NOAA Teacher at Sea
Aboard NOAA Ship Oscar Dyson
August 27 – September 15, 2019
Mission: Fisheries-Oceanography Coordinated Investigations.
Geographic Area of Cruise: Gulf of Alaska (Kodiak – Aleutian Islands)
Date: September 12, 2019
Weather Data from the Bridge
Latitude: 57 35.35 N
Longitude: 153 57.71 W
Sea wave height: 1 ft
Wind Speed: 14 knots
Wind Direction: 208 degrees
Visibility: 8 nautical miles
Air Temperature: 15.4 C
Barometric Pressure: 1002.58 mBar
Science and Technology Log
Well, we only have a few days left on this trip and it looks like mother nature is going to force us to head for Dutch Harbor a little early. I thought this might be a good time to spend some time sharing some information on some of the species we have been pulling out of the ocean. This is far from a complete list, but just the ones that made “the cut”.
At the top of the list has to be the Pollock. After all, this is the primary objective of this study. On the left is an adult three-year-old pollock and on the right is an age-0 pollock. The sampling of age-0 pollocks is a good indicator of the abundance of the future population.
There were several species of salmon caught on our trawls. On the left is a Coho Salmon and on the right is a Pink Salmon. These fish are very similar, but are classified as separately Coho Salmon are larger and have larger scales. Coho also has a richer, fuller flavor with darker red meat while the Pink Salmon has a milder flavor and a softer texture.
Jellyfish were abundant on our hauls. Here are the five most common species that we found.
While the Smooth Lumpsucker is significantly larger than the Spiny Lumpsucker, both have unique faces. The Smooth Lumpsucker is also found in deeper water than the smaller Spiny Lumpsucker.
Most of the squid caught and recorded were larval. Here are a couple of the larger ones caught in a trawl.
There were a variety of seabirds following us around looking for an easy meal. The Black-footed Albatross on the right was one of several that joined the group one day.
In keeping with the admiration I have for the scientists and crew I am working with, I will continue here with my interview with Rob Suryan.
How long have you been working with NOAA? What did you do before joining NOAA?
One and a half years. Prior to that, I was a professor at Oregon State University
Where do you do most of your work?
In the Gulf of Alaska
What do you enjoy about your work?
I really enjoy giving presentations to the general public, where we have to describe why we are conducting studies and results to an audience with a non-science background. It teaches you a lot about messaging! I also like working with writers, reporters, and journalists in conducting press releases for our scientific publications. I also use Twitter for science communication.
Why is your work important?
Having detailed knowledge about our surroundings, especially the natural environment and the ocean. Finding patterns in what sometimes seems like chaos in natural systems. Being able to provide answers to questions about the marine environment.
How do you help wider audiences understand and appreciate NOAA science?
I provide information and expertise to make well informed resource management decisions, I inform the general public about how our changing climate if affecting marine life, and I train (and hopefully inspire) future generations of marine scientists
When did you know you wanted to pursue a career in science an ocean career?
During middle school
What tool do you use in your work that you could not live without?
Computer! So much of our instrumentation and sampling equipment are controlled by software interfaces. Also, much of my research involves data assimilation, analysis, creating graphs, and writing scientific papers. Although, at the very beginning of my career, most of our data collection was hand written, as were our scientific papers before typing the final version with a typewriter. So glad those days are gone!
If you could invent one tool to make your work easier, what would it be?
For in the office: a computer program that would scan all of my emails, extract the important info that I need to know and respond to, and populate my calendar with meetings/events. For the field: a nano-power source that provided unlimited continuous power for instruments AND global cell phone or wireless connectivity.
What part of your job with NOAA did you least expect to be doing?
I joined NOAA later in my career and had collaborated with NOAA scientists for many years, so everything was what I expected for the most part.
What classes would you recommend for a student interested in a career in Marine Science?
Biology, math, chemistry, and physics are good foundation courses. If you have an opportunity to take a class in marine biology at your school or during a summer program, that would be ideal. But keep in mind that almost any field of study can be involved in marine science; including engineering, economics, computer science, business, geology, microbiology, genetics, literature, etc.
What’s at the top of your recommended reading list for a student exploring ocean or science as a career option?
I originally studied wildlife biology before marine science and one of my favorite books initially was A Sand County Almanac, by Aldo Leopold. For marine biology, I would recommend The Log from the Sea of Cortez, by John Steinbeck.
What do you think you would be doing if you were not working for NOAA?
I would probably work at a university again – I was a professor at Oregon State University before working for NOAA.
Do you have any outside hobbies?
Pretty much any type of outdoor adventure, most frequently kayaking, mountain biking, hiking, camping, and beachcombing with my family and our dogs.