NOAA Teacher at Sea
Krista Fleming
NOAA Ship Oregon II
September 5-20, 2026
Mission: Shark/Red Snapper Bottom Longline Survey, Leg 3
Geographic Area of Cruise: Western Gulf of America
Date: September 9, 2026
Weather Data from the Bridge
Latitude: 27°33.665 N
Longitude: 96°41.862 W
SE Winds 12kts.
Seas 1-2ft SE at 3 seconds
Science and Technology Log
A Long-Term Fisheries Survey
My first few days aboard the NOAA Ship Oregon II have been an incredible introduction to what fisheries science looks like in the field. Our mission is the Shark/Red Snapper Bottom Longline Survey, which focuses on collecting information about populations of some of the shark, snapper, grouper and tilefish species in the Gulf of America.
One of the things I am beginning to understand is just how important reliable, long-term data are to fisheries management. Scientists need to know not only what species are present, but also how abundant they are and how those populations change over time. NOAA Fisheries conducts this survey using standardized methods so that data collected this year can be compared with data collected in previous years.
The survey is divided into four legs each year, and scientists work in specific areas of the Atlantic and Gulf to collect samples and record everything they encounter. By returning to the same general areas and following consistent methods, researchers can look for changes and trends in the health and abundance of different species.
What makes this especially exciting to me is knowing that the data we are collecting are part of a much larger story. This survey has been conducted since 1995, which means scientists have more than 30 years of information to work with. The individual species we encounter during this trip are contributing to a long-term dataset that can help scientists understand what is happening in Gulf ecosystems.
NOAA Ship Oregon II
For the next 17 days, the Oregon II is both our home and our workplace. The ship is 170 feet long, with a beam of 34 feet and a draft of 14 feet. Its home port is Pascagoula, Mississippi, where it was built at Ingalls Shipbuilding.
Knowing a little about the ship’s history makes being aboard it even more interesting. Ingalls Shipbuilding also played an important role during World War II, building nearly 100 ships for the United States and British Royal Navy.
There is also a lot happening aboard the Oregon II beyond the research I am participating in. The ship supports a variety of NOAA missions throughout the year, and it is fascinating to think about how many different scientists, researchers, and crew members have relied on this vessel to conduct work in the Gulf and beyond.
Learning the Survey Process
Before we began our first survey, Dr. William “Trey” Driggers, our Field Party Chief, and Will Tilley, a Fisheries Biologist, walked us through the survey process. We learned how to identify the sharks we might encounter, how to handle them safely, and how to collect the information scientists need without keeping the animals out of the water any longer than necessary.
Our sampling method uses a bottom longline with 100 individual hooks. We prepare and bait each hook, release high flyers that mark the beginning and end of the longline, and attach the baited hooks to the mainline as it is deployed.
Once the entire line is in the water, it remains there for one hour. During deployment and haul back, every hook is accounted for. We record when each hook enters and leaves the water, along with the GPS coordinates and what, if anything, was caught on each individual hook.
I am quickly learning that science isn’t just about what we catch. The information surrounding each catch is just as important. Knowing exactly where an animal was caught, when it was caught, and which hook caught it allows scientists to connect that animal to the larger dataset.
Measuring Sharks
One of the most hands-on parts of my training has been learning how scientists collect standardized measurements from sharks. When a shark comes aboard, we have a specific process to follow, and each measurement serves a purpose.
We collect several different measurements, including:
- Pre-caudal length
- Fork length
- Natural total length
- Stretched total length
(Photo from Researchgate.net)
We also collect a small fin clip that can be provided to researchers for genetic studies.
I am realizing that consistency is what makes this type of research valuable. If scientists collect measurements the same way every time, they can make meaningful comparisons among animals, locations, and years.
The other major lesson has been the importance of efficiency. We want to collect as much useful information as possible while minimizing the amount of time an animal spends out of the water. That means everyone has to know their role, communicate with one another, and be ready to move quickly when an animal comes aboard.
Our First Station
We completed our first station, and it didn’t take long for me to see just how much teamwork is required to make this research work.
I am working the day shift, from noon until midnight. Dr. Trey Driggers has been guiding us through the process. With 30 years of experience researching sharks, he has already given us a tremendous amount of information to absorb.
Dr. Tera Winters, a Senior Research Associate, has also been working closely with Ryan, another volunteer and aspiring marine biologist, and me as we learn our roles. There is a rhythm to the work that we are slowly beginning to develop. We help prepare and bait the hooks, release the high flyers, attach the hooks to the longline, clean buckets, record information, and help process the animals we catch.
So far, we have encountered several small sharks, including sharpnose, blacknose, and sandbar sharks. We have also caught eels and red snapper.
One of the things I have really enjoyed is being able to connect the research happening around me to actual scientific studies. Dr. Walter Ingram Jr., a fisheries biologist, has been incredibly generous with his time. He has explained our mission and survey methods, answered my many questions, and shared some of his research with me. I am currently reading a recently published study on snapper populations that he co-authored with Dr. Trey Driggers and Will Tilley and other prominent scientists.
What makes reading that study so interesting is that these aren’t just names on a research paper. They are three of the scientists working alongside me aboard the Oregon II. I am getting to see firsthand the people, equipment, fieldwork, and data collection that go into producing the research I am reading. I am an active participant in the research, too.
It has been especially meaningful to see the connection between the data being collected in the field and the scientific research that eventually comes from it. It is a reminder that published research doesn’t just appear on a page—it begins with scientists asking questions, collecting data, carefully documenting their observations, and working together to make sense of what they find.
I am only a few days into this experience, but I am already seeing how much science happens behind what may look like a simple catch. There is biology, data collection, technology, mathematics, teamwork, and an incredible amount of attention to detail involved in turning one animal into useful scientific information.
Careers at Sea
One of the things I was most looking forward to about Teacher at Sea was meeting the people who actually do this work. Being able to talk with scientists about their careers and then watch them apply their expertise in the field has been one of the most valuable parts of the experience so far.
There are fisheries biologists, research associates, NOAA Corps officers, deck crew, stewards, and many other professionals aboard the Oregon II. Each person brings a different area of expertise, but all of those roles have to come together for the mission to be successful.
Seeing all of these different careers working together has also made me think about how many different pathways there are into marine science. Not everyone aboard has the same background or does the same job, but each role is important to keeping the ship, the research, and the mission moving forward.
Personal Log
Arriving Aboard
When I arrived aboard the NOAA Ship Oregon II, I was welcomed aboard by the Executive Officer (XO), Lieutenant Commander (LCDR) Peter “Pete” Gleichauf. He showed me to my quarters and then gave me a tour of the ship so I could begin getting acclimated to life at sea.
I got to see the wet lab, dry lab, galley, head, bridge, and many of the other spaces that will become part of my daily life over the next couple of weeks. It was exciting to see the ship in action and begin imagining what life at sea would actually be like.
After unpacking, I was pleasantly surprised by how much space I had left. Then I discovered something I definitely wasn’t expecting—a refrigerator in our room! I also met my roommate, Heather, a Lieutenant (junior grade) in the NOAA Corps. Heather serves as the Operations Officer for the ship. For this leg, she is also the survey technician. It was nice having someone to help me navigate this new environment.
Two Days at Sea
For the first two days, we were in transit from Pascagoula, Mississippi, to Brownsville, Texas, where we would begin our survey.
Being on a research vessel is very different from being on land. There is a rhythm to life at sea that I am still learning. Everyone has a job to do, and the ship operates around the clock. My day shift runs from noon until midnight, which means my schedule is already very different from my normal life as a teacher.
I am also learning that being a Teacher at Sea isn’t just about observing science. I am becoming part of the team, learning procedures, asking questions, and experiencing what it actually feels like to conduct field research in a marine environment.
Meet the Crew: The Galley
I want to use each blog post to introduce you to a different part of the ship and some of the people who help make this research possible. Today, we’re heading to the galley!
I’ll admit, before I arrived, I was a little nervous about what the food situation would be like on a ship. I wasn’t sure what to expect from meals prepared at sea for an entire crew. Thankfully, I quickly discovered that I had absolutely nothing to worry about—the food has been delicious!
Our cooks also put a lot of thought into keeping the crew healthy and energized. Missy, our Chief Steward, and Myesha, our second cook, are piloting a “Go for Green” initiative aboard the Oregon II. They are adapting a Department of Defense performance-nutrition program for life at sea, making healthy, nutrient-dense choices more accessible to the crew.
That is especially important on a research vessel where people are working long shifts, often doing physically demanding jobs, and need to stay focused and energized throughout the day.
For lunch today, we had a chicken burrito with whole-wheat tortilla chips and homemade guacamole. And for Labor Day, the galley staff really went all out. They decorated the galley and set it up like a Labor Day cookout. It was such a fun surprise and a great way to celebrate the holiday.
The galley has quickly become more than just the place where we eat. It is one of the places where everyone comes together, catches up, and gets a chance to relax between shifts. Even though we are miles offshore, the crew puts a lot of effort into making the Oregon II feel a little more like home.
Something to Think About
When scientists collect data from one shark, that information may seem small by itself. But what happens when you collect the same types of data from thousands of animals over many years?
Individual measurements become a dataset.
A dataset becomes a record.
A long-term record can reveal patterns and trends that would be impossible to see from a single observation.
That is one of the things I am beginning to appreciate most about scientific research at sea. What may seem like a single shark on one day of one survey is actually contributing to a much larger scientific story—one that has been developing for more than three decades.
