NOAA Ship Reuben Lasker

NOAA Ship Reuben Lasker is currently underway for our annual Rockfish Recruitment and Ecosystem Assessment Survey (RREAS)! This project dates back to 1983, and has been conducted on Reuben Lasker since her commissioning in the early 2010s. Operations involve 24-hour environmental and acoustic sampling, but the star of the show is nighttime operations: mid-water trawling! Trawling only occurs at night, in order to catch the target species: juvenile rockfish, which vertically migrate in the water column to feed at night. Trawling operations are complicated operations, requiring high levels of communication and teamwork between the officers on the bridge, the deck department and survey technicians on the back deck, and the science team in the wet lab. To learn more about the annual Rockfish Recruitment and Ecosystem Assessment Survey please visit https://storymaps.arcgis.com/stories/88495957adb449c19ef47adb0a135179

Last week, NOAA Ship Reuben Lasker crew members spent a day underway on a Tiger Cruise. A Tiger Cruise is a Naval tradition of allowing civilian friends and family members to sail aboard a ship for short periods of time. This day underway gave the crew the opportunity to bring aboard their friends and family to experience a day at sea, while completing some Operational Readiness Training (ORT). ORT included small boat operations, a compass adjustment, and time spent reviewing and practicing trawling procedures ahead of a fishing-heavy field season. Many thanks to the guests who came out to spend the day with the crew!

Photo credits: Bryce Peacher, Third Assistant Engineer Byulmaru Bach, Senior Survey Technician Cassandra "CC" Dahl

NOAA Ship Reuben Lasker is currently at sea for the Consortium on the Ocean's Role in Climate buoy project! This project involves recovering and deploying research moorings from three separate NOAA projects. The buoys, once deployed, are equipped with sensors that measure and collect data for biological, chemical, and physical oceanography. Research moorings enable scientists to collect long-term, continuous data on ocean conditions, from ocean acidification studies to monitoring ocean pollution. Together, these three projects establish a strong ocean-observing network off Southern California!

After two productive months alongside, NOAA Ship Reuben Lasker is ready to get back out to sea! ⚓️

During our time in San Diego, we successfully completed a wide range of trainings, calibrations, and critical repairs to ensure the ship and science systems are fully mission-ready. We also conducted an underway Operational Readiness Training (ORT), putting our crew and equipment to the test and confirming we’re as prepared as possible for the season ahead.

With a busy field season on the horizon, we’re excited to get underway and get back to doing what we do best. First project up -- oceanographic moorings!

Stay tuned—more updates from sea coming soon. 🌊

We're halfway through our repair period, and the crew is taking advantage of time in-port to attend training to improve mission readiness. Last week, NOAA Ship Reuben Lasker crew members took part in work aloft training with Gravitec, an industry leader in fall protection services! Crew members from all departments learned how to safely work from height, which is a crucial skill for making repairs and conducting maintenance on the ship. With more crew members certified to work aloft, the ship is even more prepared heading into field season this year.

The ship is wrapping up this year's CalCOFI project! CalCOFI is a long term survey that's been collecting ecosystemic and oceanographic data of the California Current since 1949. Aboard the ship, we conduct 24-hour operations that include a variety of sampling methods. The crew works together to conduct safe and efficient operations around the clock. This year, we've been enjoying calm weather and excellent conditions, plus lots of wildlife sightings along the way!

Reuben Lasker crew rang in the New Year with some Operational Readiness Training (ORT) and dive operations!

ORT included training with our Emergency Escape Breathing Devices (EEBDs) and an Escape from Quarters drill, where crew members were blindfolded and attempted to find their way from their staterooms to the nearest weather deck. An Escape from Quarters drill is not just important emergency training, but also an opportunity for boosting morale and team bonding—crew members have to trust their partners to keep them safe as they navigate the passageways.

Dive operations were conducted to scrub the hull and clean the sensors on the underside of the ship prior to our upcoming CalCOFI project. Reuben Lasker divers partnered up with other NOAA divers from the Southwest Fisheries Science Center. Divers not only cleaned the ship, but also were able to develop their skills and proficiency as divers.

NOAA’s Uncrewed Systems Operations Center Expands Environmental Observation Footprint | Office of Marine and Aviation Operations In 2025, NOAA’s Uncrewed Systems Operations Center funded six projects totaling roughly $10.1 million to increase the reliability, capacity, efficiency and safety of NOAA missions through the use of uncrewed systems.

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NOAA Ship Reuben Lasker held its Change of Command ceremony at MOC-P in Newport, OR on September, 9th, 2025, welcoming Lt. Cmdr. Estela as the new commanding officer. Lt. Cmdr. Estela has vast experience on fisheries survey vessels. He served on the Henry B. Bigelow as an ensign, and the Bell M. Shimada and operations officer. Lt. Cmdr. Estela came to the Reuben Lasker in July 2024 originally serving as executive officer, and is now serving as commanding officer for the remainder of his tour. There is no doubt his tour as CO will be a successful one.

Cmdr. Maggied, the departing commanding officer, led Lasker through a very successful field season where the ship accomplished three major projects. The crew is very grateful for his support, guidance, and dedication throughout his time aboard. He will now return to his assignment in Seattle as NOS’s Scientific Support Coordinator. Fair winds and following seas Cmdr. Maggied!

(Photo credit: Lt.j.g. Melissa Rivera)