The Drifter Who Came Back from the Sea
An unexpected reunion took place recently, bringing together a Teacher at Sea and a drifting ocean buoy that had embarked on a remarkable journey. Tonya Prentice, a science teacher at Tremont Consolidated School in Maine, had the opportunity to participate in NOAA’s Teacher at Sea Program. Prior to setting sail aboard the NOAA Ship Henry B. Bigelow for a two-week expedition to conduct an ecosystem monitoring survey of the Northeastern U.S. shelf, Tonya made sure to bring along stickers from her school and the Teacher at Sea Program.
During her time at sea, Tonya worked with NOAA scientists to deploy two drifting buoys in the ocean near the continental shelf. These buoys, equipped with a drogue to anchor them to the near-surface current, transmitted their location and measurements via satellite hourly. Back at school, Tonya and her students eagerly tracked the drifters’ progress, plotting coordinates and connecting observation data to global environmental patterns. This hands-on project allowed students to engage with scientific concepts while promoting inquiry, problem-solving, and environmental stewardship.
The drifters embarked on distinct paths, with one traveling eastward into the Atlantic Ocean, visiting the Azores Islands after more than 15 months at sea. The other drifter’s journey was cut short when its drogue detached near the coast of Delaware, ending its transmission near Ocean City, Maryland. Despite the premature end to its oceanic measurements, this drifter eventually washed ashore near a dock in Maryland, where it was identified by the Tremont Consolidated School stickers.
The process of returning the recovered drifter to Maine involved coordination and effort. The buoy, covered in barnacles after months at sea, weighed over 50 lbs, making its transport from Maryland to Maine a challenging task. After being cleaned up and prepped at NOAA’s Cooperative Oxford Lab, the drifter was finally delivered to Tonya in late September. Excitement filled her classroom as students marveled at the drifting buoy and the map showcasing its remarkable journey.
Beyond the classroom, the data collected by the drifting buoys serves a larger purpose. NOAA’s Global Ocean Monitoring and Observing Program utilizes these drifters worldwide to measure sea surface temperature and other ocean variables over time. The valuable observations gathered by Tonya’s drifters, along with over 1,100 others in the world’s oceans, contribute to scientists’ understanding of weather patterns, ocean circulation, and various environmental phenomena.
In conclusion, this unexpected reunion between Tonya Prentice and the drifting ocean buoy exemplifies the power of hands-on learning and scientific exploration. Through projects like the Teacher at Sea Program and initiatives like the Adopt-a-Drifter Program, educators and students alike can actively engage with the natural world while contributing to valuable research efforts in ocean science and environmental stewardship.