Chris Henricksen said he is thrilled to have the opportunity to not only return to the sea for the first time in 20 years, but to do so as part of a scientific research team.
Mark Twain Elementary School fifth grade teacher Chris Henricksen is embarking on a once-in-a-lifetime journey that will benefit both his students and colleagues. Henricksen was selected as one of 26 teachers from across the United States to participate in the 2014 field season of the National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration’s (NOAA) Teacher at Sea program.
On April 29, he took off from Boston aboard the Henry B. Bigelow for a 21-day “critter cruise.” The mission of the endeavor is to conduct a fisheries survey. Working alongside research scientists, Henricksen is maintaining a daily blog and reporting the important scientific findings and other aspects of life and work aboard ship. When he returns, he will plan and conduct a professional learning opportunity for his colleagues, as well as develop and submit to NOAA two lesson plans related to his experience at sea.
Henricksen’s blog can be followed at http://teacheratsea.wordpress.com/category/christopher-henricksen/. In it, he expressed his gratitude for the heart-warming send off he received from his students and colleagues. He said his section on the ship stands watch from midnight to noon – 12 hours on, 12 hours off. He is acting as one of three “recorders” on the fish sorting line. A recorder’s role is to assist his assigned “cutter” by entering requested measurement data (e.g. length, weight, etc.) of individual fish into a computer database. The cutter processes fish by identifying the species, then performing any number of actions in order to retrieve information about particular fish for later use by scientists. He also reported that the food aboard ship is “very good, and there is plenty of it,” and that he likes being rocked to sleep at night. He said he is tired, but feeling “pretty good.” He concluded, “As a member of the 2014 Teacher at Sea field season, I am honored and excited to work with scientists and maritime professionals in their effort to survey marine species indigenous to the Gulf of Maine fisheries. Having taught science to fifth graders for the past seven years, I feel that this experience will be invaluable in helping me understand how scientists actually engage in their work, knowledge that I will put to good use upon returning to my classroom.”
The Henry B. Bigelow is a state-of-the-art research ship with multiple science mission capabilities. It was built for NOAA by VT Halter Marine, Inc., in Moss Point, Mississippi. The ship supports NOAA’s mission to protect, restore and manage the use of living marine, coastal and ocean resources through ecosystem-based management. Its primary objective is to study, monitor and collect data on a wide range of sea life and ocean conditions, primarily in U.S. waters from Maine to North Carolina.