Cathrine Prenot, a science coach at Estacado High School in Lubbock, Texas, will set sail Sunday, July 17th to assist scientists on a 14-day survey of Pacific hake populations off the northwestern U.S. coast. This is not Prenot’s first voyage at sea. Prenot is an alumna of NOAA’s Teacher at Sea program, which bridges science and education through real-world research experiences. This year, she was selected for a second venture through a separate, alumni-only application process.
“I am honored to be selected as a Teacher at Sea. Our Estacado students and the Lubbock Independent School District science community will get to learn first-hand about exciting research projects at sea, and on some level, will be participants in them,” says Prenot. “As Dr. Sylvia Earle said, ‘Everyone, everywhere is inextricably connected to and utterly dependent upon the existence of the sea.’ I am thrilled to bring the ocean, NOAA careers, and science research back to Lubbock with me.”
Prenot will board NOAA Ship Bell M. Shimada in Newport, Oregon, and work side by side with scientists as they research methods of surveying Pacific hake populations in the Pacific Ocean. Prenot is writing a blog about her experience, accessible at: https://teacheratsea.wordpress.com/author/cathrineprenot. An experienced cartoonist, Prenot is also creating a cartoon series to communicate the science of the Shimada’s mission. Photos from her 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.”
Now in its 26th year, the program has provided more than 700 teachers the opportunity to gain first-hand experience participating in science at sea. The educators chosen 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, Twitter and our other social media channels.
(News release from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administrati)
