NOAA Teacher at Sea
Chris Faist Aboard NOAA Ship Henry B. Bigelow July 20 — August 1, 2011
Mission: Cetacean and Seabird Abundance Survey Geographical Area: North Atlantic Date: July 30, 2011
Weather Data Air Temp: 19 ºC
Water Temp: 18 ºC
Wind Speed: 12 knots
Water Depth: 64 meters
Science and Technology Log
When traveling in the ocean you never know what you will get. Scientists can try to predict the weather or the amount of animals that will be seen in a particular area but nothing is as valuable as going to the area and recording what you see. For the last couple of days we have been traveling in deep water off the continental shelf of the east coast of the United States. Yesterday, we made a turn toward the edge of the shelf and we were very surprised by what we found. (Check the Ship Tracker to view our path.)
The ocean can best be described as a patchy, dynamic environment. Some days we have traveled for hours and not seen a single animal but on days like yesterday, we saw so many animals our single data recorder was busy all day. Since the start of this cruise we have averaged about 30 sightings a days. Yesterday, we had 30 sightings in the first 30 minutes of observation and ended with over 115 sightings.
Two Common Dolphins
Species ranged from abundant Common Dolphin, to rare and elusive beaked whales. The sighting conditions were so outstanding the Marine Mammal Observers were identifying everything from a small warbler to the second largest whale, a Fin Whale. Large whales, like Sei and Minke Whales, were concentrated in one area, while the dolphins were seen in other areas. We passed over several undersea canyons and cetacean abundance over these canyons was like nothing one of the scientists had ever seen.
Two tools in the ship’s wide array of scientific tools, help scientists document the small animals that the whales and dolphins might be feeding on over the top of the canyons. One is the XBT, or Expendable Bathythermograph, and the second is a VPR, or Video Plankton Recorder. The XBT is launched from the moving ship to document the temperature and water density along the ship’s track. They are inexpensive and record data in real-time, giving accurate and up to date information about the area the animals are most abundant. The VPR is a tool used at night, while the ship moves slowly, to take pictures of the plankton that occurs along our route.
Example of a VPR image
The combination of temperature, depth and photographs of plankton gives scientists a clear picture of the environment that congregates large densities of cetaceans. By understanding the factors that contribute to cetacean population changes, scientists are able to make recommendations to lawmakers about how to protect this natural resource from human impact like bycatch from the fishing industry or ship strikes in commonly trafficked shipping lanes.
Personal Log
I am disappointed that we only have two days left on our trip. I have thoroughly enjoyed my time at sea. Crazy weather this morning of 30 knot winds and 6-8 foot seas will not be a fun memory but thankfully, this evening the weather settled down and we watched a beautiful sunset while playing games on the top deck. I am not sure that I could be a marine mammal observer but I look forward to taking this unique opportunity and turning it into a learning experience for my students.
Since this will be my last post from sea I thought I would leave you with some images of ocean life that was not a marine mammal or seabird. Enjoy.
NOAA Teacher at Sea Kathleen Harrison Aboard NOAA Ship Oscar Dyson July 4 — 22, 2011
Location: Gulf of Alaska Mission: Walleye Pollock Survey Date: July 18, 2011
Weather Data from the Bridge True Wind Speed: 19.35 knots, True Wind Direction: 231.44°
Sea Temperature: 10.5° C, Air Temperature: 10.11° C
Air Pressure: 1010.53 mb
Latitude: 57.54° N, Longitude: 154.37° W
Ship speed: 12.4 knots, Ship heading: 134.5°
Fog on the horizon, overcast
Science and Technology Log
One thing that I have learned on this trip (don’t worry, I have learned more than one thing) is that the government, and scientists, like to use abbreviations for equipment, procedures, and groups of people. For example, did you know that MACE stands for Midwater Assessment Conservation Engineering? Well, now you do. The NOAA scientists that are aboard the Oscar Dyson work for the Alaska Fisheries Science Center, which is part of MACE. Three of the abbreviations that I have become familiar with are: CTD (conductivity, temperature and depth), XBT (expendable bathythermograph), and Drop (Drop camera). These are devices or procedures that the NOAA scientists use on board the Oscar Dyson to gather information that will help in determining the biomass of Pollock.
The CTD measures conductivity, temperature and depth of sea water.
When I say “the CTD”, I am referring to a device, but the letters actually come from the procedures that the device performs. It is lowered into the water on a cable, and its instruments measure the conductivity (how much electricity will pass through – an indirect way of measuring salinity) and temperature of the sea water, and depth. Niskin bottles may be attached to the CTD frame to collect sea water at selected depths. This information gives scientists knowledge about sea water properties, and over time, will indicate changes in the environment.
Watch this video to see the data as it is being collected.
A hard hat and flotation device are required on the weather deck (any deck open to the weather), even to launch the XBT.
Launching the XBT has been one of my jobs on the Oscar Dyson, at least during my shift. This device measures temperature and depth of sea water. It is basically thrown overboard out of a handheld launcher, which looks like a giant pistol thing, and remains attached to a very thin wire. Data is sent through this thin wire until it reaches the ocean floor, then the wire is broken. The device is not retrieved – hence the name – expendable.
The data is graphed, and a beautiful thermocline is produced. An XBT is launched 3 – 4 times a day, in different locations.
The Drop Camera is attached to a frame to protect it. The light is at the bottom of the frame.
The Drop Camera is an underwater camera that is lowered to the ocean floor. The camera is pressure activated, so it starts recording at a certain depth. It has a bright light that comes on when the camera is operating. Extra line is fed out, because the ship is still moving, and the scientists do not want the camera to drag across the bottom. It records for a few minutes, then it is hauled back to the boat, the memory card is retrieved, and the video is examined. This information about the ocean floor is valuable to commercial fishermen, and future scientific missions.
The ocean floor close to Alaska's coast is home to a variety of sea stars, including brittle stars, as well as flat fish such as sole, flounder, and halibut. (NOAA Ocean Explorer)
New Species Seen
Minke whale
Great Northern Diver (Loon)
Harbor Seal
Fin Whale
Humpback whale
I was blessed to see this full moon about 4:30 am, with Mt. Douglas (elev. 7000 ft) in the background, in the Shelikof Strait.
Personal Log
Today was a fantastic day for wildlife and scenery viewing, as the sun was shining, the winds were calm, and it stays light until midnight here in the Shelikof Strait, west of Kodiak Island. I started the day by going to the bridge around 4:30 am, and was delighted to see a bright full moon, and volcanoes of the Alaskan Peninsula. The day only got better, as the sun rose around 5:30 am.
I have new respect for whale photographers, they are very hard to capture in a photo, here is my amateur attempt.
I spent a lot of time on the flying bridge, looking for whales, and finally took a photo of a spout and fin. I was so excited! You have to be looking at the right spot, at the right time. Our transects take us close to Kodiak Island and its rocky cliffs, as well as the Alaskan Peninsula with its impressive glacier covered volcanoes.
The cliffs of Kodiak rise straight up out of the sea, bold and stunning.
We had a successful trawl today, and I spent several hours in the fish lab. My head was kept warm by this pink knit hat that my sister made for me. Thanks, Jan!
Thanks, Jan, for making this hat for me, I was nice and warm while processing fish today!
NOAA TEACHER AT SEA JASON MOELLER ONBOARD NOAA SHIP OSCAR DYSON JUNE 11 – JUNE 30, 2011
NOAA Teacher at Sea: Jason Moeller Ship: Oscar Dyson Mission: Walleye Pollock Survey Geographic Location: Gulf of Alaska Dates: June 17-18, 2011
Ship Data
Latitude: 52.34 N
Longitude: -167.51 W
Wind Speed: 7.25 knots
Surface Water Temperature: 6.6 Degrees C
Air Temperature: 7.1 Degrees C
Relative Humidity: 101%
Depth: 63.53 meters
All of the above information was found on http://shiptracker.noaa.gov. Readers can use this site to track exactly where I am at all times!
Personal Log
Welcome back, explorers!
It has been a very eventful 24 hours! We have started fishing, but have done so little that I will wait to talk about that in the next log. Tammy, the other Teacher at Sea, has not begun fishing yet, and as we will be writing the science and technology log together, I will save the fishing stories until she has had a chance to fish.
After turning in last night’s log, we managed to spot eight or nine humpback whales on our starboard side that appeared to be feeding at the surface. They were too far away to get any decent photos, but it was a lot of fun to watch the spouts from their blowholes tower up into the air.
Ten whale spouts rise in the distance.
This afternoon started off by dropping an expendable bathythermograph (from here on out this will be referred to as an XBT). The XBT measures the temperature and depth of the water column where it is dropped (there will be more on this in the Science and Technology section). I was told that I would be dropping the XBT this time, and was led off by Sarah and Abby (two of the scientists on board) to get ready.
The first thing I had to do was to get dressed. I was told the XBT would feel and sound like firing a shotgun, so I had to put on eye, ear and head protection. I was also put in a fireman suit to protect my body from the kickback, since I am so small. The XBT launcher is the tube in my hands.This is me launching the XBT. Why no smoke? All we actually needed to do was drop the device over the side. The whole shotgun experience was a prank pulled off by the scientists on all of the new guys. Their acting was great! When I turned towards Sarah at one point with the launcher, she ducked out of the way as if afraid I would accidentally fire it. I fell for it hook, line, and sinker.
However, the prank backfired somewhat. As the scientists were all laughing, a huge wave came up over the side of the ship and drenched us. I got nailed, but since I was in all of the gear, I stayed dry with the hem of my jeans being the only casualty. Sarah didn’t get so lucky. Fun times!
Sarah looking a bit wet.
Science and Technology Log
Today, we will be looking at the XBT (the expendable bathythermograph). Bathy refers to the depth, and thermo refers to the temperature. This probe measures the depth and temperature of the water column when it is dropped over the starboard side of the ship.
“Dropping” isn’t exactly the right phrase to use. We use a launcher that resembles a gun. See the photo below to get an idea of what the launcher looks like.
This is the XBT Launcher.The silver loop is the pin for the launcher. To launch the probe, we pulled the pin and flung out our arm. The momentum pushed the probe out of the tube and into the water below.
The probe.
The probe is connected to a length of copper wire, which runs continuously as the probe sinks through the water column. It is important to launch the probe as far away from the ship as possible, as the copper wire should never touch the ship. If the wire were to touch the ship, the data feed back to the ship would be disrupted and we would have to launch another probe, which is a waste of money and equipment. The survey technician decides to cut the wire when he/she has determined that sufficient data has been acquired. This normally occurs when the probe hits the ocean floor.
This is a quick and convenient way to collect data on the depth and temperature of the water column. While the ship has other methods of collecting this data (such as a Conductivity, Temperature, and Depth (CTD) probe), the XBT is a simpler system that does not need to be recovered (as opposed to the CTD).
A CTD
Data collected from the most recent XBT.
Latitude: 53.20 degrees N
Longitude: 167.46 degrees W
Temperature at surface: 6.7 degrees C
Temperature at bottom: 5.1 degrees C
Thermocline: 0 meters to 25 meters.
The thermocline is the area where the most rapid temperature change occurs. Beneath the thermocline, the temperature remains relatively constant.
Today’s reader questions come from James and David Segrest, who are two of my students in Knoxville Zoo’s homeschool Tuesday classes!
1. Did pirates ever travel the path you are on now? Are there any out there now?
A. As far as I know, there are no pirates currently operating in Alaska, and according to the scientists, there were not any on the specific route that we are now traveling. However, Alaska does have a history of piracy! In 1910, a man named James Robert Heckem invented a floating fish trap that was designed to catch salmon. The trap was able to divert migrating salmon away from their normal route and into a funnel, which dumped the fish off into a circular wire net. There, the fish would swim around until they were taken from the trap.
Workers remove salmon from a fish trap in 1938. Historic Photo Courtesy of the U.S. Fish & Wildlife - Fisheries Collection - Photographer: Archival photograph by Mr. Sean Linehan, NOS, NGS.
For people who liked eating fish, this was a great thing! The salmon could be caught quickly with less work, and it was fresh, as the salmon would still be alive when taken from the trap. For the traditional fisherman, however, this was terrible news. The fishermen could not compete with the traps and found that they could not make a living. The result was that the fishermen began raiding the floating traps, using any means possible.
A barge of salmon going to a cannery. Fishermen could not compete with traps that could catch more fish. Historic Photo Courtesy of the U.S. Fish & Wildlife - Fisheries Collection -Photographer: Archival photograph by Mr. Sean Linehan, NOS, NGS
The most common method used was bribery. The canneries that operated the traps would hire individuals to watch the traps. Fishermen would bribe the watchers, steal the fish, and then leave the area. The practice became so common that the canneries began to hire people to watch the trap-watchers.
2. Have you seen any sharks? Are there any sharks that roam the waters where you are traveling?
Hi James and David! Here is your shark! It's a Pacific Sleeper Shark.The shark in the netAnother image of the shark on the conveyor belt.
This is a Pacific Sleeper Shark. It is called a sleeper shark as it does not appear to move a great deal, choosing instead to glide with very little movement of its fins. As a result, it does not make any noise underwater, making it the owl of the shark world. It hunts much faster fish (pollock, flounders, rockfish) by being stealthy. They are also known to eat crabs, octopus, and even snails! It is one of two animals known to eat giant squid, with the other one being sperm whales, although it is believed that these sharks probably scavenge the bodies of the much larger squid.
The other shark commonly seen is the salmon shark. Hopefully, we will catch one of these and I will have photos later in the trip.
Weather Data from the Bridge:
Latitude: 52.34 N
Longitude: -167.51 W
Wind Speed: 7.25 knots
Surface Water Temp: 6.6 degrees C (~43.9 degrees F)
Water Depth: 63.53 m
Air Temp: 7.1 degrees C (~44.8 degrees F)
Relative Humidity: 101% (it’s very cloudy/foggy, but not raining)
Science & Technology Log:
The XBT Launcher mechanism.
Today I used the Expendable Bathythermograph (XBT) a few times. The WHAT?? The expendable part means we use it once and don’t recover it. Let’s break down the second part into the two main roots: bathy– which refers to depth, and thermo–which refers to temperature. This probe measures the temperature and depth of the water when it is dropped over the starboard (right) side of the ship.
“Dropping” isn’t exactly the correct phrase- we use a launcher that kind of resembles a gun. The probe sits inside of the black tube, and after we uncap the end of the tube, we basically fling our arm out over the side of the ship to launch the probe into the water. I can’t show you any pics of the probe, because if we take it out of the black tube, it’ll start recording data. The probe is connected to a length of copper wire, which runs continuously as the probe falls through the water column, collecting data. It’s important to launch the probe as far away from the ship as possible, because if the copper wire touches the metal on the ship, the data feed will be disrupted and we’d have to launch another probe. Big waste of money and equipment! One of the survey technicians decides to cut the wire (or tells me to) when they’ve decided that a sufficient amount of data has been collected, and we can then look at a graph to see the relationship between temperature and depth.
The XBT is a quick and easy method of data collection, and can be run while the ship is in motion. The ship does have another piece of equipment- the Conductivity, Temperature, and Depth meter (CTD)- to collect the same data, but the CTD is very big and bulky, and the ship must be stopped in order to deploy the CTD. The CTD can also measure parameters such as dissolved oxygen concentration, current velocity, and other things (depending on the additional equipment on the meter). The main advantage the XBT has is that it is quick and can be deployed as the ship is sailing.
Data Collected from an XBT probe today:
Latitude: 53.20 N
Longitude: -167.46 W
Water Temp at Surface: 6.7 degrees C
Water Temp at Bottom: 5.1 degrees C
Thermocline located from 0-25 meters depth
What is a thermocline, you ask? Root word time! We’ve already gone over thermo, and cline refers to a gradient, or where things change rapidly. So, the thermocline is the area where you see the greatest change in temperature. See the diagram as an example (it’s not our actual data). Beneath the thermocline, the water temperature remains relatively constant. Personal log:
Launching the XBT in full safety gear (minus the hardhat, it fell off)Safety first, my friends.
Yesterday, as we were finally on our first transect of many, we needed to use the XBT to collect temperature and depth data. A couple of the scientists told me that I could do it- yay, something for me to do!! So I go to the lab room and see a ton of safety gear out- heavy coat, hardhat, gloves, soundproof earmuffs, goggles. The survey tech tells me that I have to use all that protective gear because the XBT launcher is just like a gun- have I shot a gun before? No! So this is interesting. I don the gear, and he explains what I need to do…which doesn’t seem that dangerous. So now here I am, all geared up, and the rest of the scientists come trickling in to the lab to watch me. That should’ve been a red light right there. Why would they want to watch me do something so simple? Turns out that it’s something that all the new people on the boat go through- we get all hyped up about shooting a loud gun, get loaded with gear, and then…not much. So I basically got all dressed up in my protective gear for no other reason than the entertainment of the crew!!
QUESTION OF THE DAY:
Why is it important to know the temperature and/or depth of the water that we’re trawling in?
NOAA Teacher at Sea Donna Knutson NOAA Ship Oscar Elton Sette September 1 – September 29, 2010
Mission: e Hawaiian Islands Cetacean and Ecosystem Assessment Survey Geograpical Area: Hawaii Date: September 25, 2010
Oceanography
Me with the CTD.
Mission and Geographical Area:
The Oscar Elton Sette is on a mission called HICEAS, which stands for Hawaiian Islands Cetacean and Ecosystem Assessment Survey. This cruise will try to locate all marine mammals in the Exclusive Economic Zone called the “EEZ” of Hawaiian waters. The expedition will cover the waters out to 200 nautical miles of the Hawaiian Islands.
Data such as conductivity, temperature, depth, and chlorophyllabundance will be collected and sea bird sightings will also be documented.
Getting the CTD ready for the water.
Science and Technology:
Latitude: 24○ 28.8’ N
Longitude: 165○ 50.5’ W
Clouds: 3/8 Cu,Ac
Visibility: 10 N.M.
Wind: 12 Knots
Wave height: 1-2ft.
Water Temperature: 26.6○ C
Air Temperature: 25.2○ C
Sea Level Pressure: 1021.1 mb
Ray uses the crane to lift the CTD into the water.
Oceans cover 71% of the Earth. They contain 97% of the water on the planet, and amazingly 95% of the world under the ocean is unexplored!
Oceanography or marine science is a branch of earth science that covers many topics. The studies can include marine organisms, ecosystems, ocean currents, waves, plate tectonics, and changes in the chemistry or physical properties within the ocean. Physical properties are properties which can be measured from the water such as temperature, salinity, mixing of waves, tides and acoustics.
There are many reasons to study the ocean, but one reason is to understand global changes. The atmosphere and oceans are linked through processes of evaporation and precipitation. Weather worldwide is determined by the oceans physical and chemical properties, and its influence on air currents.
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) collects data from oceans throughout the world, evaluates it, then distributes weather forecasts to various weather reporting agencies. NOAA has the largest archives of oceanographic data in the world, and is using the information in long term monitoring of ocean climates and ocean research.
Corey is processing her chlorophyll.
The Oscar Elton Sette is obtaining such data. The bridge of the Sette is transmitting data (as seen at the top of this blog) such as latitude, longitude, temperatures, pressure etc. to NOAA recording sites in order to plan weather forecasts. The scientists are also acquiring data, but this data is more specific to the ocean water’s chemistry. They are measuring temperature, conductivity, salinity, and chlorophyll abundance.
Temperature and salinity differences within the ocean lead to increased circulation. Water has a similar circulation pattern to air. They are both fluids and behave accordingly. When heated, fluids will absorb the heat causing the molecules to move faster. Now that the molecules are colliding more often, they become farther apart. The spread out molecules, in air or water, do not have the same density as before. Because they are less dense, they are pushed up and away from the more dense portion of the fluid.
Corey is dropping in the XBT to measure temperature.
Due to the differences in density, either caused by changes in temperature or salinity, a small current will form. This circulation causes a turn-over effect, and increases the amount of nutrients in the water. These nutrients will feed the phytoplankton (measured as chlorophyll) and microbes. These “animals” are on the bottom of the food chain, will become food for larger animals and so on. Changes in density and salinity are only a small but important means to move nutrients within the water column.
Most of the mixing of water is due to large currents. The Hawaiian Archipelago, because of its location, does not have a lot of mixing water. It is in the middle of the North Pacific Gyre. A gyre is a large system of rotating currents. The North Pacific Gyre is a system of four ocean currents converging in the same area causing a circular motion. At the “edges” of the gyre, a lot of mixing is taking place due to the motion of the incoming currents, while at the center of the gyre, there is the least amount of movement and therefore the least mixing up of nutrients.
The North Pacific Gyre is located between the equator and 50○ latitude. It makes up the largest ecosystem on Earth measuring twenty million square kilometers. If the nutrients are more plentiful at the edges of the gyre, then the ecosystem has an uneven distribution of animal life.
These are used for the bucket sample.
Testing for nutrients is part of the research being done on the Sette. They are trying to match up animal populations in a location to the ocean water’s chemistry. By understanding the variables that a particular species need in order to have a healthy community, will aid in population studies, and also in the tracking of more animals of that species in order to study them in a different context.
Personal Log:
I have been assisting Corey, the oceanographer on the Sette. My “job” is not in analyzing her data, but rather to help make sure the main instrument that is used to take data is not at risk of hitting the boat when it is in the water. It sounds as though I’m in charge of security. Yeah that’s right I am part of the CDT security team!
The CTD (conductivity, depth, temperature) device consists of twelve bottles attached to a large rack. The entire mechanism weighs several hundred pounds, and is lowered into the water by a crane. When in the water, it is important that the device goes all the way down to one thousand meters without being pulled side to side or under the ship where the cable may become wrapped around a propeller. That would be tragic! So in the scheme of things, my meager “security” position is very important. The CTD is lowered into the ocean one hour before sunrise and one hour after sunset. (I only do the morning “security”).
Because this is a very sophisticated piece of electronic equipment, there is also a person in charge of maintaining the CTD to make sure the instrument is working correctly. This position is called a survey tech. Scott is the survey tech who supports Corey. As the CTD is lowered into the water, Scott checks to make sure everything is working properly, and once it reaches one thousand meters, he starts taking readings.
Scott is the “survey tech” that works of the CTD.
Scott takes a reading every one hundred meters until it reaches the surface once again. From his work station, the data of conductivity (which is a measurement caused by salinity), depth, temperature, and oxygen is plotted on a graph. From the data collected, Corey organizes it and reports it along with latitude and longitude.
The bottles on the CTD “fire” or rather trap water at various depths. When brought back to the surface Corey tests the water for chlorophyll which is her nutrient indicator. The more nutrients suggest that the water is more productive and can maintain larger animal populations.
Corey has other tests to check chlorophyll and temperature just to make sure the instrumentation on the CTD is working properly. Three times a day along the route, (the boat stays in one place for the CTD), she does another temperature test down to 760 m, it is called the XBT (expendable bathometric temperature). The XBT is a small black sensor which is weighted and connected by a copper wire to the ships computer back in the lab. As the XBT is dropped behind the ship it records temperature data all the way down. The ship’s computer graphs the temperature changes from 0 – 760m for two minutes.
Only two more days left of my “security” position. I enjoyed talking to Ray, and watching the squid that kept us company. Not a bad view to start off your day!
Another back-up test is the bucket test, it will recheck the chlorophyll. The bucket test is as it says, a narrow bucket lowered over the side. It too is dropped into the moving water, but is brought to the surface with a water sample. Corey pours it into a sample bottle which she will test in the lab 24 hours later. Temperature is also recorded at the same time.
All of this testing and retesting is what is needed to provide reliable data that can be stored and evaluated at a later date. The data may seem inconsequential at the time, but it is truly the glue that holds the clues to why animals are in some areas and not in others.
Oceanography is a very exciting science because there is so much left to learn. The more information we have, the more clearly we can understand our global environment.
