Despite the higher temperatures and rumors of shark attacks, Lt. Jr. Grade Trevor Grams traveled from across the country to begin his new role as junior officer in charge on our R/V Gloria Michelle in June 2022.
Life in Alaska Set His Course
Growing up in Glennallen, a small rural community in south central Alaska, Grams began working with commercial fishing boats during high school in Bristol Bay and continued for 7 years. “I was initially attracted by the good pay,” he said, “But I found I really enjoy the camaraderie and teamwork that is essential for smooth operations on the water.” These experiences would later serve him well in his NOAA Corps career.
After high school, Grams went on to study geography and GIS at the University of Alaska, Fairbanks. While completing his bachelor's degree in science, he spent his first year in Fairbanks and then went to Juneau for his sophomore year. He spent his junior year abroad in Bergen, Norway and then returned to Fairbanks for his senior year.
In Norway, he studied the Norwegians’ unique approaches to fishing, management, and aquaculture. He also enjoyed skiing and snowboarding on the Norwegian mountains. Looking back now, Grams reflected that “moving around so much in college really prepared me for the NOAA Corps.”
In addition to his studies, Grams has plenty of other experiences that prepared him for this career. Before joining the NOAA Corps, he volunteered for the Alaska Avalanche Information Center, where he taught classes, represented the center at events in the backcountry, and assisted with rescues. “The risk management and communication skills I learned teaching classes and ski mountaineering have really carried over to operations on the water,” Grams noted.
He first learned about the NOAA Corps at a job fair in Fairbanks and was attracted to the balance of science and operations. “I really enjoy being in the field for science, especially fisheries and climate research,” Grams said. “Working on operational and logistical challenges to get scientists the data they need is very exciting and rewarding for me.”
NOAA Corps Experience Spanning Many Coastlines
Grams’ first and most recent assignment was on the NOAA Ship Bell M. Shimada out of Newport, Oregon. He was the navigation, safety, and small boats officer. Because of changes brought on by COVID-19, he also sailed on the NOAA Ship Oscar Dyson out of Kodiak, Alaska and the NOAA Ship Henry B. Bigelow out of Newport, Rhode Island. All three ships are fisheries survey vessels, but he learned a lot from working with the different operations, command styles, and personalities on each ship.
One of the highlights of his sea tour was the International Year of the Salmon project. The crew sailed 1,200 miles west of Port Angeles, Washington to fish a grid of stations divided among the Bell M. Shimada, a ship from Canada, and a ship from Russia. They worked 1,000 miles north and made a port call in Kodiak, Alaska. Grams was in charge of planning the entire route and recommending last-minute adjustments to avoid major winter weather systems. This mission was both challenging and satisfying for Grams. “It was very rewarding taking scientists to such a challenging area to collect data that would impact the management of commercial fisheries in my home state.”
In addition to jumping into his stint on the Gloria Michelle, Grams and his wife Audrey are exploring outdoor recreation opportunities on Cape Cod. They usually spend a lot of their free time rock climbing, skiing, and snowboarding. As for pursuits here, Grams says, “I look forward to exploring the beaches, mountain bike trails, and maybe the surf. We enjoy anything that gets us moving outside.”
