Geographic Area of Cruise: West Coast Pacific Ocean
Date: July 24, 2026
Weather Data from Eugene, Oregon – Mahlon Sweet Field (KEUG)
Latitude: 44.13333° N Longitude: 123.21444° W Wind Speed: North at 8 mph Air Temperature: 28°C / 82°F
Introduction
Stacey
Hi! My name is Stacey Morris, Spanish & College/Career teacher at Churchill High School, in Eugene, Oregon. Tomorrow, I begin an incredible journey as a NOAA Teacher at Sea, and I couldn’t be more excited! This opportunity combines my love of education with the chance to experience science in action alongside NOAA scientists and crew members. I’ll be stepping aboard a research vessel to learn firsthand how ocean science is conducted and why it matters.
As an educator, I know that some of the best learning happens outside the classroom. My goal is to bring this experience back to my students in meaningful ways. I’ll be sharing what I learn about the many careers that make ocean research possible—not just the scientists, but also the officers, the engineers, deck crew, and others who keep a research mission running. I hope these stories will help my College Success students explore career pathways they may never have considered.
While I’m excited, I’m also nervous, as I know this adventure will push me outside my comfort zone, a lot! I’m looking forward to asking questions, learning from experts, making new friends, and experiencing life aboard a NOAA research vessel. Every day will bring new opportunities to discover something I can share with my students – I hope I can keep up with everything!
Stacey’s father
My father, who passed away just shy of 98 years old in March, was the one who inspired me to apply to NOAA. He was a high school biology teacher with a passion for marine science. We spent many vacations poking around in tide pools, and he was always curious about the creatures, critters, and plants surrounding us. He was so excited to hear that I was accepted, and I know that he is with me in spirit on this trip.
Throughout this voyage, I’ll post updates about the research we’re conducting, life aboard the ship, the people I’ll meet, and the amazing science happening at sea. Whether you’re one of my students, a fellow educator, family member, or simply curious about NOAA’s work, I invite you to follow along.
I just found out yesterday that I will be deploying three drifter buoys that we can track as they float and collect data. They will be decorated with CHS Lancer stickers, so even the fish will know our name. 🙂
Tomorrow the adventure begins, and I can’t wait to share the journey with all of you!
On Saturday, I will board NOAA Ship Reuben Lasker in San Francisco, a premier research ship equipped with cutting-edge technology for global fisheries study. I will be part of the Integrated West Coast Pelagics Survey, collecting data on Pacific hake and other fisheries through acoustic data, biosampling data, eDNA, and ecosystem data to understand the health of our fisheries with a changing ocean. I will soon find out what that data collection looks like and how it is done (and what some of those words even mean!).
The NOAA Teacher at Sea professional learning experience reinvigorated my passion for exposing students to the relevance of current scientific research. It allowed me to see and share what goes on behind the scenes, thereby reducing some of the intimidation students may feel when pursuing research opportunities with a prestigious organization.
I am inspired by the teams of scientists, resource managers, navigators, engineers and communicators who work together to protect our oceans. NOAA’s work in forecast predictions, fisheries management and safe navigation demonstrates how many different skills and areas of expertise contribute to a shared goal of ocean conservation.
Many Minds, One Goal
The Science Team is pictured here: Artem Dzhulai, Nick Metheny, Rowan Cirivello, Ava Cieplinski, Katey Marancik, Audy Peoples, Amanda Jacobson, Olivia Robson and Amber LaMonte
Student team hauling a sample (photo courtesy of York High School)
This collaborative approach highlights my message: regardless of individual interests in science, technology, communication or leadership, students can have a meaningful role in protecting marine environments. My goal is to facilitate learning experiences that help students recognize unique strengths, develop critical thinking skills and understand how teamwork with diverse talents can contribute to the stewardship of our ocean resources.
One of the most fulfilling aspects of my sail experience was completing technical and laboratory tasks alongside scientists and technicians, which allowed me to develop meaningful questions. My sail experience was followed by a visit to NOAA’s Narragansett Lab, where I viewed the extensive collections of preserved plankton. It is one of the largest archives of plankton and oceanographic data on the East Coast. Remember all the zooplankton samples from the bongos?
And do you recall that those samples are sent to Poland for classification? Well, once sorted, they are returned to and cataloged by the lab in Rhode Island. I was gifted a book that highlights 50 years of Polish-American research collaboration. The studies are multidisciplinary and further highlight the teamwork behind understanding and protecting our ocean. The ability to discuss with scientists the details of their research and how the survey data will be applied to their team’s planned publications has informed my design of future lesson plans.
Another aspect that completely filled my cup of teacher inspiration was being able to share my days in real time with my students. Participating in the program during the last two weeks of the school year gave me a captive student audience, who were genuinely enjoying learning through my experience. Several blog posts were published for them to read in class and learn about the science of the sail. Additionally, I asked the students to create challenge cards on blank playing cards. They ranged from taking random pictures & predicting which species I might see, to blogging about my meals, OOTD (outfit of the day), social media dances and tours of the ship. These were shared daily on our school’s science Instagram stories.
What excites me most about the Global Drifter Program is the opportunity to bring authentic science into my classroom. At York High School, we will continue to follow the three drifters I had the opportunity to deploy from NOAA Ship Pisces with our own dedicated webpage. The data these instruments provide are essential for validating satellite observations and improving forecasting models. And now, rather than simply learning about ocean currents with a lecture, students can follow active drifters, analyze authentic data in near real time and make observations based on the same information used by scientists. There is something incredibly powerful about giving students access to live data and inviting them to ask questions, identify patterns, and draw conclusions.
Drifter #1Drifter #2Drifter#3
Above, you can see the trajectory of each drifter after approximately 1 month. Drifter #1 is off the coast of Pennsylvania; Drifter #2 appears to have followed me home towards the Chesapeake Bay and Drifter #3 has gotten into the flow of the Gulf Stream and is traveling to the Northeast Atlantic.
Future
Maritime Field Trip (photo courtesy of York High School)Ocean Acidification Lab (photo courtesy of York High School)Maritime Club (photo courtesy of York High School)Pteropod sample collections under the microscope aboard PiscesFiltering phytoplankton from water samples collected by Rosette Niskin bottles.
Looking ahead, I am energized by the many ways I can extend this experience into my classroom, school community and professional practice. I am especially excited to engage students in investigations of “osteoporosis of the sea,” aka ocean acidification, using pteropods, helping them understand how environmental changes impact marine ecosystems. I also plan to involve students in validating NASA satellite imagery through phytoplankton collection data, giving them the opportunity to contribute to authentic scientific research while strengthening their data literacy skills.
Beyond the classroom, I hope to inspire students through our Maritime Club, creating opportunities for hands-on exploration, environmental stewardship and connections to maritime career paths. And I will be sharing what I have learned with colleagues through a back-to-school professional development presentation for science teachers, highlighting the value of authentic, place-based learning experiences. As I continue to grow professionally, I also hope to share these experiences at future marine education conferences, connecting with other educators.
Personal
Amber LaMonte and Ava Cieplinski at the Narragansett Lab with the children’s book “A Good Catch” by Taylor Morrison
One of the most unexpected treasures of my NOAA Teacher at Sea experience wasn’t just what I learned; it was connections with fellow blue minds. The picture above is a prime example of how those connections span over decades. Recent college graduate Ava Cieplinski, who served as a science volunteer on the sail, and I were gifted a children’s book, “A Good Catch,” that was illustrated and written in collaboration with NOAA Fisheries in 2011. From scientists and crew members to fellow educators who share a passion for discovery, the voyage created lasting connections that stretch far beyond the horizon.
There’s something about being surrounded by the ocean that puts everyone on the same wavelength. The salty air, the teamwork required and the calm, connected state inspired by water, described by Wallace J. Nichols as the Blue Mind. As a teacher, I’m returning home with more than data, photos and lessons for my students. I’m bringing back a community of ocean advocates, scientists and lifelong learners who remind me that the most meaningful discoveries often happen through human connection.
Mission: SEAMAP Summer Groundfish Survey Geographic Area of Cruise: Gulf of America/Gulf of Mexico Date: July 18, 2026
Science and Technology Log
Are you curious about the final number of marine taxa (types) that we caught on Leg 3 of the SEAMAP Groundfish Survey?
We caught more than even the scientists onboard predicted we would! However, before I tell you the final count, I want to explain a little bit about the process of sorting and identifying the different types of marine life counted during the survey.
Not everything that came up in the net was counted as part of the survey. Trash, empty shells, sea grass, and organisms small enough to pass through the holes in the net were not included. We first sorted everything into similar groups and then separated those groups further when needed. For marine life that looked very similar or was difficult to identify, the scientists would double-check each other’s work to make sure everything was sorted correctly. Remember, this survey was not just about fish but included all kinds of marine life living on the ocean floor.
Looking at these pictures, can you tell the difference between some of these organisms?
Four different types of flatfish, most commonly known as Flounder, all caught in the same haul
Two different types of scallops
Sometimes it was easy to tell the difference and other times it was very difficult. The scientists had to not only know the differences but also the scientific (Latin) names for hundreds of different marine taxa. Occasionally, we would catch something that was not common during the groundfish survey. When this happened the scientists would consult identification guides or databases to help identify what we had caught.
Over the past two weeks, I have learned so much and encountered many new names and words. Not only have I learned the common names of the marine life we encountered, but I have also learned their scientific names. I’m not sure how many of those names will stay in my long-term memory since I may never encounter some of these organisms again. I do know I have learned more than I ever expected.
I was able to identify a lionfish on someone’s shirt! Before this trip, I never would have recognized it.
The total count of different marine taxa (types) that we counted was…
350!
That’s 350 different marine taxa that we identified during Leg 3 of the survey. Then, every individual within those taxa had to be counted, with many also being measured and weighed. It was incredible to see the diversity of life living on the ocean floor.
Watch this slideshow to see video to see some of the amazing marine life we encountered.
Marine Life of the Groundfish Survey
Did you see any marine life that looked familiar? I did! I was surprised to learn that there are catfish in the sea! They are a different type than the catfish we have in the rivers back home in Kansas, but they look very similar.
Personal Log
Before leaving for this trip, I wanted to get a picture of the sunset every night. Unfortunately, that didn’t happen! At first, I did not realize the sun set around 8:00 p.m. in the Gulf instead of closer to 9:00 p.m. like back home in Kansas. By the time I figured that out, I had already missed a few beautiful sunsets. Thankfully, I was still able to capture several beautiful sunsets before the end of the trip.
They say that if you are lucky, you might see a ‘green flash’ just as the sun disappears below the horizon because green is the last color visible before the sun is gone. I watched every chance I got, but I was not lucky enough to see one.
As I head back to Kansas, I just want to say thank you to everyone who made this experience possible. Thank you to the NOAA Teacher at Sea team, the crew of Oregon II, the science team, and everyone who followed along on my adventure.
It is still hard to believe that this was my life for the past two weeks. The entire Oregon II crew was incredibly welcoming and made the ship feel like a home away from home.
Part of the science team aboard NOAA ship Oregon II
To the science team, thank you for making room for a Teacher at Sea and for answering my thousand-and-one questions. You are an incredible group of people, and the research you do to help monitor the health of the Gulf is so important. A special thank you to Scientist Dereke for being willing to pick up the ‘spicy’ fish so I could take pictures, and to Mo, the college student, for learning alongside me and teaching me about marine biology.
Dorothy said in The Wizard of Oz, “there is no place like home.” While I am happy to be back in Kansas and preparing for my next adventure at a new school, I know I will miss the people I met aboard Oregon II. It truly became a home away from home.
Artist Highlight
Meet artist Sean Gronquist, a member of the NOAA crew. Sean uses the Japanese art of fish printing called Gyotaku. Gyo means fish and taku means rubbing. This traditional art form began as a way for fishermen to record their catches before photography and is still practiced today. https://ocean.si.edu/conservation/get-involved/educational-uses-gyotaku-or-fish-printing
Sean Gronquist displays a fish print of a dolphinfish
Activity Corner
Choose an ocean animal that interests you and do a little research. Where does it live? What adaptations help it survive? What role does it play in its ecosystem?
The science team shared some of their favorite ocean-themed books for readers of all ages. Whether you are just beginning to learn about marine life or you are looking for your next great read, I hope you find one that inspires you to learn more about our oceans.
Lower Elementary
The Pout-Pout Fish by Deborah Diesen
The Cod’s Tale by Mark Kurlansky
Upper Elementary and Up
The Octopus Scientists: Exploring the Mind of a Mollusk by Sy Montgomery
Why Fish Fart: Gross but True Things You’ll Wish You Didn’t Know by Francesca Gould
Middle School and up
Octopus: The Ocean’s Intelligent Invertebrate by Jennifer A. Mather
The Soul of an Octopus by Sy Montgomery
Nonfiction High School and up
What a Fish Knows by Jonathan Balcombe
Emperors of the Deep by William McKeever
Longitude by Dava Sobel
So Excellent a Fishe by Archie Carr
A Shadow and a Song by Mark Jerome Walters
Fiction High School and up
Andy Weir: The Martian or Project Hail Mary
Merfolk by Jeremy Bates
Nonfiction Adult
Cod: A Biography of the Fish That Changed the World by Mark Kurlansky
The Reef: A Passionate History by Iain McCalman
The Brilliant Abyss by Helen Scales
Other Minds by Peter Godfrey-Smith
Rachel Carson’ ‘s The Sea Around Us or Silent Spring
Adult Fiction Books
The Ocean at the End of the Lane by Neil Gaiman
The Mountain in the Sea by Ray Nayler
Remarkably Bright Creatures by Shelby Van Pelt
Did You Know?
Oregon II will welcome another NOAA Teacher at Sea at the end of July for Longline Survey. It will be a different science team, but I hear they will be catching lots of sharks and snappers! Follow the NOAA Teacher at Sea Blog to continue the adventure.
Geographic Area of Cruise: Gulf of America (Gulf of Mexico)/Atlantic Ocean
Current Location: Baltimore, MD
Date: July 22, 2026
About Me
Sailing in the Baltimore Inner Harbor in November 2025 with the schooner Lady Maryland in the background.
My name is Cheyanne Vanderdonckt and I am a special educator in the Baltimore City Public School System in Baltimore, Maryland. I have been teaching first and second graders at Moravia Park Elementary for 17 years. My favorite thing about my job — besides working with amazing children — is that I get to learn and try new things all the time. I am so excited to have been chosen to go on a wonderful learning adventure this summer aboard NOAA Ship Oregon II with the Teacher at Sea program! I will be participating in the Shark/Red Snapper Bottom Longline Survey departing from Pascagoula, Mississippi on July 27. I have been learning shark facts all year from a couple of my students who are very interested in the topic. When I told them what I would be doing this summer and they heard the word shark, they were in awe. I can’t wait to share my experiences with them!
Why Teacher at Sea?
I have been fascinated by the water and tales of seafaring from a young age. Most of my exploration took the form of voracious reading, but I also found ways to get in or on the water as much as possible. I spent the majority of my childhood in Florida, where I loved to canoe on the rivers with alligators sunning themselves on the shores. In the last couple of years, I have begun learning to sail with a local nonprofit that operates right in downtown Baltimore on the Inner Harbor. As I built my confidence on the water, I started to think about how I could help connect my students with the wealth of opportunities our waterfront provides — from recreation to scientific learning to marine careers.
Most of my students love science and the outdoors. They have the natural curiosity of childhood and they love hands-on exploration. Our lessons inevitably lead to them asking more and more questions. I love being able to say “I don’t know but we can find out!” when a student asks a question that goes beyond the set curriculum lesson for the day. This means that our work has sparked an interest or even a passion. That being said, I also recognize that I need to develop my own scientific literacy if I want to provide them with the highest quality science instruction. Every summer I take advantage of teacher trainings in science to build my own capacity in this area. When I learned about the Teacher at Sea program, I realized that this was the perfect opportunity for my professional growth that would also enable me to bring value experiences back to my students and the wider school community.
What I Hope to Learn and Bring Back to Baltimore
The famous Domino Sugars factory in Baltimore’s Inner Harbor. Having a working port in our city is a great opportunity to connect students with marine careers.
I talk a lot with my students about careers in science, technology, engineering and math (STEM). Information about STEM careers is now embedded in the math and science curricula. However, I notice that many of the pictures presented to students show people indoors, sitting in front of computers or looking at a test tube. We don’t have as many images of scientists working outdoors or engaging in heavier tasks. My students love to move around, be outside, tinker with things, and generally be active. I always emphasize to them how critical reading and writing are to scientific careers. But I also want them to know that being a scientist can be an active career that can involve working outside, going on adventures, getting dirty and engaging in satisfying labor. Because I am a special educator, I am also interested in finding the ways that my students’ different ways of experiencing the world can be an asset in the science of the future.
Having a firsthand experience of a research cruise will help me understand the skill sets involved and the possibilities that await my students. Although they are a bit young to fully comprehend all of the technical details (and — if I’m being honest — I may struggle with it, too!), they will be able to see the types of work that scientists and mariners do at sea. I’m hoping that my work experience will aid me in designing learning experiences that help them learn not just scientific concepts but the types of technical and physical skills needed to succeed in these careers. For instance, the ability to identify and sort different species of fish may be a specialized skill but it is built on the foundations of careful observation and pattern recognition. How can I bring my students engaging experiences that build these skills? How can I keep learning exciting and motivating so that they carry that wonderful curiosity and sense of exploration into their futures? How can I connect them with experiences of our natural world that inspire awe and wonder?
Packing My Bag and Unpacking Big Feelings
In the past couple of weeks, I have been getting more and more information about my upcoming research cruise: what to bring, tasks to complete before leaving, a map of the ship, my shift and room assignment. On a practical level, I am checking and double-checking my packing list. I have a grown son who lives overseas and I have taken over his bedroom as my staging area. I’ve also been digging through his old Boy Scouts camping gear for anything that might come in handy. (He won’t mind that I took his head lamp!) Of course, space is limited, so I must resist the urge to think that I can prepare for any eventuality with more stuff. That’s all part of the learning process. I’ve also met with a Teacher at Sea mentor who answered my questions and assured me that “excited and nervous” are both appropriate feelings at this point. I am feeling just like my students probably do before beginning a new year of school. As teachers, it is not enough to just focus on information. We also have to attend to the emotions involved in learning. Allowing myself to be a beginner at something new and challenging helps remind me that my students are also feeling this way when I ask them to try something new. The support I want right now is the support I need to be prepared to give them.
On Saturday, July 25, I will be flying to Pascagoula, Mississippi, where I will spend two nights before the ship departs on Monday, July 27. Although I lived on the Gulf coast of Florida for 22 years, I have never been to this area before and I’m excited to have a day to explore before I report to the ship. This spring I read The Gulf: The Making of An American Sea by Jack Davis to learn more about this amazing body of water. I learned about the artist Walter Anderson who spent a lot of time on Horn Island. There is a museum dedicated to his work in Ocean Springs that I may have time to visit.
Thank You!
Thank you so much for joining me on this journey. I look forward to sharing everything that I will learn and experience. Although I am the one boarding the ship, I have received so much support from my family, friends, colleagues and administrators that have made all of this possible. I am truly grateful for all of this.
NOAA Teacher at Sea Amelia Black Aboard NOAA ShipOregon II July 6-17, 2026
Mission: SEAMAP Summer Groundfish Survey Geographic Area of Cruise: Gulf of America/Gulf of Mexico Date: July 16, 2026
Weather Data from the Bridge: Latitude: 30.00 N Longitude: 87.30 W Sea wave height: 2 ft Wind Speed: 13 kt Wind Direction: 270 Visibility: 10 miles Sea Temperature: 84.02℉ Air Temperature: 85℉ Barometric Pressure: 30.08 inHg Humidity: 72% Sky: Clear
Science and Technology Log
“That, my dear, is a ‘horse of a different color.’” — Carriage Driver from The Wizard of Oz
We have caught a few seahorses (Hippocampuserectus) in our various trawls. I was surprised to see that seahorses come in many different colors. Check out this video of seahorses that we caught. They are kept in a bucket with a bubbler while we wait to measure and weigh them.
Did you know that seahorses are one of the few animals in which males become pregnant and give birth? Their close relatives, pipefish and seadragons, also belong to this unique family. https://oceanservice.noaa.gov/facts/seahorse.html
There are a lot of pieces that keep Oregon II moving. The engineering department keeps the ship moving, the lights on, and nearly every system aboard operating smoothly. On a typical day, the engines use about 1,200 gallons of fuel. That’s a lot of gas diesel fuel to keep things moving.
View of the two engines from the top of the engine room. Two NOAA Engineers on duty in the Engine Room.
I had the opportunity to go below deck and check things out with the Chief Engineer. I had to wear hearing protection, and even then the engine was incredibly loud and there was only one engine running at that time. The deck below was not only loud but very hot. The engines are Caterpillar engines and with the amount of power they push out to keep the boat moving they produce a lot of heat.
The Chief Engineer has made it a fun work environment by adding a few robots.
The first robotCheck out this robot, looks a little familiar
He is working on this one. Can you guess what it will become?
It’s a minion!
The Chief Engineer said one of the best things about NOAA is the incredible people who work here. He likes what NOAA does and feels that a lot of the actual research that you look up comes from NOAA.
Another department that keeps Oregon II moving is the NOAA Corps. These are the officers that run the bridge. I have had several opportunities to go above deck and look out from the bridge. The bridge offers a beautiful view, and every time I have visited I have been lucky enough to see dolphins swimming alongside the ship. Here is a look at all the instruments the bridge uses to navigate.
Check out all the screens and the equipment needed to pilot the ship. Picture of the Captain’s Chair View from the Bridge
Personal Log
Me with Lawrence’s Sea Star (Luidia lawrencei)
Check out that Lawrence Sea Star! What a fun coincidence! Next week I’ll be attending a professional development at the Dole Institute in nearby Lawrence, Kansas.
I have had the opportunity to experience and learn many amazing things so far. Here are some videos I took about what I have been up to!
Here is a cute video of a shamed face crab spitting water. This is how they breathe and get oxygen out of the water. It is just too cute!
Video of a shame-faced crab spitting water.
Video of small octopus in the water and on my hand.
Video of Sea Urchin moving
I can’t believe this adventure is almost over! After this blog I will write one more blog to let everyone know the total number of Marine life that was cataloged by Leg 3 of SEAMAP Groundfish Survey.
Activity Corner
Here are a few activities about seahorse you can do with your children (or just for fun):
Preschool-1st grade Practice the letter S Draw a Seahorse with the Letter S from Art for Kids Hub https://youtu.be/UIfte0bmqFE
