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Day 4: 4.22.06
Water temperature monitoring
Today we installed temperature loggers at four different sites around the island in water depths ranging from 30-110 feet. The data loggers are configured to record a temperature measurement every hour for up to three years. Dr. Margaret Miller from the NOAA Southeast Fisheries Science Center in Miami will retrieve our loggers during her research cruise in November.
a temperature logger marked with small
blue subsurface float, by J. Marr
Sea surface temperature in remote locations like Navassa are monitored by satellite measurements, but because the waters around Navassa are very deep, surface temperatures may not be the same as those on the sea floor. Data from the network of underwater temperature loggers that we install will show how similar sea surface temperatures are to bottom temperatures where corals actually live. Coral mortality events have been observed during previous research studies at Navassa reefs. These mortality events may have been caused by coral bleaching, which is often associated with high water temperatures. However, no bottom temperature data exist to confirm these hypothesized high temperature events.
Fish and Habitat Surveys
Chief
Scientist G. Piniak splashes into a dive, photo by A. Poray
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Schooling
Bermuda chub, photo by C. Addison |
Divers
J. VanderPluym and C. Addison compare notes during a dive, by S.Moneysmith
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Divers
G. Piniak and R. Kelty at the surface giving the OK sign, by
A. Poray. |
A closer look at the Nancy Foster and her crew
The NOAA ship Nancy Foster was originally built for the U.S. Navy as a yard torpedo test craft. She is 187 feet long, 40 feet wide, and draws 12 feet. In 2001, the ship was transferred to NOAA and converted to conduct marine research along the Atlantic, Gulf, and Caribbean coasts.
Who works on the Nancy Foster?
Her crew consists of 20 NOAA employees who serve in three different capacities: as NOAA Corps officers, wage mariners, and General Schedule employees.
What is the NOAA Corps?
The NOAA Corps began in 1807 with the establishment of the Survey of the Coast by President Thomas Jefferson. Today’s NOAA Corps officers serve at sea aboard NOAA research and survey ships, in flight aboard research aircraft investigating anything from snow cover to hurricanes, and on shore in NOAA labs and offices. All officers have bachelor degrees and go through a lengthy application process before beginning a three-month training curriculum at King’s Point, New York. Positions held by NOAA Corps officers aboard the Nancy Foster are: Junior Officer, Navigational Officer, Operations Officer, Executive Officer, and Commanding Officer (Captain of the ship). NOAA Corps officers are commissioned officers appointed by the President of the United States.
What is a Wage Mariner?
Wage mariners fill a variety of positions from piloting small craft to keeping the intricate ship systems and engines running. Wage mariner positions on the Nancy Foster are: Chief Boatswain, Able-Bodied Seaman, General Vessel Assistant, Licensed Engineer, Steward, and Survey Technician. There are two routes to become a wage mariner, either by attending a maritime academy for marine training (referred to as the Academy route) or by starting at entry level and working up the ladder (self-titled “Hawspipers”). Wage mariners sign on with a boat for shorter periods of time (months) up to 30 years, or as their skills are needed for specific cruises or vessels.
A closer look at two new Nancy Foster crew members
Matt Trembley, General Vessel Assistant
The youngest member of the crew is 19 year-old Matt Trembley from Bremerton, WA. After high school, Matt looked into the Navy but decided he wanted to experience life at sea before he made such a commitment. He signed up as a wage mariner for NOAA and received a call asking him to get to Seattle in two hours. Within two days he was boarding the Nancy Foster in St. Croix, U.S. Virgin Islands. In his one and a half months at sea, he has been to the U.S. Virgin Islands, Puerto Rico, and Navassa Island. Today, Matt went snorkeling for the first time in his life.
Matt's daily duties include:
- deck maintenance
- operation of deck cranes
- bridge watch
- assistance in launch and recovery of small vessels.
Matt considers this line of work more of a lifestyle than a job. (photo by J. VanderPluym)
Lecia Salerno, Ensign
One of the two female crew members on board is Ensign Lecia Salerno, from Halifax, PA. She studied marine biology at Coastal Carolina University. She discovered the NOAA Corps while surfing the NOAA website for job openings. Lecia has been an officer since completing her three months of basic training in October 2005.
Ensign Salerno's daily duties include:
- managing the ships store, medical supplies, and impressed funds
- standing bridge watch
- completing daily ship logs
- assessing weather conditions
- launching and retrieving small vessels
In addition, Lecia recently redesigned the Nancy Foster website. Once her two and a half year sea assignment concludes, she will then have a three year land assignment during which she hopes to work with sharks. She had this to say about her experience so far, “I get paid to dive and to see the sunset and sunrise over the Caribbean every day.” In short, it is worth it. (photo by J. VanderPluym)