It never fails… some equipment will fail

by Wyatt Fournier

As we learned from Russ in earlier posts, equipment failures are just another part of a research survey and we will have our share.

The Northwest Explorer is rigged with a 3^rd wire that connects to a sensor mounted on the head rope of our trawl net.  This sensor allows us to measure the width and depth of the net as it fishes through the water column.  This is fairly simple when fishing at the surface but when Dave sees an acoustic target and wants to fish a mid-water trawl, this sensor is extremely important.  This sensor failed two days and has been restricting our ability to tow at depth.  A replacement was sent by Air Cargo to the nearest airport, back in Sitka.  We steamed towards the coast over night and this morning anchored up outside the harbor.  Luke, the deck boss, and I took the skiff into town to retrieve our package which Liz McKenzie had generously picked up from Air Cargo.  Thanks so much Liz!

Adam maneuvered the NW through the Whitestone Narrows and Neva Pass to save time allowing us to get back on the sampling grid before noon.

You can follow the Northwest Explorer at

http://www.marinetraffic.com/ais/shipdetails.aspx?MMSI=367108540

Captain Adam

by Wyatt Fournier

I want to extend a special thanks to Adam White who has stepped in to Captain the Northwest Explorer for this leg of the survey.  Adam has been first mate on the NW since 2006 and before that was the first mate on the F/V Intrepid for 6 years.  Fishing for Pollock and Pacific cod in the Bering Sea since 1990 has provided him with a wealth of experience that is matched by his energy and enthusiasm.  As the heavy metal rocks the wheelhouse, he pushes us onto the next station…and the next…and the next….

Guess who’s back...

Wyatt Fournier, Chief field researcher for GOAIERP

I am excited to return to the Northwest Explorer for my 6^th survey leg of the GOAIERP.  Every leg has proven different over the years as ocean conditions and fish communities continue to change right before my eyes.

I threw the lines out for the Northwest a week ago as she departed Juneau amongst float planes and cruise ships.  Summer is a busy time in my hometown of Juneau as tourists flock from across the nation and around the world to witness the raw beauty that is this great state.  But sightseeing is for those on vacation, so the hard working commercial crew of the Northwest and our eager science team push out to observe and collect samples from one of the most productive marine ecosystems in the world. 

I relieve Jamal Moss of his chief scientist duties in Sitka and after a quick run to the store for last minute supplies we are heading back out into the Gulf.  Joining me for his second year is Sterling Ulrich, a grad student from University Alaska Fairbanks who is relieving his academic advisor, Russ Hopcroft, as an oceanographer.  On board since Juneau is Casey Debenham: my right hand man and a fisheries technician recently hired to work out of Juneau, Dave McGowan: our acoustician and graduate student from University of Washington, Scott McKeever: our lead oceanographer from NOAA’s PMEL in Seattle, and Marty Reedy: our “seasoned” Seabird/Mammal observer from the USFW. 

The “IERP” in GOAIERP

Wyatt Fournier

7/19/13

The goal of our Integrated Ecosystem Research Project is to better understand the mechanisms in which climate and ocean conditions influences the survival of juvenile marine fish.  This is different than traditional methods of predicting survival of juvenile fish to adults which utilize a single species stock assessment through targeted surveys.  The GOAIERP observes physical and biological ocean properties to determine how natural variability in these conditions may promote survival of juvenile fish.  

Scott McKeever is in charge of deploying research instruments down through the water column to collect data on temperature, salinity, oxygen, photosynthetically active radiation, turbidity, and fluorescence.  Water samples are also collected at multiple depths at each station to sample for nutrients, microzooplankton, and phytoplankton.  These samples and collected data will be taken back to the lab and analyzed so that our oceanographers can observe annual, seasonal, and regional variability in the Gulf of Alaska.  

Casey’s Pomfrets

by Wyatt Fournier

July 18, 2013

The Pacific pomfret has a wide range across the Pacific Ocean that extends from the Gulf of Alaska to Japan and Peru.  And although we have caught it each year on this survey, mostly farther off-shore, it is not a fish that most Alaskans are familiar with.  Casey Debbenham is from Fairbanks and was hired as a fisheries scientist for the GOAIERP due to his experience on the ocean as both a fisheries observer and scuba instructor.  Even though he is a lifelong Alaskan and graduate from UAF’s School of Fisheries, this was Casey’s first time seeing the Pacific pomfret.  He opened up their stomachs to observe their diet to find many squid and a few fish; including a sablefish, a few rockfish , and a daggertooth.  

Midwater Trawls and Echosounding

by Wyatt Fournier

July 16, 2013

With our 3^rd wire sensor installed we charged on, occupying up to 5 stations a day while also fishing mid- water trawls along the transect.  These mid-water trawls are used to verify the acoustic signal that Dave is observing on the ES60 EchoSounder.   This system is equipped with both 38 and 120Khz frequencies allowing him to differentiate between macro invertebrates and fish.  Dave has interpreted this image to be aggregations of fish forming at the bottom with a layer of krill above them.  We immediately turned around and trawled on this target to verify his observations.  To see what we caught, visit our facebook page:  www.facebook.com/GulfOfAlaskaProject

                       

Jelly Love

by Jamal Moss  July 7, 2013 

We caught a huge Cyanea capillata during a 75m deep midwater trawl today. It was exciting to encounter such a large specimen. These coldwater jellies can grow to be quite large. They are pelagic during most of their life and typically settle in shallow bays toward the end of their lifecycle.

“There be plankton here, I can smell it!”

by Jamal Moss July 5, 2013

When you’ve been in biz as long as Russ Hopcroft has, your Spidey sense triggers when you get near zooplankton. We encountered a nice patch of Neocalanus copepods 60 miles offshore of Sitka.

Drifter deployment

by Jamal Moss July 3, 2013

We deployed a drifter today five miles offshore from Cape Ommaney, an area of particular interest due to high primary production and current dynamics. Day one of sampling on the Northwest Explorer has gone off without a hitch. We’re a little behind schedule, but should be in a good working groove by tomorrow.

The Flip Side

by Russ Hopcroft  May 7 2013

The logical place to start is where we left off nearly a week ago, at
which point we were on the Fish and Wildlife Service vessel Tiglax getting hammered by bad
weather, and NOT the happiest collection of people. Despite poor seas, we
managed to complete Line 209 and 213, without losing anything significant.
After more than a week at sea, operations had become very efficient and
each 6-station line was completed in just less than 1 day. Timelines had
become tight and we had little margin left for weather shutting down our
sampling again.

On Friday May 3rd, we jumped onto the outer end of the Seward Line where
we have been studying the Gulf of Alaska for the past 15 years. The Seward
Line differs from the rest of the cruise is that there are different
operations conducted during day and night. Day shift does the CTD casts,
water chemistry, phyto/microplankton sampling, and the smaller vertical
plankton nets, while night shift only tows our electronically controlled
multiple net system (the Multinet). The multinet allows us to carve the
water column into 5 separate layers by opening and closing plankton nets
at specific depths, and targets the plankton that migrates toward the
surface to feed under the protection of darkness. The challenge to the
night work is that during the month of May, when skies are clear, it does
not get completely dark until nearly 11pm and dawn is beginning by 4am!

The first 24 hours on the Seward Line went well, with an iron profile
completed at the outer end of the line (GAK-13). Though still working in
large swells, the Multinet was deployed at a record 5 stations the first
night, aided by overcast skies extending the dark hours. Weather
deteriorated the second night, preventing work (and sleeping), but had
subsided by the next morning allowing us to the complete the day-work on
schedule. After finishing off the day work on the nearshore end of the
line, we made at side trip to the AOOS/UAF Ocean Acidification buoy near
GAK-1 to pick up a calibration water sample. There we were treated to a
humpback whale and her calf lounging around the buoy. The calf was
splashing, spy-hopping and even breaching while mother was pretty subdued,
and indifferent to both us and her child's behavior. We wanted to stay
longer, but only one night remained available for completing the line, and
we needed pushed through all the remaining stations - regardless of
daylight - in order to get them done. We started multinetting at 9 pm and
finished the line at 8am more than half way out the line. With luck, we
hoped to repeat the two inshore-most stations under darkness the last
night of the cruise - but given the weather so far, we were not relying on
that possibility. From there we headed over to Prince William Sound,
reaching it mid-afternoon on Monday the 6th.

Reaching the Sound brought new life to the science team and crew alike.
After a week and a half of poor weather and gear problems, we were
enjoying the calm waters of the Sound, AND the ability to sleep without
being tossed around in your bed. To add to this practical perspective,
Prince William Sounds has to be one of the most scenic coastal regions in
Alaska, with a multitude of islands of all sizes and snow covered
mountains descending down rapidly in the numerous bays, passages and
fjords. Everything went smoothly as expected, with the Sound proving to
be a predictable wild-life extravaganza. Black bears were spotted on the
mountain-side at the end of our first transects in Montague Strait, soon
to be followed by views of more humpback whales, Stellar sea lions, and
sea-otters. Dall's porpoises came by to check out the ship and circled us
for nearly 20 minutes. The second day, we awoke to sample in pieces of
ice near Columbia Glacier, and the small boat was launched to collect
smaller floating icebergs as souvenirs. Given the pleasant working
conditions, we were even unphased when the communications cable to the CTD
failed on the second station, and the end of the sea-cable had to be
rewired. Later that night we were surrounded once again by Dall's
porpoises for more than an hour as we waited for darkness to fall so the
night sampling could begin. That night went smoothly; we are now wrapping
up last 5 stations over the course of today, and then heading out to
resample the inshore Seward Line stations tonight.

With the cruise nearly completed, people are starting to pack up what they
no longer need. By the time we reach Seward early tomorrow morning, the
labs will be nothing more then piles of boxes waiting to be offloaded by
our fearless crew. We start finalizing our notes, form preliminary
impressions of the state of the ecosystem, and where possible, make actual
calculations of what we collected. While most analyses will takes many
months to complete back at the lab, the CTD data can be processed to near
final-results immediately, and the quantity of chlorophyll (algal biomass)
present has already been determined. The ocean is cooler than normal for
this time of year by 0.70C (1.250F). We appear to have hit the spring
bloom of algal production, over both the grid and the Seward Line -
large-celled phytoplankton dominated at most stations and frequently
clogged out nets. Zooplankton biomass was still low, perhaps simply
delayed by the colder waters. Some rarer species of seabirds were
observed in some of the most offshore waters. And in the end, our junior
scientists ARE NOT still reassessing their career choices, and we have
accomplished most of what we set out to do!

Never Give Up by Russ Hopcraft(Principal Investigator)

Update from Tiglax: Never give up, never surrender.... May 1

We are now 5 days into the Western Gulf's spring cruise on the Tiglax. Although we often concentrate on the science, I am going to focus mostly on the logistical challenges of mobilizing such complex research, particularly from a relatively small platform by oceanographic standards. On top of this, we deal constantly with the wildcard of weather conditions and sampling gear problems.

The purpose of our cruise is basically to describe the state of the physical, chemical and biological condition in the western Gulf of Alaska. Our sampling plan involves sampling 53 stations along a fixed grid of 10 "lines" stretching across the shelf at 20 nautical mile spacing, plus the long-term observations along the Seward Line. Our general approach involves 4 main sampling tools: 1) the CTD (Conductivity/salinity, temperature, Depth sensor) plus its various accessory sensors, along with the "rosette" of 12 bottles attached to it that are triggered at defined depths to provide samples for nutrients (fertilizers), chlorophyll (plant pigments) and micro-plankton (single-celled plants and animals), 2) Plankton nets - "butterfly" nets attached to strong paired frames resembling a pair of spectacles or Bongo drums used to catch the small animals in the water (we will be deploying 2 sets of Bongo nets of different sizes), 3) a neuston net used to capture small animals that "float" on the ocean's surface 4) a special "metal-free" vane with motorized water sampler used to collect water for analysis of the important micronutrient "dissolved iron". Additional measurements of temperature, salinity, plant pigments, and ocean acidification are being made continuously on water pumped through the ship. Finally, during daytime hours, a dedicated observer records the seabirds and marine mammals encountered.

Setup by our 13 member science team was to begin early on the morning of the 25th. The Tiglax was on time, but high winds prevented loading of equipment until late morning. The additional complexities of adding an 8'x10' shipping container this cruise - to create a lab for iron work - further slowed mobilization. Few sat idle as everyone scrambled to setup and store things securely. Ultimately, we did not leave the dock until late evening, and Captain Billy Pepper had us to our first "test" station, GAK1, at ~3 am. Weather was poor, and the transit across Stevenson Entrance of Cook Inlet humbled the less seasoned members of the science team with seasickness. Those still functional continued preparing their equipment and labs for sampling. I focused primarily on configuring the new primary CTD system purchased over the winter, and became familiar with the smaller CTD system supplied by NOAA to be used to monitor our plankton nets.

We reached our first station at on the outer end of Line-181 at 4 am on the 27th. Seas had improved sufficiently that we could work. As expected, the first few stations went slowly as people made final adjustments to gear, then worked out the best ways to launch, recover and store it between deployments. A mini-Bongo net was lost almost immediately during the first deployment, apparently it was not adequately tightened to the Bongo frame. Both shifts were initially short-handed by those still too sick to work, but by the inshore end of the line, Kodiak Island proved enough shelter for an easy deployment of even the iron-sampling vanes. By start of the second line of stations, we were hitting our pace, then disaster stuck - the cable deploying the tandem set of Bongo nets came back onboard with a frayed rope beneath the CTD where the nets had been. Our best guess is that the mini bongo latching clamp had cut through the rope. At least $10,000 of gear lost. While we had backups for the net systems, the depressing fin used to pull the nets down had no backup, and was a key component of the Multi-net sampler to be used on the Seward Line.

We scrambled to assemble the backup Bongo systems, finding some short lengths of steel cable to replace the rope sections, but we lacked enough steel cable (and enough flow-meters) to deploy the mini-bongo. After 2 hrs, we were ready to re-deploy the large bongo nets using 100 lbs of cannon-ball lead weights to pull them down. We substituted a separate vertical net deployment to compensate for the lost mini-Bongo. We were back on track. Two stations later the unimaginable happened; once again the cable deploying the Bongo net came back with no gear below the CTD. Inspection of the short steel cable below the CTD revealed that the metal sleeve crimped to hold the attachment loop had failed. Typically these crimps are made from brass or stainless steel for marine use, but someone had crimped this cable with an aluminum sleeve (as would typically be used for land-based applications). Over time, the aluminum crimp had corroded, cracked and finally broken.

With our backups now gone, I resisted the temptations to scream and swear, or throw myself off the ship (thoughts that were not mutually exclusive). I had to come up with a plan to replace the lost gear or the cruise goals would be severely compromised. We were too far away from the city of Kodiak to reach it during business hours, plus nothing could be there today shipped since it was now Sunday. While my mind raced through possibilities, sampling continued at the station with a full set of 6 iron vanes deployed. Consistent with events to dates, 3 of the vanes lost their samplers during deployment. We joked that there must be a contest underway to see who could loose the greatest value of equipment during the cruise!


By next station, we had dug through our supplies, cannibalized a few things, and assembled a single ring net of provide partial replacement for the lost Bongo net. Calls were out to UAF, plus Billy had calls out to FWS in Kodiak and Homer to locate possible Bongo net systems and depressor replacements. Nets and flow-meters were located in Fairbanks and we knew a Bongo net frame was in Seward, but both would take too long to reach. A fishing vessel stabilizer that might function like the lost depressor, and large lead weights were located at Kodiak merchants, and a plan was in place to make a detour into Kodiak, IF we could also determine Monday morning that a Bongo net could be borrowed from there. Simultaneously, a backup plan was forming to go into Homer where a Bongo net had also been located, and a backup depressor was being sought that could be shipped there too. We sampled through the night with out make-shift nets, anxious to see what we would learn the next morning.

Seas were nearly flat Monday morning. Once the business day began, we were able to locate an identical set of Bongo nets belonging to Bob Foy at NOAA in Kodiak. We finished off our station and headed to town. As my sister says, "When the going gets tough, the tough go shopping". We hit the dock at ~1:30 pm, and with the aid of FWS in Kodiak, we picked up 250 lbs of lead weights, the stabilizer, various hardware, and had new steel cables custom made in several lengths. The Bongo frame and nets were delivered to the ship along with 4 flow-meters. A Multinet depressor was in route from Juneau to Anchorage in the event it was needed. By 4:00 pm we were castoff, and heading back out to sample. Equipment was assembled and the addition of the extra flow meters even allowed us to complete construction of the backup mini-bongos.

The remainder of Monday went smoothly. We sampled dissolved iron on our way to the next station. We deployed the Multinet with the stabilizer, and after a few adjustments determine it flew correctly. Another port call would not be necessary! We redeployed the iron-vanes successfully. Sampling during Tuesday was going smoothly, until during an iron-vane deployment, the ship roled and sloshed water onto the computer programming the vanes, frying it instantly. We spent the afternoon disassembling the laptop, washing out the salt, drying and reassembling it to no avail - luckily they had a backup too. The rest of day went smoothly as we wrapped up our 5th sampling line. Nonetheless, it was apparent we had lost time and some sampling lines would need to be dropped: Line-201 was the first to go.

Shortly after completing our fifth line, the weather has come up, and sampling is no longer possible today. Line-205 is now no longer possible. Weather is predicted to lay down this evening, and there is still the hope we can complete the next 2 lines before shifting over to the Seward Line Wednesday night. Stay tuned

Seaview

by Olav Olmseth


Hello from the GOAIERP inshore survey!  I am aboard the F/V Seaview and we are in the middle of our first of six research cruises this year. We left Juneau on April 16 and steamed south towards our first study site in Whale Bay, on the outer coast of southeast Alaska. We were delayed a bit as we had to hole up in a small bay for awhile to escape gale-force winds, but soon enough we were launching our research skiff in the protected waters of Whale Bay's Great Arm. We immediately set about sampling the fish community with our various gears: hydro acoustics, jigging, a surface trawl, beach seines, and a small purse seine. As we had anticipated, fish catches were pretty light: the last breath of winter has yet to leave the outer coast. On our last day in Whale Bay we did our oceanographic sampling: we have a multi-sensor water-sampling instrument that measures temperature, salinity, light levels, oxygen levels, and several other pieces of information. We also sample zooplankton using a fine-mesh net, and collect water samples for measuring nutrient loads.

It's not all work though-we managed to enjoy a steak dinner and an amazing sunset off the outer coast, including the fabled "green flash" just as the sun dipped below the horizon. We also had a German chocolate cake to celebrate not one but two crew members' birthdays. 

From Whale Bay we headed north to Sitka Sound, conducting acoustics and oceanography work around St. Lazaria on a beautifully sunny day. We overnight end in Sitka for a brief rest and re-supply, and this morning we now head north to Salisbury Sound to start our routine all over again!

Bioluminescence: It glows!

April 18, 2013 - Morgan Ostendorf

Last night and this morning, I finally witnessed bioluminescence in person for the first time; it was amazing! The first time I saw it was when I was filtering chlorophyll samples. As I folded over the filter, I saw a blue light flash. I wasn't sure if my eyes were playing tricks on me or if I was actually seeing bioluminescence.

I started the cruise with a list of things that I was hoping to see while we were out at sea, sort of like a wish list. Earlier in the evening, I was talking with Nancy, telling her that since I was able to check off seeing whales from my wish list, the next thing I really wanted to see was bioluminescence. She had told me not to get my hopes up as this isn't really the time of year to see bioluminescence, especially as far as phytoplankton go. Less than an hour later, I found myself prodding the filter with tweezers, with a bright blue flash occurring every time. I was overwhelmed with excitement and at the same time, I was having a hard time believing what I was seeing.

I spent some time talking to other scientists about bioluminescence. The most common color to see for bioluminescence is blue. Many of these tiny organisms contain the protein luciferin  (from the Latin for "light bringer").  When the protein reacts with an enzyme (called luciferase) it creates light. The light emitting organ of the cell is called a photophore and it exists in many ocean creatures, especially deep sea ones. Photophores are often used to attract prey. 

 Lisa told me that some copepods are bioluminescent. After telling Dean what I saw on the filters, he said if I was to look at the filter in the light, I might be able to see a small copepod on the filter. I also learned that some bacteria are bioluminescent. As far as phytoplankton go, it is the dinoflagellates that produce bioluminescence.

After the excitement from witnessing bioluminescence on the filter, things went back to normal and I started to analyze the chlorophyll samples that I collected the previous night (after filtering the chlorophyll samples, we let them sit in a freezer for 24 hours before analyzing them). After a few minutes had passed, Peter came in and asked if I was able to take a quick break (I had learned earlier that I could actually put the samples in the fridge after I had removed the filters and centrifuged them). I placed the samples in the fridge, put on my float coat and followed him to the aft (back) of the ship. I looked at the water and saw flashes of light in the water. All I could do was stand there in awe and wonder. Peter told me that this was the first time he saw bioluminescence so far on this cruise. I couldn't believe that after being told that it was unlikely to see bioluminescence on this cruise, I had seen it three different times, all in one night! After an exciting night/morning of unexpected surprises, I am happy to say that I can check seeing bioluminescence off of my wish list for this cruise.

My First CTD Deployment - Without losing the Equipment or Getting Hurt!

By Morgan Ostendorf
This morning we saw a dozen or so humpback whales breaching in Sitka Sound. We saw them feeding by using their pectoral and caudal (tail) fins to splash the water. There were multiple humpback whales doing this in order to corral either small fish (pacific herring) or euphausiids (krill) to eat. It was a great start to the day.

Mt. Edgecumbe (A volcano located in Sitka Sound) (Photo: Morgan Ostendorf)

This evening I had the chance to help deploy and recover the CTD (it was my first time). CTD stands for Conductivity, Temperature and Depth. It is a tool that is used to measure the very basic properties of seawater. It is made up of a bunch of probes, attached to a wheel. The wheel is then lowered to the ocean floor and scientists can measure stuff in real time.  When deploying the CTD, the main goal is to make sure it doesn't bang into anything on the deck. A CTD costs over $100,000, so we don't want the electronics to be ruined. Also, if you are deploying or recovering the CTD, you have to wear a safety belt and be hooked to a safety line. This is done for safety reasons because we don't want anyone to fall in the water. 

Morgan O. and Nancy deploying the CTD just outside of Sitka Sound (Photo: Morgan Busby)

Greenling from the bongo net (Photo: Morgan Ostendorf)

Pelagic (mid-to-surface water) Shrimp from the bongo net (Photo: Morgan Ostendorf)

Octopus larva from the bongo net (Photo: Elizabeth Chase)

Spring phytoplankton bloom in progress!

By Morgan Ostendorf, University of Washington, on the vessel Oscar Dyson

Just north of Cross Sound we encountered a spring bloom with higher concentrations of chlorophyll than anything we saw in 2011. This is good news because one of the goals of this cruise is to investigate the spring bloom. In 2011 we never observed a spring bloom during the May cruise or in the satellite data collected later in the season.

Copepods and euphausiids (Photo credit: M. Ostendorf)



Morgan identifies larval fish using a microscope (Photo credit: M. Ostendorf)

Sampling in the sun

By Morgan Ostendorf, University of Washington, on the vessel Oscar Dyson

We left port around 1330 today (that is 1:30 pm for all you landlubbers) and the weather couldn't have been better. As we made our way to the first station, we saw some Dall's porpoises.

Leaving port in Seward (Photo credit: M. Ostendorf)

Dall's porpoise (Photo credit: M. Frydrych)

We decided to do a test CTD cast at a station we call GAK1, where scientists have been taking measurements since 1970. We launched the CTD rosette, which measures conductivity, temperature, depth, (hence CTD) as well as oxygen concentration, light transmission and PAR (photosynthetically active radiation). Niskin bottles mounted on the rosette collected water samples. The rosette was lowered into the water until it was about 10 meters from the bottom. As the rosette was brought back to the surface, Niskin bottles were closed electronically by an operator at certain depths. Once the rosette was back on the deck, scientists took all the samples they needed. I was able to help take some water samples for measuring chlorophyll, which is related to the amount of phytoplankton in the water.


Suzanne collects a chlorophyll sample (Photo credit: M. Ostendorf)



Deploying the CTD at the GAK1 station (Photo credit: M. Ostendorf)

Since this is my first time ever being out at sea, I have been pretty excited. Thankfully, the weather and the seas have been cooperating so far. I quickly learned that the ship has no bias with the direction that it rolls; sometimes it feels like it is rolling in a circle. I am still in the process of getting my sea legs, but everyone has been nice and they have given me helpful hints about how to stand and walk on the ship. Personally, I like to employ the philosophy of holding onto the ship with at least one hand at all times. So far I have felt fine and have enjoyed my time so far, but we will see if that changes when the weather isn't so nice.

All Aboard!

By Morgan Ostendorf, University of Washington, on the vessel Oscar Dyson

Everyone has made it to Seward safe and sound for the Gulf of Alaska Project's Spring cruise on the NOAA Ship Oscar Dyson. Some of us were a little worried that we weren't going to make it when the pilot of our airplane announced that we were going to have to land in Fairbanks and take a bus down to Anchorage because of ash coming from a volcano. Thankfully it was just an April Fools joke.

At the moment, almost everything has been loaded onto the ship and we are in the process of setting up lab spaces and tying everything down. We plan to depart Thursday for our research area off southeast Alaska. So far the weather has been beautiful and I'm hoping that the weather continues to cooperate. 

Seward, AK (Photo credit: M. Ostendorf)

Morgan and Lisa set up a microscope in the lab (Photo credit: M. Ostendorf)

Ana and Marie set up a clean area for measuring iron dissolved in seawater (Photo credit: M. Ostendorf)

2013 sampling is underway!

By Danielle Dickson, NPRB Program Manager

The Gulf of Alaska Project's Spring 2013 cruise aboard the NOAA Ship Oscar Dyson is underway! Researchers on this cruise will study oceanography offshore in the southeastern Gulf of Alaska. They will measure the physical properties of the water (temperature, salinity, current speed, etc.) and they will study phytoplankton, zooplankton and larval fish abundance.  Other vessels will begin work shortly.  Visit our blog throughout the season as we post exciting news from the field.

NOAA vessel Oscar Dyson





Respirometer on Board

By Ann Robertson, NOAA Fisheries, on the Northwest Explorer 

A new component of our Gulf of Alaska research this summer is the use of a respirometer on board the ship to measure the oxygen consumption (respiration rate) of fish. We had hoped to investigate the respiration rate of larval and age-0 rockfish. This is done by placing the fish in a closed chamber of oxygenated water, turning on a pump to recirculate the water, and watching the oxygen levels drop as the fish breathes. Unfortunately, only a few rockfish were collected, so we were only able to get a small amount of respirometry data. We were able to bring three small rockfish back to the lab in Juneau where we will continue our respirometry studies.

Our respirometer set up below deck on the Northwest Explorer. Plastic bags covering our electronic equipment prevented any moisture damage while at sea.

St John the Baptist Bay

By Jamal Moss, NOAA Fisheries, on the Northwest Explorer

After disappointing low catches of live age-0 rockfish in coastal waters, we decided to sample St. John the Baptist bay in Salisbury Sound, which is about 30 miles north of Sitka. This bay is a known nursery ground for juvenile sablefish and we thought we might find some rockfish there as well. Unfortunately we did not find either, but we did encounter numerous age-0 through age-3 pollock and herring.


Scientists sorting live age-0 pollock from older age classes                       St. John the Baptist Bay looking out on

                                                                                                                                          Salisbury Sound and the Gulf of Alaska in the distance

Finishing the Western Gulf of Alaska survey

By Wyatt Fournier, NOAA Fisheries, on the Northwest Explorer

Good weather and large catches of focal fish species made this trip a success, letting us occupy every station on the Western Gulf of Alaska grid in record time. Our crew for this leg is pictured in front of the Holgate Glacier in Aialik Bay - from left to right: Sterling Ulrich, Shari Mullen, Jaclyn Chariw, Mike Neary, Fletcher Sewall, and Wyatt Fournier.

Leg 2 Crew

The most important person on the boat? THE COOK!

By Wyatt Fournier, NOAA Fisheries, on the Northwest Explorer

As we near the end of this leg of the 2012 Gulf of Alaska Project summer survey, I wanted to thank the person that keeps us going, day in and day out. Penelope (Penny) Mallos cooks homemade dishes for every meal and surprises us with a freshly baked desert each evening. She gets up early, and stays up late, cooking and cleaning for all 12 people aboard. A good cook keeps the crew happy, and a happy crew is productive and efficient. After a long day of measuring fish, sorting zooplankton, and taking water samples in the wind and rain, there’s nothing better than coming inside to a delicious warm meal.

Penny, I invite you… no, I beg you to come back out with us next year! You are the best!



The Cook :)

Young of the Year (YOY) Rockfish

By Wyatt Fournier, NOAA Fisheries, on the Northwest Explorer

Unlike our young-of-the-year focal cod species (walleye pollock and Pacific cod), larval rockfish are found in patchy aggregations. This may be due to their different reproductive strategies. Cod use a “spray and pray” technique, where males and females release their gametes into the water and fertilization takes place as the ocean currents bring them together. Rockfish are ovoviviparous, which means eggs are fertilized and develop within the mother and young are released as free-swimming individuals.

We’re focusing on Pacific ocean perch (Sebastes alutus) in this project, one of many commercially important rockfishes in Alaska. This species is often called a POP and is just one of 32 species in the genus Sebastes found in the North Pacific. Young-of-the-year Sebastes are notoriously difficult to tell apart in the field and require laboratory techniques to indentify to species. We’re working with Tony Gharrett’s lab at the University of Alaska Fairbanks to identify the POP within the rockfish we collect. His lab uses single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) genetic analysis to distinguish Pacific ocean perch from other rockfish.

Larval Rockfish



Where we catch salmon, we also catch...salmon sharks!

By Wyatt Fournier, NOAA Fisheries, on the Northwest Explorer

As we have mentioned in the field notes before, we occasionally catch one of the North Pacific’s most efficient marine predators, the salmon shark (Lamna ditropis). This species of shark belongs to the family Lamnidae or Mackeral sharks. Sharks in this family are fast, warm blooded (endothermic), active swimmers and include the infamous white shark. Salmon sharks feed upon salmon, herring, sablefish, walleye pollock, rockfishes, and any other fish it is able to catch. It is the most common epipelagic shark, meaning that it lives in waters 0-200 meters depth, in sub-arctic and cold-temperate North Pacific waters. Its range that extends across the Bering Sea to Japan and down to southern Baja California. 

This salmon shark was released alive and well to hunt another day.

Salmon Shark

Pinks and Chums

By Wyatt Fournier, NOAA Fisheries, on the Northwest Explorer

Our salmon catches on the Western Gulf of Alaska grid consist mostly of juvenile pink salmon (Oncorhynchus gorbuscha) and adult, both immature and mature, chum salmon (O. keta). The pink salmon is known as the “humpy” salmon due to the male’s body morphology during spawning, and the chum has been called the “dog” salmon because of its traditional use as sled dog food. These two species are the most numerous of any Pacific salmonid and are of great commercial importance to the state of Alaska. It is likely that a majority of the pinks and chums that we intercept are of hatchery origin. The state of Alaska has a successful history of producing hatchery-born, ocean-raised wild salmon for commercial, sport, personal use and subsistence fisheries. Pacific salmon will gain over 90% of their biomass in the marine environment, feeding upon energy rich prey in the highly productive Gulf of Alaska and Bering Sea.



Dog Salmon

Pacific cod and walleye pollock

Pacific cod and walleye pollock

By Wyatt Fournier, NOAA Fisheries, on the Northwest Explorer
Last month, the narrow continental shelf in the Southeast Gulf of Alaska grid produced adequate catches of rockfish and arrowtooth flounder. In contrast, the wide shelf in the Western Gulf of Alaska grid has been producing large catches of Pacific cod (Gadus macrocephalus) and walleye pollock (Theragra chalcogramma). These highly important commercial fish of the Gadidae family are the most abundant species of cod in Alaskan waters. The Alaska pollock landings are the largest of any single fish species in the United States.
Last month, both species were slightly smaller and it was very difficult to tell them apart. As both species grow throughout the summer, their body morphology continues to develop and it is much easier to distinguish between the two. The Pacific cod, sometimes called a gray cod, has a deeper body and light brownish color as a juvenile. As adults, this species will develop a long chin barbell. The juvenile walleye pollock have a slender body, a silver tint, a slightly upturned mouth, and a larger eye diameter. As an adult, this species will become fish sticks.

Spiny Dogfish

By Wyatt Fournier, NOAA Fisheries, on the Northwest Explorer

Spiny dogfish and pups

We have completed sampling the Yakutat Bay and Kayak Island transects with little success catching our focal fish species. This region has produced moderate to large catches of spiny dogfish (Squalus acanthias), which continues the trend that began in the northern portion of our southeast Gulf of Alaska grid. The spiny dogfish is the most abundant shark in our oceans and is caught for human consumption, used in liver oil, pet food, fishmeal, fertilizer and leather. It is the only shark that supports fisheries as large as those of the commercially important bony fish. A unique life history characteristic of the spiny dogfish is that they are ovoviviparous, meaning that the embryos develop and are retained within the mother’s body until they are hatched and released. Females can reach 100 cm in length and have a gestation period that can last as long as 24 months, which is longer than any other vertebrate (even whales and elephants). Although the females may produce up to 20 young per litter, the individual pictured below was found with only two pups.

Here we go again…

Survey Grid for Leg 2 of the 2012 field season survey

By Wyatt Fournier, NOAA Fisheries, on the Northwest Explorer
The 2nd Gulf of Alaska Project survey of 2012 has begun! We have two more graduate students joining us for this leg of the survey: Fletcher Sewall and Shari Mullen. The Northwest Explorer left Juneau and weaved through the Alexander Archipelago on a 23-hour run to the Yakutat Bay transect to begin occupying stations. Once completed, we will travel 100 miles to the Kayak Island transect to sample before heading to the Western Gulf of Alaska grid for the remainder of the survey.

Until Next Time

By Wyatt Fournier, NOAA Fisheries, on the Northwestern Explorer

We are finishing up the first cruise of the 2012 GOAIERP survey, and I am happy to say that this science crew was not only the most efficient group we have had, but also the most pleasant to work with.

Thanks to Elizabeth Cote and Brian Beckman, they will be on dry land for the remainder of the summer. Mike Neary, Jaclyn Chariw, and Sterling Gaulrich will be joining me for the second cruise starting August 3rd.

Crew                                                                                                                                           Sunset

Observing Marine Mammals

By Wyatt Fournier, NOAA Fisheries, on the Northwestern Explorer

Not only has the science crew been busy on deck sorting fish, but our Marine Mammal and Seabird Observer has been recording sightings (or absence of sightings) 12 hours a day. With the Fairweather mountain range in view, it’s not too bad of a job.

Humpback, Fin, and Sperm whales have been sighted multiple times and Steller sea lions and fur seals also came quite close to the boat. One of our trawl sets was delayed by this fur seal as it played around the main wire.

Fur Seal                                                                                                                        Observer

Return of the Daggertooth

By Wyatt Fournier, NOAA Fisheries, on the Northwestern Explorer

We once again encountered the Pacific Daggertooth, this time with a full stomach. It’s not clear if it swallowed the juvenile Chinook salmon before or after being trapped in the net. It is clear, however, that the Dagertooth has a big appetite. The Chinook was quite a catch weighing in at 140g and the Daggertooth was just 340g.

Hungry Dagger

Pink Salmon Stealing Our Catch

By Wyatt Fournier, NOAA Fisheries, on the Northwestern Explorer

Our net is not the only thing in the Gulf of Alaska trying to catch larval rockfish and arrowtooth flounder. Adult pacific salmon, a piscivorous (fish-eating) predator, will also consume our species of interest when they find them. The pink salmon shown below had a belly full of translucent, larval fish. The very fish I was hoping to catch in the net! In this way, the stomach contents of adult salmon can be utilized as another sampling mechanism.

One of the goals of the Gulf of Alaska Project is to understand the interactions between marine predators and our five fish species of interest. To observe predation rates we will collect whole stomachs from Pink, Coho and Chinook salmon that we catch in our trawl net. Diets will be determined by stomach content analysis and data will be given to our modelers to update their predation mortality rates.

Salmon Stomach

Success Offshore!

By Wyatt Fournier, NOAA Fisheries, on the Northwestern Explorer
Jamal and I had hypothesized that occupying stations farther offshore would increase our focal fish catch, and the last few days have strongly supported that hypothesis! From 40 miles out, we consistently encounter larval arrowtooth flounder (ATF), larval rockfish, and young of the year (YOY) pollock. This is a huge success for the GOAIERP project, especially considering our low catches in 2011 when we were sampling within 30 miles from the coast in the Southeast region. Each one of these little fish is tagged with a Sample Identification Number (SIN) and individually bagged to be stored in a -40o C freezer on the ship. Once we reach the TSMRI facility in Juneau, the fish will be transferred to a -80o C freezer until it is time to process them in Ron Heintz’s Nutritional Ecology Lab. Stomachs will be emptied for complete diet analysis, including identifying zooplankton prey to species. Total energetic content of each fish will be determined by bomb calorimetry. To further investigate how energy is allocated during the larval and juvenile life stages, fish will be analyzed in the chemistry lab for protein and lipid (fat) content. One type of lipid that Ron and I find intriguing is Triacylglycerols, a highly concentrated store of metabolic energy that may influence the survival of our focal fish during their first year of life. 

Bag and Tag                                                                                                                              Larval

The Scenic Views

By Wyatt Fournier, NOAA Fisheries, on the Northwestern Explorer

Here are a couple of quick pictures of the views we get from the survey. Mount Edgcumbe just outside of Sitka was a familiar sight.

If you could stay awake after a long day, the sunset proved spectacular. Maybe influenced by the forest fires in Siberia?

Mount Edgecumbe                                                                                                       Sunset