Submitteed by NOAA

Sam Garson, a science teacher at Friday Harbor High School in Friday Harbor, Washington, recently returned from a 20-day bottom trawl fisheries survey off the northeastern U.S. coast. Garson participated in this cruise as part of NOAA’s Teacher at Sea program, which bridges science and education through real-world research experiences.

“I am excited to help my students see how far and wide their interests can take them away from our small, remote, rural island,” says Garson. “I am thrilled to give them the ability to learn first-hand about exciting research projects at sea, allowing them to engage with the science on a personal level. Helping students understand what real world science looks like is crucial to helping them see their future pathways into STEM fields and the global job market.”

On Friday, Sept. 6, Garson boarded NOAA Ship Henry B. Bigelow in Newport, Rhode Island, and worked with scientists daily as they conducted a bottom trawl survey of fish species off the Atlantic coast. Garson wrote a blog detailing his experience. Photos from the blog are free and available for use by media with proper credit.

“NOAA’s Teacher at Sea Program gives teachers the professional opportunity of a lifetime with a chance to participate in cutting edge science, on the ocean, working side-by-side with world-renowned scientists,” says Jennifer Hammond, the program’s director. “Teachers describe this authentic research experience as transformative and one that allows them to bring new knowledge and excitement back to their classrooms.”

Since 1990, the program has provided nearly 850 teachers the opportunity to gain first-hand experience participating in science at sea. These educators are able to enrich their curricula with the depth of understanding they gain by living and working side-by-side with scientists studying the marine environment.

NOAA’s mission is to understand and predict changes in the Earth’s environment, from the depths of the ocean to the surface of the sun, and to conserve and manage our coastal and marine resources. Join us on Facebook and Instagram.

For more information:

NOAA Fisheries: www.fisheries.noaa.gov

NOAA Teacher at Sea Homepage: http://teacheratsea.noaa.gov/

Sam Garson’s blog: https://noaateacheratsea.blog/category/2024/sam-garson/