.9°C (84°F).  The wind speed is 10 knots.

Career Log

Uplift Education, Mighty Primary scholars: Howdy from the sea!  Mr. Nguyen here.  I hope you’re enjoying your summer (and reading lots of books).  Yesterday, I moved onto NOAA Ship Pisces.  It was a long day at the port meeting everyone and learning the rules. 

view of NOAA Ship Pisces in port, as seen from the dock well ahead. also along the dock are a truck, some dumpsters, a large spool - various equipment involved in loading the vessel
I arrived early morning at the port in Norfolk, Virginia
Sinh, wearing his Teacher at Sea t-shirt, poses for a photo in front of the ship on the dock. We can see the NOAA logo, NOAA acronym, and hull number (R 226) painted on the hull of the ship.
Right away, everyone made sure I felt comfortable, safe, and prepared for the sail.

On the ship are the following crews, or teams: NOAA Corps, deck department, engineering, survey, stewards, electronics, and scientists – which I’m a part of.  Excitingly, there was a Change of Command ceremony, a special event when one commanding officer (CO) gives the ship to a new one.  So, in honor of this celebration, I’ll be dedicating this post to the ceremony and to the career stages of NOAA Corps officers!

NOAA stands for National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.  They study and protect the ocean, weather, and animals. 

Uplift Education, Mighty Primary scholars, what kind of animals do you think NOAA study in the ocean and in the sky?  Let’s think, act them out, and draw!  If you’d like, ask your parents to post your work in the comments!

A NOAA Corps officer is like a scientist and a ship captain.  They wear uniforms and lead missions (special tasks) on ships.  We respectfully address an officer by his/her rank or ship position.  Yesterday, I got to see a Change of Command ceremony.  That’s when one commanding officer (CO) finishes his/her job, and a new commanding officer (CO) takes over the ship.  It’s kind of like picking and celebrating a new class leader.  It shows respect, teamwork, and leadership.

view down (perhaps from the ship?) of a tent and chairs set up in the parking lock of the dock. We cannot see NOAA Ship Pisces, but another NOAA Ship, Ferdinand R. Hassler, is docked nearby and its name is clearly visible.
NOAA Corps Officers and crew members set up the Change of Command ceremony.
a group photo of 15 NOAA Corps Officers in formal white uniforms and hats in front of NOAA Ship Pisces. We can see the NOAA logo, NOAA acronym, and hull number (R 226) painted on the hull, at right. the sky is light blue with dramatic, swirling clouds.
NOAA Corps outside NOAA Ship Pisces.

The ceremony took place outside Pisces.  All officers wore white uniforms with badges and stripes that showed their rank (like how high their job is) and accomplishments (the amazing things they’ve done).  Families, friends, and crew members said goodbye to the former CO and later cheered for the new CO.  There were speeches and salutes to celebrate!  After the event, there was time for lots of photos and personal congratulations.

two men in white uniforms and hats stand facing each other, saluting, in front of a podium with the NOAA logo on it. a third officer overseas the ceremony from behind the podium. we can see the gangway of a ship beyond the tent's edge.
The former CO and new CO saluting each other.
Sinh, wearing a Teacher at Sea t-shirt, stands for a photo next to the new commanding officer, in formal white uniform. they stand on deck in front of NOAA Ship Pisces, and we see the city of Norfolk in the distance.
The ceremony went great! The rain stopped and the weather was nice when everything started.

Seeing this ceremony was a great way to understand NOAA Corps officers and the importance of their work.

It takes a lot of practice and leadership skills to become a NOAA Corps officer!  Here’s how it works:

  1. Apply to join: https://www.omao.noaa.gov/noaa-corps
  2. If accepted, go to Basic Training Academy as an Ensign.
  3. Complete Basic Officer Training Class
  4. Serve as a Junior Officer aboard a NOAA Ship
  5. Show leadership, earn sea time, and complete more training.
  6. Be promoted to Lieutenant Officer and you may be selected as an XO.
  7. Get more leadership training and experience and you may be selected as a Commanding Officer (CO).

Can you list and write the steps someone takes to become a NOAA ship leader?

a flow chart with five empty steps connected by arrows
Document source: Sinh Nguyen

The NOAA Corps supports all crews on ship in many important ways.  For the science crew, they make it possible for scientists to do their work safely and successfully on sea.  Learning more about NOAA Corps makes us appreciate their incredible leadership and accomplishments! 

In the classroom, how can you start developing your leadership skills?  Just like NOAA Corps officers, we can show leadership skills in many ways.  Every day is a chance to grow into a leader.  Which learner profiles can we demonstrate to help others, take responsibility for our actions, and work together as a team?  Go ahead and point to a trait that you can commit to for the new school year.

a diagram with an illustration of the globe in the center and 10 spokes leading out to images in circles. the spokes are labeled: inquirers, balanced, principled, caring, open-minded, communicators, reflective, risk taker, knowledgeable, thinkers.
These are International Baccalaureate (IB) attributes that help us become great leaders at Uplift Education, Mighty Primary.  NOAA Corps officers show these traits when they lead their crew and support science missions on the ship.  How can we practice these traits every day to grow as leaders? Photo credit: IB/PYP Website

Personal Log

There was so much to learn about crew members and rules, but everyone was so helpful.  I felt like many of you have before, like a new student on the first day of school.  A challenge was figuring out the layout, or set-up, of Pisces.  At first, it felt like a maze as I was trying to figure out where to go and which rooms are in which deck.  However, after asking for help, I was able to understand the layout better. 

view of one of the ship's narrow hallways
The hallways can be tight, but it taught me to be respectful and safe moving through a shared space.

I really felt welcomed by my Chief Scientist, Dave Richardson, and by his science crew.  The Chief Scientist is responsible for leading science research during this mission.  In my next post, I’ll share more about the scientific work we’re doing at sea!

a group of four people walk across a brick-covered pathway through a park
Some of us explored Norfolk, Virginia, as we walked to a restaurant for dinner.  Downtown Norfolk is about a 15-minute walk from the dock, with a lot of beautiful ocean views and history. 
selfie photo (taken by Sinh) of six people on a dock; the four closest people are smiling for the camera and the two in the back seem to be looking elsewhere
Hanging out in Norfolk
view of city street. we can see an American flag on display. the sky is bright blue with some wispy clouds.
Norfolk Streets
photo of a large battleship, as seen from head of the bow. the water is very calm and there is a beautiful sunset.
Battleship Wisconsin
two women smile from a bench seat in a bar and hold up a piece of paper awarding a $15 prize
At the restaurant, we played and placed 3rd in a game of trivia. 
six people standing around on deck looking at large thick rope snaking all around; we can see the dockside area of Norfolk in the background, off ship
On deck on NOAA Ship Pisces
four people, two sitting in computer chairs and two leaning against nearby walls, look intently at a computer screen in the computer lab of the ship
There were lots of opportunities to get to know the scientists, who are very supportive and friendly, just like all the crew members I’ve met so far!
three people stand around some sort of equipment on board that has cross pieces, a mast of sorts, and canvas wings. Sinh is at right, and he and the woman in the center smile for the camera while another woman works on the equipment.
We continued preparation.  I’m excited to share more about this for the next post!

Did You Know?

On NOAA ships, there are different names used for what we’re usually used to.  For example:

Bedroom = stateroom

Bathroom = head

Floor = deck

Kitchen = galley

Dining Room = mess deck

Front of the house: Bow (front of the ship)

Back of the house: Stern (back of the ship)

view of a ship's stateroom containing two bunk beds (so, four berths total.) there is a locker room at the far side. each bed has navy bedding and brighter blue sliding curtains.
This is a photo of my stateroom (bedroom) on the ship. I share it with three other crew members. We all work at different times, so we have to be quiet and respectful so everyone can rest.

Learn more about NOAA Ship Pisces here: https://oceanexplorer.noaa.gov/technology/vessels/pisces/pisces.html

Explore previous research missions here:
https://www.ncei.noaa.gov/maps/ocean-exploration-data-atlas/

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Lisa Carlson: Anticipation… Does everything happen for a reason? July 3, 2023

NOAA Teacher at Sea

Lisa Carlson

NOAA Ship Bell M. Shimada

July 5, 2023 – July 19, 2023

Mission: Fisheries: Pacific Hake Survey (More info here)

Geographic Region: Pacific Ocean, off the coast of California

Date: July 3, 2023

Introduction and Background

Hello! My name is Lisa Carlson and I am an elementary school teacher in Virginia Beach, Virginia. I have taught third, fourth, and fifth grade general education with Special Education and English as a Second Language (ESL) inclusion. This coming fall I will be a second grade teacher, continuing with ESL inclusion! Although I was surprised to move down from fourth grade, I try to maintain the belief that everything happens for a reason, and the only constant in life is change.

Lisa Carlson on a boat, presumably a sailboat. We can see lines, some navigation equipment, portions of the railing, and water in the background. She's wearing a hat, sunglasses, and a blue life vest.

For example, if I not missed out on previous opportunities to join NOAA as a Teacher at Sea due to the pandemic, a short career change, and other extenuating circumstances; I wouldn’t be writing this blog from a hotel room in San Francisco, California, anticipating boarding and seeing July 4th fireworks from the deck tomorrow.

– – ⚓ – –

My introduction to NOAA’s Teacher at Sea program began in the fall of 2017. After student teaching in the fall/winter of 2016 in a third grade class, and permanent subbing in a fifth grade in the winter/spring of 2017, I accepted a position for my own third grade classroom.

My classroom came together with a nautical theme, shades of blues and calm colors, nautical paintings by my Mom, lots of cleaning and moving by my Dad, sailboat name tags on the door, and our own 3D sailboat in my class library. It soon got around that my room was one to go see!

A closed classroom door papered in shiny blue-green wrap on the top half (representing ocean) and brown on the bottom half (representing sand). Paper sailboats of different colors are taped onto the "ocean;" each has a student's name (not legible). Four yellow flip flops, with more labels, are taped to the "sand." At the top of the door, blue letters on a black paper background say: WELCOME ABOARD.

Door decorations for my first third grade classroom!

Classroom decor: life ring painting, handmade pilings,
fish and life ring pillows, sea creature lights, and 3D sailboat

A corner of a classroom, with shelves, plastic organizer boxes, a small carpet, a nest chair, in nautical theme.

Our Technology Integration Specialist, a NOAA Teacher at Sea Alumnus, visited my room and explained the program to me. The application was due on my birthday, less than a month from when I learned about the opportunity.

– – ⚓ – –

So, I applied in November 2017, 2018, and 2019. One year I just wasn’t selected, one year administrative input was not turned in on time, and other hiccups along the way. Then, my 2019 application was accepted, and I was over the moon in January 2020 to learn that I was a finalist. Of course, we all know what happened that March; and the 2020 and subsequent 2021 sailing seasons were canceled. Slowly, a few teachers were able to sail in the summer of 2022, and I was able to read their blogs from afar with the belief of everything happening for a reason.

My 2023 NOAA Teacher at Sea Assignment!

Now, it’s my turn! I will be sailing off the coast of California for two weeks on NOAA Ship Bell M. Shimada with members of the science team as part of the Integrated Ecosystem and Pacific Hake Acoustic Trawl Survey.

“For three decades, the Teacher at Sea program has helped teachers participate in annual NOAA research surveys conducted by our scientists. Teachers from around the country embark on a two to three week expedition at sea. They gain invaluable on-the-job experience and communicate their journey through a series of blogs and lesson plans.”

NOAA Teacher at Sea Blog: “Looking Back on 30 Years of Teachers at Sea”

I am so excited for this opportunity and experience after five and a half years of anticipation. So follow along, wish us fair winds and following seas, and as many schools of Pacific Hake as possible to sample from and research!

– From my king sized bed hotel room, and last night ashore:

Temporarily reassigned teacher, and sailor at heart.

Lisa stands at the door of a streetcar, left hand hanging onto a pole. A San Francisco streetscape extends into the distance to the left side of the photo.