Welcome to the OAA Compass! 

Thank you first to Nicole for spearheading this effort, and to the folks who have volunteered to support the OAA Social Committee for stepping up. As employees of the Office of the Assistant Administrator, you all know that you are asked to support our entire agency, to think across issues and silos and keep our large team moving to meet the NOAA Fisheries mission. I know how committed you all are to serving the mission and the people of this agency. I hope this newsletter, and the efforts that the OAA Social Committee is making to bring us together, will give us space to celebrate OAA as a team, to look not only out at the Line Office, Agency, and Department we serve, but also at each other. I plan to use my spot in this newsletter to highlight movement on priorities and the excellent ongoing mission work that is carried out by OAA, and give you an opportunity to hear from me directly a little more often. 

For now, welcome to the OAA Compass, welcome to fall, welcome to FY27 - I look forward to building new connections with you.

Emily Menashes, Deputy Assistant Administrator for Operations

NOAA’s Teacher at Sea Program just wrapped up our 36th year by sailing 11 teachers from across the country on NOAA research vessels as members of the science team. Our 2026 class of teachers represented 10 states: AL, DE, KS (2), MD, NH, NY, OH, OR, SC, and VA. Teachers wrote blogs to share the science and significance of their missions with their students, as well as personal stories about their experiences at sea. 

Six vessels hosted Teachers at Sea this year: NOAA Ships Oregon II, Henry B. Bigelow, Pisces, Reuben Lasker, Oscar Dyson, and Thomas Jefferson. Our teachers supported a wide variety of research including groundfish, sea scallop, pollock, shark/red snapper, ecosystem monitoring, and hydrographic surveys.

Teacher at Sea supports NOAA’s overall education and outreach efforts. More specifically, we connect our real-world scientific research to classrooms and the public through the teachers' logs, presentations, and outreach events. To date, we’ve sailed over 900 teachers (PDF) from every state in the U.S. Teachers describe participating in our program as professionally and personally transformative.  Our host scientists, NOAA Corps Officers, and wage grade staff often tell us that the teachers' curiosity and enthusiasm helps build positive morale and provides a way for staff to share their work with friends and family while they are at sea. 

Do you know a teacher who may be interested in sailing as a Teacher at Sea? 

If so, please let them know that there is a preview of our application online now and teachers can start applying through our online system on 11/01. Applications are due 11/30, including two recommendations. More information can be found on our “How to Apply” page. 

Teachers usually spend around 14 days at sea working 12 hour shifts as part of the scientific team. They write blogs from sea and create 1-2 lesson products when they return. Finally, our program covers travel to and from the ship so there is no expense for the teacher.

As we close out this season, we’ll be working on our 2026 Year in Review to send out in early January. If you’d like to learn more about what we accomplished in 2025, visit this page (PDF).

If you have any questions about our program, please reach out to either Jennifer Hammond or Emily Susko.

Photo Caption: Melina Vella is an informal educator (interpretive naturalist) at the Dupont Nature Center in Milford, Delaware. In September, Melina sailed on a Northeast bottom trawl survey aboard NOAA Ship Henry B. Bigelow. In this picture, Melina is holding an angel shark. 

Mona Bellamy joins us as an Administrative Assistant, bringing a wealth of experience to the OMI Team. Previously, Mona spent a year with the Department of State (DOS) at the National Foreign Affairs Training Center (NFATC) and the Special Issuance Agency, where she served as a Program Support Assistant and Passport Associate. Before that, she supported the Minority Business Development Agency and the Department of Veterans Affairs as both a Program Analyst and Program Specialist.

Mona is based in the Front Office and can be reached via email at mona.bellamy@noaa.gov. Outside of the office, she enjoys spending time with her family, walking in the park, watching movies (excluding horror), and sharing a good meal over engaging conversation.