To commemorate 50 years of service by NOAA ships Fairweather and Rainier, NOAA hosted a ceremony and public ship tours at the Marine Operations Center – Pacific (MOC-P) in Newport, Oregon on March 22, 2018. Rainier and Fairweather are two of four ships in the NOAA fleet that conduct hydrographic surveys in support of the nation’s nautical charting mission. With a crew of 40-50 individuals, the two ships have operated as far south as Hawaii and as far north as Point Hope, AK, during their tenure.

Teacher at Sea alumni, Lisa Battig and Denise Harrington, represented all of the teachers who had the privilege to sail on these ships by presenting Fairweather and Rainier’s Commanding Officers with plaques from the Teacher at Sea Alumni Association. To find out more about this event, read NOAA Coast Survey’s Article!