NOAA Teacher at Sea
Our Year in Blogs
Our Year in Blogs
In 2015 ...
Our 23 NOAA Teachers at Sea wrote 160 science blogposts that included over 3000 photos and 25 short video documentaries. These posts reached 150,000 people from 200 countries around the world.
Top Ten Posts
If you haven’t guessed by now, there are several methods of sampling plankton. Each one is used several times a day, when we get to one of the sampling stations. Since the whole point of these research cruises are… well… doing research, it is fascinating to see the communication between the scientists and the NOAA Corps crew who run the ship. At the beginning of the cruise, Pam, the FPC (Field Party Chief, or chief scientist), discussed the stations we need to get to with LT Marc Weekley, the operations officer (OPS), and ENS Dave Wang, the navigations officer (NAV). Together they made a plan. Some of the decision is based on weather; for example, in the first leg of the cruise, which ended just before I got here, there was bad weather coming in, so they decided to work south, to skirt most of the weather coming from the northwest, and then work back northward.
--Julia West
--Julia West
I have always had a passion for the ocean. Growing up in Santa Monica, California, I spent as many hours of the day as I could at the beach. Whether I had my toes in the sand, on the deck of a sailboat, or on a surfboard – I loved the feeling of being in the water. Today, as a transplant from Hawaii living in Portland, Oregon, I still seem to log many hours of exploration both above and below water.
--Heidi Wigman
--Heidi Wigman
If you could have any super power imaginable, what would it be? Growing up, my son asked me this question numerous times as we walked our dog. While he pondered the advantages of flight, invisibility, or spontaneous combustion, my answer was always the same. I want Aquaman’s powers (but a better looking outfit). I want to swim underwater without the need for dive gear, seahorses, or gillyweed, to see what few others have seen. I want to communicate with whales and dolphins to find out what their large brains can teach us about our planet. While I may not be able to attain superhero status, I can join some real-world adventurers on an amazing vessel equipped to conduct research that will help realize my dream of seeing the unseen depths of the ocean.
--Theresa Paulsen
--Theresa Paulsen
Next week I will be boarding the Henry B. Bigelow to participate in the Spring Bottom Trawl Survey as part of the NOAA’s Teacher at Sea (TAS) program. Before I leave, I am frantically working to assess my student’s work, plan projects for them to work on while I am gone, spending time with my family and also planting seeds in my vegetable garden so that I will return to lovely little green seedlings! Although this is my first time participating in TAS, it is not the first time I will be headed off to sea for an adventure on a boat. After graduating from college, I spent several years living and working on sail training vessels where my job was to take kids out sailing and get them excited about the ocean. One of my favorite things was setting a trawl net and hauling it in by hand so that we could teach kids about whatever fish, invertebrates or plants we caught. I always loved the moment the net reached the surface and I could catch a first glimpse at what was inside!
--Emily Whalen
--Emily Whalen
The Pacific is sometimes called the “Mother of all Oceans” because it is the largest ocean on our planet. Although we have many beautiful beaches here, in San Francisco the Pacific Ocean is much too cold for humans to swim in. Even though I can’t swim in it, I do love to go tide pooling along the Pacific Ocean, looking for tiny sea creatures when the tide goes out like sea stars, crabs, and anemones.
--Sandra Camp
--Sandra Camp
I am honored to have been selected to be a Teacher at Sea for the 2015 Season and look forward to a number of “firsts”. I’ve never been to Mississippi nor have I been at sea for more than 24 hours. Also, I’ve only experienced sharks as preserved specimens or through aquarium glass. I’m also looking forward to meeting my shipmates and learning about career opportunities and the paths that led them to be a part of this Oregon II cruise.
--Kathleen Gibson
--Kathleen Gibson
I am very excited and truly honored to be a part of NOAA’s Teacher at Sea program and look forward to working hard and learning a lot! I will be boarding NOAA Ship Thomas Jefferson in early August! I can’t wait!
I will be writing this blog for the next few weeks to share stories about all the different people I meet, the things I see and what I am doing. This blog will be written especially for my students, so if you are a kindergarten through third grade learner you might want to check back to see different questions I post or interesting observations I may share.
--Jeanne Muzi
I will be writing this blog for the next few weeks to share stories about all the different people I meet, the things I see and what I am doing. This blog will be written especially for my students, so if you are a kindergarten through third grade learner you might want to check back to see different questions I post or interesting observations I may share.
--Jeanne Muzi
An hour before my shift starts, I read and take a short nap. Then, I grab a cup of coffee at 4 pm as my shift starts. I listen as the day shift fills in the evening shift about the happenings of the last 12 hours.
During my shift, there are several things that I may do. If we have fished, there will be pollock and other organisms to process.
After processing, we need to clean up the fish lab which involves spraying down everything include ourselves with water to remove scales and slime.
--Julia Harvey
During my shift, there are several things that I may do. If we have fished, there will be pollock and other organisms to process.
After processing, we need to clean up the fish lab which involves spraying down everything include ourselves with water to remove scales and slime.
--Julia Harvey
What is a winter plankton survey anyway? I will be sharing lots of details about that in the next few weeks, as I learn. The fish resources in the Gulf (or anywhere) are important to humans, and it is through constant monitoring that we keep up on the status and health of fish populations. This data informs fishing regulations. The status of non-fishery species (those not used by humans) is equally important, as you know, because all species are necessary for a healthy ecosystem.
--Julia West
--Julia West
I am continually impressed by both the ship’s crew and the science party’s ability to identify work that needs to be done and set a course towards continued, uninterrupted success of the mission. The depth and breadth of knowledge required to navigate (all puns intended!) extended scientific expeditions requires professional dedication matched with a healthy sense of humor, and it is truly an honor to be invited to participate in this unique opportunity for teachers. I am learning volumes each day and will forever treasure this wonderful adventure. Thanks again, NOAA!
--Trevor Hance
--Trevor Hance
Thanks to Our teachers and supporters for making the 2015 Teacher at Sea season such a success. We look forward to a tremendous year in 2016!
Check out our 2015 Photo of the Week Year in Review and our 2015 Did You Know Year in Review
Check out our 2015 Photo of the Week Year in Review and our 2015 Did You Know Year in Review
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