Ever wonder what it’s like to be a member of the NOAA Coast Survey team? We use the Coast Survey spotlight blog series as a way to periodically share the experiences of Coast Survey employees as they discuss their work, background, and advice.
Michael Bloom, Physical Scientist Technologist
“When you’re surveying, you get to watch the seafloor tell a story.”
What is your job title, and how long have you worked for Coast Survey?
I’m a Physical Science Technician with Navigation Response Team – New London (NRT-NL). I’ve been with the team since June of 2017, coming up on 9 years.
What were your experiences prior to working for Coast Survey?
Prior to joining NRT-NL, I worked aboard the NOAA Ship Rainier. It was there that I got first hand experience on using hydrographic equipment, and how to process data. We surveyed all over Alaska, and I learned so much about how different environments can change how you survey. I also quickly got familiar with my fellow NOAA colleagues, as our industry is fairly small. Even though I switched over to NRT-NL, I see so many familiar faces all the time!
Prior to joining the ship, I had just graduated from Oregon State University.
What is a day at your job like?
A typical day for me really depends on what time of year it is. In the spring and summer I am usually in the field surveying, at the office planning for our next survey, or doing maintenance on our equipment. During hurricane season, especially late August, September, and October, I’ll be not too far from the office in case there is an emergency response I’m requested to go to. If it is late fall or winter, I am almost always at the office barring an emergency response or attending a conference. I’ll be processing surveys from the prior season, completing necessary training, and learning new procedures/processes for updated specifications for the next survey season.
Why is this work important?
There is a saying that you’ll hear from time to time, which is “Map once, use many times”. The data we collect has a variety of uses. Another popular saying goes over the main purpose of why we do what we do: “We find rocks, so you don’t have to”. No one wants their vessel to hit an obstruction, and our work helps prevent that by updating the nautical chart with new, high resolution bathymetric data. Other uses for our data include habitat mapping, finding historic cultural resources (shipwrecks!), and enhancing the capabilities of models, predicting ice flow/restrictions in areas that freeze in the winter.
What aspects of your job are most exciting or rewarding to you?
My favorite part of the job is being in the field. In our team, we switch our roles frequently. When we’re out on the water, I’ll spend time either driving the boat or maintaining the survey equipment. I also find the geology/geography of an area interesting, and when you’re surveying you get to watch the seafloor tell a story. Sometimes you’ll see the evidence left behind from when an area was previously glaciated. Maybe it’s an area with hundreds of years of human activity and you’ll see several shipwrecks or anthropogenic debris. Wondering what you’ll see either in real time, or in post processing, excites me quite a bit.
What operational moment or project sticks out to you the most?
Two projects stick out in my mind. There was a request to survey an area at McMurdo Station in Antarctica. I was lucky enough to be a part of that team that joined the U.S. Coast Guard Cutter Polar Star, sailed down there, and conducted the survey using our mobile survey kit. It was a challenging, yet very rewarding mission. I never thought in my life I would get to go to Antarctica, and to do so while completing a survey made it extra special. While missions this extreme are rare, I’ve also been a part of other survey requests in remote locations that required the use of our mobile survey kit.
The other moment that sticks out to me was the work we did after the Francis Scott Key Bridge collapsed in Baltimore. Our work was critical to opening the port for commercial purposes. Our initial task led to the opening of axillary channels. After some debris had been removed from the main channel, our data was used to verify if they could open the channel to certain controlling depths. We had to alert the U.S.Coast Guard more than once that there was debris sticking out too high for the depth they had desired, and further work had to be done. Every obstruction we alerted them to was real, and would have caused major problems to vessel traffic going through the area if we didn’t find it. I have never seen my work have such an impact so quickly, as once we gave the all clear, vessel traffic rated for the new controlling depths would go through just hours later. Talk about impact!
What advice would you give someone looking to pursue a career in your field?
My advice would be to know what you’re getting yourself into. This job is highly rewarding for many individuals, but the nature of our job does require us to travel. If you feel that you would be a great fit, and are still in school, I’d suggest taking some marine science courses, and also consider a GIS class/certification if possible. I really valued my time on a NOAA hydrographic survey ship, and highly recommend it as a great place to start if you don’t have any experience with hydrographic surveying. Whether you start on a NOAA ship, or are able to join an NRT directly, you’ll get on the job training on how to run a sonar, and process hydrographic data.