We're more than four months from the start of the next hurricane season, but Florida's "hurricane hunters" are staying busy! The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) runs its operation center out of Lakeland. During hurricane season, that's where storm-chasing planes are kept, and where the pilots who fly them work. That includes NOAA pilot Lt. Commander Nick Pawlenko. Pawlenko says his job is to "fly researchers to their research." Recently, that included the paths of Hurricanes Helene and Milton. "Everything we collect helps our scientists and meteorologists predict where the path is going to take us," Pawlenko explained. But right now, outside of hurricane season, Pawlenko is searching for something entirely different over the ocean-- sea life! "I've seen all kinds of wonderful things: hundreds of whales, dolphins, sharks." Every year, he trades in his storm-chasing plane, for one equipped for sea-life spotting. In his case, tracking the population of the North Atlantic right whale. "They're an endangered species, there's only about 370 of these whales left. So we're tracking the population, and the data can help with things like speed restrictions. Sometimes we see whales tangled and can help send resources to help them."