Category: NOAA Teacher at Sea

Posted on

Geoff Goodenow, May 10, 2004

NOAA Teacher at Sea
Geoff Goodenow
Onboard NOAA Ship Oscar Elton Sette
May 2 – 25, 2004

Mission: Swordfish Assessment Survey
Geographical Area: Hawaiian Islands
Date: May 10, 2004

Time: 1600

Lat: 18 41 N
Long: 158 19 W
Sky: Sunshine with scattered cumulus; beautiful day.
Air temp: 27.3 C
Barometer: 1010.92
Wind: 68 degrees at 8 Knots
Relative humidity: 47.9%
Sea temp: 27.1 C
Depth: 1674m (at 1800 hours, Lat 18 25N, Long 158 27W)
Sea: A few white caps tonight. What might they foretell?

Science and Technology Log

Pretty good day on the line. We tagged a yellowfin tuna (on board) and a broadbill swordfish (in the water). In the latter case, the tag was attached by sort of harpooning it into the animal from deck. We also pulled in a snakefish (head only), a big eye tuna, 2 escolar, a barracuda (of no interest so simply cut off the line) and 3 blue sharks. One was too large to safely bring aboard; it was cut loose. The two others were brought on board. From one we took blood and fin clips after which it was released. One fish was brought in by trolling today.

As you have noticed water temperature here would be quite comfortable for us (but we are not taking afternoon swims). Rich explained to me that here there is mixing of the surface layers such that the surface temps. I have been reporting would apply to a depth of about 100 meters. Then between there and 400 meters we would see about a 10 degree C drop. While some fish stay in the upper layers others hang in the depths or make regular vertical transgressions across these zones.

Fish are generally regarded as having body temperature at or very near ambient. Any heat produced in the muscles by aerobic respiration is picked up by the blood and circulated through the gills where that heat is dumped efficiently to the environment. Some saltwater fish (no freshwater ones) including tunas and some sharks have developed a kind of heat exchange system. Heat from venous blood is passed to arterial flow in order to keep certain muscles and organs above ambient temp. by as much as 20 degrees C in large fish. This allows body tissues and organs to work more efficiently.

Billfish such as swordfish also have a heat exchange system but it is located only around the eye and brain. Here certain eye muscle is reduced to little more than a container for mitochondria which generate lots of heat. The heat exchange system then only serves this region of the body keeping it above water temp. Still busy at Cross Seamount. The fishermen must be having a big time up there. We are setting at Swordfish again tonight. (Lat 18 17N Long 158 22W at finish of set)

Personal Log

Those oily escolar are not being kept for consumption. This morning we took one’s eyes and made a short incision along the belly just to take some muscle tissue In returning the escolar bodies to the sea I have scored their diving entries 1-10 as in competitive events. Most have been dropped straight in, but this morning I thought of trying something with a higher difficulty factor — a one and half back flip with tail entry. But on its first rotation, a bit of the entrails was ejected shipward striking me on the shoulder before falling to the deck. Unfortunately, this was not captured on film for replay tonight on “Funniest Ship Videos”, but for those present, it provided a good bit of humor to start the morning. Hereafter, we might just stay with the less ambitious dives. Spectators were glad it was I and not they.

Later I made my debut as a shark wrestler. As a rookie I was given the tail end. Even though the blues are comparatively tame once on board, the strength in the animal’s body was very evident as it tried to move – – not so sure I care to deal with the other end of these babies!

Goodenow 5-10-04 blue shark
TAS Geoff Goodenow and a blue shark.

Questions:

This question relates to paragraph two of the science log. What is the thermocline within a body of water? How would you expect a temperature profile to change through the seasons in a deep lake in central Pennsylvania?

Any questions from you folks???

Geoff

Posted on

Geoff Goodenow, May 9, 2004

NOAA Teacher at Sea
Geoff Goodenow
Onboard NOAA Ship Oscar Elton Sette
May 2 – 25, 2004

Mission: Swordfish Assessment Survey
Geographical Area: Hawaiian Islands
Date: May 9, 2004

Time: 1600

Lat: 18 39 N
Long: 158 17 W
Sky: A few more cumulus clouds around today (40% cover) but they didn’t seem to get in the way of the sun too often. Some thin stratus and cirrus around too.
Air temp: 26 C
Barometer: 1011.5
Wind: 120 degrees at 3.5 Knots
Relative humidity: 56 %
Sea temp: 27.1 C
Depth: 959.3 m

The sea was very,very smooth throughout the day.

Science and Technology Log

The line last night was put out at Swordfish Seamount (500 meters deep), about 35 miles south of Cross. It was a bit longer than usual. Longline retrieval began 0800 and was not complete until 1130. Both the length and our better fortune accounted for the longer effort. We brought in 7 on the line today including 4 sharks. Species included the following: 1 snakefish (Gempylus serpens – 104 cm long and about 7 cm wide with a big eye, pointy snout and lined with very sharp teeth– dead), oceanic white tipped shark (Carcharhinus longimanus) alive, 157 cm and nasty; a blue shark (Prionace glauca), alive, 132 cm and 32.5 kg, rather docile onboard, very pretty coloration — grayish belly softly blending to a blue dorsally; a big eye thresher shark (Alopias superciliosus — love that name) a bit of life in him but not much, 136 cm + tailfin, 51 kg, its curved tail fin nearly the length of his body; a silky shark (   ?   ) alive; an ono or wahoo, a dolphinfish and an escolar. I took some samples of blue shark and thresher shark teeth. A pretty exciting and busy morning. For most of these fish their fate in our hands was the same as usual.   But the real excitement was bringing on the live sharks. As they are drawn near the ship, netting held in place on a 3 foot by 6 foot rectangular metal frame is lower to the water by a winch. The fish is brought onto it and hoisted aboard. There are a few seconds of near terror as this thrashing animal hits the deck wielding danger at both ends of its body. A mattress like cover is thrown over each end and weighted down by human bodies (mine was not one of them today, but I’ll take my turn eventually; how many people do you know who have ridden a shark?).

The oceanic white and the silky were tagged with the pop ups. To do this a hole is drilled through the base of the dorsal fin. Line looped through that hole attaches the pop up to the animal. Fin clips and blood samples (if possible) are taken as are any remoras attached to the sharks. Then another moment of fear — restraints are withdrawn and animal is sent overboard as quickly as possible. Description of the satellite pop up tags: Each is about 12 inches tall. At the base is a light sensor, above that a cylindrical housing about 1 inch diameter, next a swollen area about 1.75 inch diameter (the pressure sensor) above which is an antenna about 6 inches long.   Each costs about $4000.00 including about $300 satellite time to upload data. Since a signal cannot be sent through seawater to the satellite, the units acquire and store data until a preset pop up date (8 months is about max given battery power of the unit). Then they are released automatically, pop to the surface, find a satellite and dump info to it. The system allows us to track fishes vertical movements (by pressure changes) and horizontal movements by measuring ambient light levels. The latter tells us daylength which can be used to estimate latitude to perhaps within a degree and time of dusk and dawn, which when compared to Greenwich can indicate longitude.

But what if the animal dies before the 8 months are passed? If the animal is headed to the depths, at 1200 meters pressure causes release of the pop up. If no vertical change is detected over 4 days (animal has died in shallow water), they release. Other things can happen that disable the pop ups. They might get broken or eaten by other animals. Only about i in 3 tagged swordfish and big eye thresher sharks are heard from if tagged. Those animals go surface to 600 meters often and rapidly subjecting tags to quick temperature and pressure changes that might disrupt operation of the device. In spite of the obstacles, data is gathered from about 60% of the pop up tags deployed. An alternative is small archival tags that get implanted right onto the animal. These cost only $800 and have much greater storage capacity than pop ups so can provide much more data. However, these must be recovered — the fish have to be recaught in order to get the info from the tag. That’s a tough order in this big ocean and recovery rate is indeed low. Setting longline again tonight in same area. At 2042 we are at lat 18 16 N and long 158 27 W.

Personal Log

Last night was spectacular. Brilliant stars horizon to horizon — a star show above, including the Southern Cross, that was equaled in beauty and wonder by the light show in the water. Bioluminescent organisms were ablaze off stern. It looked like the Milky Way in the water but with the stars turning on and off and swirling about in a frenzy. Some were mere points of light, sometimes things flashed as a light bulb going quickly on and off, and once in a while a ghostly basketball sized sphere tumbled through the view. It was hard to know whether to look up or down for fear of missing the next dazzling event.

And yes, there was a small crowd at the bow to admire the moonrise at about 2345. The ship as always held its position near the longline set. As such we are sort of at the mercy of the sea, just rocking and rolling as it moves beneath us. It is to me a very pleasant motion, one that just rocks you gently to sleep. I have never been on a cruise ship, but friends who have tell me there is no (or little) sense of motion to the ship. Perhaps this is comforting to some, but I like the total experience (within reasonable limits, of course) and these last two nights have been perfect in all respects. I am handing off my duties as brake and bait man to others this evening so that I might digest and organize some of the info passed to me by Kerstin and others in the last couple days.

Questions:

Here are a couple relating to ocean currents. Look at a chart that shows ocean currents along the US east coast (southern and mid-Atlantic states) and for the US west coast (Washington to California). What is the general direction of the flow along each coast? Along which coast, especially in summer, would you expect ocean water to be warmer? Why?

I have given you daily temperature readings for the sea water here at about 18 degrees north. The Galapagos Islands straddle the equator far to the east of here off the west coast of South America. You would most likely expect the water there to be warmer on average than around the Hawaiian Islands. Is it? If not, what accounts for the difference?

Happy Mother’s Day,

Geoff

Posted on

Geoff Goodenow, May 8, 2004

NOAA Teacher at Sea
Geoff Goodenow
Onboard NOAA Ship Oscar Elton Sette
May 2 – 25, 2004

Mission: Swordfish Assessment Survey
Geographical Area: Hawaiian Islands
Date: May 8, 2004

Time: 1820 (I’m late today)

Lat: 18 12 N
Long: 158 26 W
Sky: beautiful day; blue sky with scattered cumulus
Air temp: 25.9 C
Barometer: 1011.9
Wind: 70 degrees at 6 knots
Relative humidity: 52%
Sea temp: 27 C
Depth: 3571 m

Scientific and Technical Log

The longline brought in just two escolar (Lepidocybium flavobrunneum), an oily tuna (not ones we keep for eating) that tends to live rather deep. It is a dark colored fish unlike the shallower water tunas and mahi we have brought up which are nicely (sometimes brilliantly) colored. Its eye is very large and reflective like a cat’s eye though silvery. It is quite striking. So anyway, a bit of excitement there, and I got to see a species new to me. I don’t think I gave any description of the longline retrieval yet.   The ship maintains a course to keep the line perhaps 30-40 degrees off port side. The line comes up midship over a pulley at the spool and is wound onto the spool. As leaders come up they are unclipped at the pulley and passed to others who remove bait and return hooks, leaders and clips to storage barrel. If a fish comes on, the spool is stopped until it is landed and removed from the retrieval area. It is a challenge for crew on the bridge to maintain the proper course for the ship with respect to the line. Because the ship is moving slowly during the process and the process must be stopped for fish or entanglements, recovery of the line takes much longer than the set. I don’t think we’ve done it in less than 2 hours. Nothing came up by trolling today and no plankton tows were done.   Tonight we are south of Cross Seamount (at 2000 we are at 18 08 N, 158 27 W) to set the line. Again we are not at Cross because of another boat’s presence. I’m the starter on the bait box tonight. I hope I can fulfill the duties, after all I’m a rookie and used to coming in only as the closer so far. I guess they’ll try anything to change our luck.

Personal Log

After completing my log last night at about 2030 I went to an upper deck where we have strung a hammock. I was a beautiful starry night — the clearest we have had. A warm gentle wind blew over a sea rolling under us as one foot swells. The bright orange waning gibbous moon rose 20 minutes later a cast its long shimmering light across the water as it rose higher. The Big Dipper was easily apparent pointing toward Polaris only 18 degrees or so above the horizon. As new constellations took their place above the eastern horizon a couple of meteors streaked by. I was reluctant to leave the scene for my cabin. I made the mistake of telling folks about it today; there could be some competition for that hammock tonight!

In preparation for upcoming editions of the log I spent an hour or so with Kerstin discussing her work with vision in these pelagic fishes. Wow! I’ll be sorting that out for awhile — very interesting stuff. I finished a book, The Great Biologists, written in 1932. Obviously many more recent greats are not included, but I enjoyed reading about the men included from a 1932 perspective. It is of interest to me to learn more of the impact of particular work at its time in history and of the personalities of the men themselves. It adds some new dimensions to teaching of biology that might captivate a few students as bits and pieces can be appropriately included.   We had a small group of dolphins leaping high as they passed the boat.   Flying fish are a common sight; crewmen report that often they are found on deck in the morning. We have a pair of birds, a type of booby I believe, hitching a ride with us. They are leaving their mark all over the bow which is not pleasing the crew and have thus been dubbed “John’s nemesis”. But for those of us who don’t have to swab the deck, it is neat to have them around and to watch them feed. From their perch they seem to spot a fish leap from the water and take off. They follow the fish 10-20 feet over the water as it swims and at an instant make a fast dive for it and quickly take flight again. Many of us had our supper on the deck tonight — my first mid-ocean picnic. A clear horizon at sunset gave me another view of the green flash. Venus (I think) set about 2135 just as set of the longline finished. And as predicted, there is a crowd gathering on the bow for moonrise.

Question:

There is no “south pole star” as we think of Polaris as our “north pole star”. How can you use the Southern Cross to point you in the direction of the south pole?

Off to join the bow party,

Geoff

Posted on

Geoff Goodenow, May 7, 2004

NOAA Teacher at Sea
Geoff Goodenow
Onboard NOAA Ship Oscar Elton Sette
May 2 – 25, 2004

Mission: Swordfish Assessment Survey
Geographical Area: Hawaiian Islands
Date: May 7, 2004

Time: 1615
Lat: 18 41N
Long: 158 34W
Sky: scattered cumulus clouds; bright and sunny
Air temp: 26.6 C
Barometer: 1012.04
Wind: 87 degrees at knots 6.7 knots
Relative humidity: 50%
Sea temp: 26 C
Depth: 4558 m

Scientific and Technical Log

We left the shelter of the Kona coast and steamed all night toward Cross seamount arriving there between 0900 and 1000 hours. We trolled a couple lines across it for several hours but pulled in no fish. This is where we wanted to lay the line tonight, but in communicating with a fishing vessel in the area, that crew indicated they have 30 miles of line in the water now. Protocol, I presume, says it’s their place for now so we will respect that and go elsewhere.

Elsewhere is another seamount about 45 miles west and slightly north of Cross. But why are we hanging out at these things called seamounts? Rich (remember, chief scientist) explained to me that above seamounts are local currents called Taylor Columns that sort of swirl around above these features. Small fish tend to concentrate within these and, of course, that attracts the big boys. Cross is well known for that effect due to its shallowness (182 fathoms). The one we are going to is much deeper and consequently does not have as dramatic an impact as Cross.

Here is a bit about a couple tools that we are not using on this ship for this mission. One is called the Acoustic Doppler Current Profiler. It sends out a high frequency signal and allows determination of current direction and speed under the ship. Another is the CTD (conductivity, temperature and depth). This circular array of water sampling bottles is lowered into the water. Temperature and conductivity are monitored and recorded continuously as it moves through the water. On ascent, bottles can be triggered to close at specific depths thereby bringing water samples from different levels in the water column for further testing on board.

Personal Log

More about life on the ship:

There will be no shore time during this trip, but there are several forms of entertainment aboard. Just listening to crew members speak of other places and projects around the globe they have participated in on NOAA vessels is fascinating. There is a small work out room and a couple rooms where we can view videos/cds or watch TV. There is quite a library of viewing materials and books available. Some crew members have their own TVs and stereo equipment in their cabins. On the more mundane side, there is a laundry to do personal items and once a week stewards give us a change of linens and towels.

Communication with home:

We download and upload email three times per day: 0700, 1300, and 1900 hours. Phone calls can be made but they are expensive and generally reserved for emergencies. The ship’s total communications bill can run up to $10,000 per month. So far, a typical day for me has been something like this after breakfast (0700-0800): collect samples from longline catch, assist cleanup, cleanup self, lunch (1100-1200). Check emails, enter some notes to log until tiring of that, R&R (reading, snoozing on shaded deck, interview someone or observe their work) and help with any fish coming in on troll lines. Dinner (1630-1730), R&R, input to log, help set longline (2000 -2130), finish the day’s log and send to Washington (that makes me sound pretty important doesn’t it?), R&R, and to bed 2300-2400 hours.

Since we did not set a line last night and no fish came on by trolling today was kind of slow. I used the time to have a tour of the bridge by executive officer Sarah and electrical technician, John. It was very interesting to learn more about the ship’s scientific monitoring abilities (as briefly and incompletely described above), navigation and safety features for times of distress.

Crew assisted me to string my swordfish bills so to drag along behind us. This is done to get some of the flesh and oils out of them. I am told that this will take a week or more to accomplish.

Questions:

Estimate the distance in miles between yesterday’s and today’s position (today at 2018 hours we are at Lat 18 53 N and Long 158.59 W).

What is a seamount?

Looking at the nautical chart on the bridge I can see the top of Cross seamount is at (a shallow) 182 fathoms. We are headed to one that is 406 fathoms. Between the two the chart shows a maximum depth of 2585 fathoms. What is the depth of the water over the seamounts and the deepest point between them in feet?

Geoff

Posted on

Geoff Goodenow, May 6, 2004

NOAA Teacher at Sea
Geoff Goodenow
Onboard NOAA Ship Oscar Elton Sette
May 2 – 25, 2004

Mission: Swordfish Assessment Survey
Geographical Area: Hawaiian Islands
Date: May 6, 2004

Local Time: 1600
Lat: 19 19 N
Long: 155 57 W
Sky: thin overcast
Air temp: 25.5 C
Barometer: 1011.28
Wind: 348 degrees at 9 knots
Relative humidity: 59.9
Sea temp: 26.6 C
Depth: 1997 m

Technical and Scientific Log

Longline retrieval began as usual at 800 hours (Can you tell I’m getting more than just my sea legs?). Everyone was feeling optimistic as various (secret) measures were employed through the night to ward off another disappointing haul. We did begin with a bit of bad luck as the line somehow got under the hull. (Obviously we have a few kinks to work out of the rituals.) Rich indicated that we had lost a couple big ones because of that. But we did land 4 fish – 2 dophinfish, alive, and 2 broadbill swordfish (Xiphias gladius) both dead on arrival. The latter were young fish just over 100 cm and each with a bill of about 52 cm which I collected. Hoping to get them home, but airline security might have something to say about that. We also brought on a couple yellowfin and a skipjack tuna while trolling through the afternoon and evening.

Yesterday I gave you an idea as to how Michele will use the blood, liver and tissue samples she is collecting. I am gathering muscle tissue samples for Brittany who is a grad student at Univ. of Hawaii, I believe. Those samples are to be used for stable isotope analysis of these pelagic fishes. I cannot recall enough about this and no one on board can help me give you an explanation of that work, but I will get details eventually. Let it be enough for now to say that the data collected should provide info on the trophic history and possible migration patterns of these fishes.

Some pilot whales and dolphins swam with us briefly today. No day time plankton tows today.

The depth of our longline sets the past couple nights has been about 40 meters. Depth of set depends on what you are trying to catch and the lunar cycle. Rich suggests that perhaps we should have been deeper. On full moon, for example, you would set deeper than at new moon. The fish tend to adjust their depth to maintain a rather constant level of light.

We are not setting the longline tonight. Winds have calmed outside of this area so we are going to head away through the night in search of happier hunting grounds (or should I say “fishing waters?”)

Personal Log

Given “gentle” seas, life on this vessel is very comfortable. Of course, gentle is a relative term and one that I hope in short time comes to be useful to me in situations that currently bring on thoughts like “why did I ever decide to do this?” (That only happened Sunday into early Monday; I’m having a great time since then.) Today I want to tell a bit what it’s like on board.

Most interior space in the ship is air conditioned; only stairwells are not. This contrasts quite favorably to the first research ship I went on. I remember very well the mens’ quarters — hot, hot, hot as it was just forward of the engine room, always smelling of diesel, “bunks” 3 high with about a foot of head room, and only a red lamp for lighting.

Here,I share a room about midship just above the main deck with Rickard, a Swedish graduate student working with Kerstin on the vision studies. Our stateroom is about 10X15 feet. It is carpeted, we have bunk beds, a desk, sink, closet and a window. We share a toilet and shower with one other person, a crew member, in the adjoining room. I think all of the science personnel are on this deck.

Meals/food service are excellent. The galley is always open and we may help ourselves to a variety of treats, snacks and real food at any time of day. For breakfast, cold cereals, bread, fruits, hot drinks and juices are available and the galley staff will prepare eggs, pancakes, meats, hot cereals as to your order.

Lunch and supper always include a salad bar and your choice of 2 entrees and a variety of side dishes. Not that we are on a strictly fish diet, but all of the fish that we have taken for specimens are immediately iced down and saved for the cooks who have many ways of making them a treat for the palate. Tonight featured freshly caught ahi cooked on a grill on deck.

Last night’s sunset was a beauty. I saw for the first time, the “green flash”.

Questions

Lets turn to the atmosphere for a few questions. If you are keeping up with answering the questions (or just look above), you have an idea of the latitude of the islands. What is the name, including direction, of the global wind belt the Hawaiian islands lie within?

The ship has been sailing along the west coast of the big island, Hawaii. Is this the windward or the leeward side of the island? The heights of Maui and Hawaii help create the weather observed on different parts of the islands. Look at a map of Hawaii and find the towns, Hilo and Kona. Which of the two would you predict to have the drier climate? Why? Check some other sources for precipitation records to find out if you are correct.

You can try the same for Maui. Hana is on the east side and Lahaina is on the west. Make some predictions as to the relative climates of each town then check other sources of climate data to see if you are correct.

If you have any questions, please send them my way.

Geoff