Victor Nordahl, a NOAA Northeast Fisheries Science Center Ecosystems Survey Branch Supervisory Research Fisheries Biologist, joined NOAA Teacher at Sea Alumna, Elizabeth Martz (TAS 2007), a sixth-grade science teacher at Middletown Middle School at the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History’s Q?rius Education Center on Wednesday, December 16, 2015. They discussed advances in methods and technology for assessing and surveying sea scallop populations in the Western Atlantic Ocean, shared information about scallop anatomy, growth and habitat patterns, and provided hands-on activities for all ages. 

Mr. Nordahl has worked for NOAA for 22 years as a Research Fisheries Biologist specializing in Sea Scallop Surveys utilizing dredges and stereo cameras. In addition to using a dredge, scientists are using HabCam (HABitat mapping CAMera system). This is a digital underwater camera survey that doesn’t harm habitat and gives more precise scallop estimates. 

In August 2007, Ms. Martz spent 10 days as a NOAA Teacher at Sea aboard NOAA ship Albatross IV in the Atlantic Ocean assisting Mr. Nordahl during a Sea Scallop Survey. She motivates her students to be life-long learners and guides them to be future scientists by sharing her NOAA experiences in the classroom. 

Read more about HabCam technology here.