Sian Proctor: Nothing But Net!, July 12, 2017

NOAA Teacher at Sea

Sian Proctor

Aboard Oscar Dyson

July 2 – 22, 2017

Mission: Gulf of Alaska Pollock Survey

Geographic Area of Cruise: Gulf of Alaska

Date: July 12, 2017

Weather Data from the Bridge

• Latitude:   56° 46.8 N
• Longitude: 154° 13.7 W
• Time: 0800
• Sky:Clear
• Visibility: 10 nautical miles
• Wind Direction: 279
• Wind Speed: 9 Knots
• Sea Wave Height: 1-2 foot swell
• Barometric Pressure: 1019.9 millibars
• Sea Water Temperature:   11.1°C
• Air Temperature:   12.0°C
• Sunrise: 0531
• Sunset: 2300

Science and Technology Log: Nothing But Net!

Once the scientists determine where and how deep they want to fish, based on analyzing the echogram, then the boat moves into position and the net is deployed. Safety is the top priority when working on the vessel. The deckhands all have to wear life jackets, hard hats, and good boots when working on deck because the conditions can be sunny one moment and stormy the next.  There is some serious hardware at the back of boat. There are cranes, winches, and spools of wire ropes & chains. The Chief Boatswain is responsible for all deck operations and deploying any gear overboard. The following video illustrates the sampling process using an Aleutian Wing Trawl net.

There is a camera (aka camtrawl) attached to the net along with a small pocket net. The pocket net is designed to catch tiny animals that slip through the AWT meshes. The pocket mesh only catches a small amount of escaping animals which can then be used to determine what was in the water column with the bigger pollock. The camtrawl has a pair of cameras that shoot stereo images of what is entering the net. The camtrawl was developed by NOAA scientists and its goal is to estimate the size and identify the species that enter the net using visual recognition software from University of Washington. The ultimate goal of the camtrawl is to be able to identify everything entering the net without ever having to actually catch the fish.

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A limitation of the AWT is that it can’t go closer than a few meters from the sea floor. Pollock are semi-pelagic so they are sometimes down at the sea floor and a different net is used. The Poly Nor’Easter (PNE) is used to trawl along the bottom of the Gulf of Alaska because the bottom can be rocky. The PNE has roller gear along its bottom to keep it from getting stuck. The opening of the PNE is 6 meters tall and 15 meters wide and also funnels to a codend.

There is a third net on Oscar Dyson called the Methot and it is used to catch large plankton such as krill. The Methot is so small that it sits on the deck and is easily lifted and put into the water. The net you use is determined by what you are trying to catch and where they are located in the water column.

Interview with Ryan Harris

Chief Boatswain

• Official Title
  • Chief Boatswain
• Normal Job Duties
  • I am in charge of the deck operations on board the ship from deploying gear over the side to up keep of the ship.
• How long have you been working on Oscar Dyson?
  • 15 months
• What is your favorite thing about going to sea on Oscar Dyson?
  • I get to see things normal people do not.
• When did you know you wanted to pursue a career in science or an ocean career?
  • 11 years ago I fell in love with the excitement of travel.
• What are some of the challenges with your job?
  • Trying to keep all the gear working to complete the mission.
• What are some of the rewards with your job?
  • I get to serve my country and leave something behind that me and my family can be proud of.
• Describe a memorable moment at sea.
  • Seeing killer Whales 5 feet away.

Interview with Tom Stucki

Lead Fishermen

• Official Title
  • Lead Fishermen
• Normal Job Duties
  • I run the winches for trawls, Maintain and fix the nets, help with maintenance of our equipment. Paint and preserve the ship when time and weather allows, clean up inside of ship.
•  How long have you been working on Oscar Dyson?
  • 2 months this time and a month long trip last year. I am a relief pool employee. I fill in where the fleet needs me.
• Why the ocean? What made you choose a career at sea?
  • I grew up on the coast in a fishing community.
• What is your favorite thing about going to sea on Oscar Dyson?
  • The crew and work we do.
• Why is your work (or research) important?
  • Our work is translated back to the commercial fleets so we don’t end up overfishing.
• When did you know you wanted to pursue a career in science or an ocean career?
  • Once I got out of the Army and went on my first successful Salmon fishing trip.
• What part of your job with NOAA (or contracted to NOAA) did you least expect to be doing?
  • Traveling as a relief pool employee.
• What are some of the challenges with your job?
  • Working 12 hour days for months at a time.
• What are some of the rewards with your job?
  • Knowing that the work I am helping with actually matters and hopefully will have positive implications down the road.
• Describe a memorable moment at sea.
  • There are lots but its always nice in the middle of a trawl when you look up the sun is setting the water is flat calm and you think to yourself “yeah, I get paid for doing this.

Interview with Jay Michelsen

Skilled Fisherman

• Official Title
  • Skilled Fisherman
• Normal Job Duties
  • Operations of equipment to facilitate the needs of the science party.
•  How long have you been working on Oscar Dyson?
  • two years
• Why the ocean? What made you choose a career at sea?
  • I love the challenge of creating something stable from something so uncertain and ever changing as the ocean.
• What is your favorite thing about going to sea on Oscar Dyson?
  • Seeing some of the creatures that the ocean has living in its depth.
• Why is your work (or research) important?
  • My work is important more for personal reasons, I am able to support my family and make their lives more comfortable. My work on the ship is nothing special besides understanding the rigging and being able to trouble shoot issues that arise just as quickly as they show up.
• When did you know you wanted to pursue a career in science or an ocean career?
  • I have wanted to pursue a career on the water for as long as I can remember, however it was my mother five years ago who pushed me to follow that desire.
• What are some of the rewards with your job?
  • I enjoy seeing the creatures that we pull up from the ocean. The pay isn’t bad. If you are able to stay in for a long period of time, you can get a stable retirement.
• Describe a memorable moment at sea.
  • There was a time that we brought up a salmon shark in the net and I was able to get it back into the water by cutting a hole in the net and pulling it out with the help of another deckhand. It was exhilarating!

Personal Log

I will admit that my biggest concern with going to sea was the thought of falling overboard. Now that I have been on Oscar Dyson I have learned that safety is a top priority and there are a lot of procedures for keeping everyone productive yet safe. Every week there are safety drills such as fire, abandon ship, and person overboard. The one I like the most is the abandon ship because I get to try on the survival suit. The waters here are so cold that survival overboard is unlikely without the survival suit.

It is comforting to know that the crew of Oscar Dyson work hard to keep themselves and everyone on board safe. I am no longer afraid of falling overboard because I’ve learned to be safe when navigating around the vessel and I have finally developed my sea legs – well sort of! The weather has been amazing with smooth sailing almost everyday. We did have a few days with some rolling seas and I had to put a seasickness patch behind my ear.

Education Tidbit: NOAA Fisheries Website

Another cool NOAA website that lets you explore deeper into fisheries and this video shows you how to find information for educators and students.

Did You Know?

The average size of a Bering Sea commercial fishing net is 60m tall by 120m wide.