NOAA Teacher at Sea: Caroline Singler Ship: USCGC Healy
Mission: Extended Continental Shelf Survey
Geographical area of cruise: Arctic Ocean Date of Post: 2 September 2010
We’re Off! – A look back at Monday 2 August 2010
USCGC Healy
We left the port of Dutch Harbor on the U.S. Coast Guard Cutter Healy at 1500 on Monday, 2 August 2010. I first saw the Healy from a distance. While walking through Unalaska on Friday morning, I stopped to take some photos looking back towards Dutch Harbor across Iliuliuk Bay and I saw a red and white ship at a distant dock. I couldn’t read the writing on the side, but a local fisherman stopped to talk to me and told me that I was looking at an ice breaker, so I knew it must be Healy. We boarded the ship on Sunday afternoon, and it is much more impressive up close.
USCGC Healy
It’s such a huge ship that I hardly noticed a change in sound or movement when they fired up the engines. Standing on one of the weatherdecks looking over the bow of the ship, I was unaware that we were moving until I walked around to the starboard side and realized that the space between us and the dock was increasing. I wandered around taking photos as we made our way towards open water. Dutch Harbor is located on a small island called Amaknak Island – the peak on the right is Mt. Ballyhoo.
Dutch Harbor
As we made our way into more open water, I took a photo of a prominent sea stack which someone told me is Priest Rock, a landmark often referred to on “Deadliest Catch”.
Priest Rock
I spent the first day learning my way around the ship and attending various briefings. I quickly realized that when I’m inside, I have no sense of direction. My stateroom is on the port side of the 02 deck, right across from Sick Bay (which I hope I will not need) and not far from the Science Conference Room, so I can orient myself if I can find my room. So far, the only sign that we are at sea is a gentle rocking motion and the occasional sound of the fog horn. Here’s the view from my stateroom, taken a few hours after we left port.
View from Porthole
An important part of the first briefing was learning about what to do during a ship emergency. If we were to ever have to abandon ship, each person on the boat must don a survival suit, affectionately referred to as the Gumby suit. It looked pretty easy when demonstrated by one of the “Coasties”. However, watching and doing are certainly two different things, so anyone who had never tried one on before was required to do so. I cannot explain the eerie feeling of getting into one and zipping it up and realizing that in an emergency, my ability to do that again might mean my survival. It was much more difficult than it looked, and I definitely needed help finding all the straps and attachments. I hope it is the last time I’ll ever have to do that. Here I am in my suit together with Jerry, another member of the team. It’s a stylish look, don’t you think?
In our Gumby Suits
Now that we are underway, I will begin to learn about the science on our mission and will write about it in my logs. I’m going to switch to the more formal log format recommended by the NOAA Teacher at Sea program. Feel free to comment or email if you have any questions about my log, if you are curious about life at sea, or if you just want to say hello.Caroline
There are many different groups of people working aboard the ship, Oscar Dyson – Scientists, NOAA Corps officers, Deck Hands, Engineers, Survey Technicians, and Cooks. Within the science department, there are 12 members aboard and two Teachers at Sea which totals to 14 souls. For this third leg of pollock surveys, the chief scientist is Taina Honkalehto. Her job aboard the ship is to plan the scientific activities and make the decisions on how best to carry out that plan. Of the scientist crew, there are two Russian scientists that are conducting their own research in collaboration with NOAA.
This pollock survey, which focuses on determining abundance and distribution, is an important component of the fishing industry in the United States. According to The Bering Sea Project, “The largest concentrations of pollock occur in the eastern Bering Sea,” and more specifically, “Walleye pollock support the largest single commercial fishery in the U.S., producing the largest catch of any one species inhabiting the 200-mile US Exclusive Economic Zone.” Additionally, the pollock industry is incredibly important to the people living in Dutch Harbor and Unalaska because pollock is one of the main fishes processed there and has helped classify Dutch Harbor as America’s #1 fishing port in the USA for fish landed (NOAA, 2009).
View of a spread out group of pollock as seen from the computer screen. Notice in the far right corner a red spot. That shows that at that location, the fish are densely packed. The red, yellow, and green-blue line represent the seafloor.
There are two summer surveys being conducted to estimate the Bering Sea pollock population: Acoustic-Trawl Survey and the Bottom-Trawl Survey. Currently on the Oscar Dyson we are conducting the Acoustic -Trawl Survey. After we catch the fish, we combine the acoustics, fish samples, and CTD deployment data, to draw conclusions that help us estimate population size and ecological factors of pollock. Remember, in order for pollock to live where they do, they need food and so when we extract stomach samples, we are looking for what pollock prey upon (mostly krill). Besides, food, other important aspects of their habitat must be in place for their survival. The CTD data – water temperature, salinity, nutrients, oxygen, and chlorophyll – help us understand how the distribution of pollock has changed in past years and may also provide information about how it could change in the future.
However, not all of the scientists on board are collecting data related to pollock. Currently we have two other subgroups with one observing seabirds and the other observing marine mammals. The crew observing seabirds have a goal of observing species seen during the tour to determine seabird species distribution and abundance. The marine mammal observers are working to obtain current data on cetacean species distribution and abundance.
The Teachers At Sea (TAS), which currently include Obed Fulcar (New York, New York) and myself (Dutch Harbor, AK) have an important role of working under the scientists and other crew members to learn about the research being conducted in an attempt to bring real science into the classrooms.
A large group of fish scattered about from the perspective of the transducer.
Because acoustics is a major tool used in pollock survey, I feel it would be beneficial to provide a few details on how it works. Remember, referring to Blog #2 “the ship has Transducers that send pings of sound energy down through the ocean and when they hit some object, such as the bottom of the ocean or a fish, in this case they are hitting the swim bladders of the fish, some of the energy in the sound ping is returned to the ship and received by our echo sounding system in the acoustics lab of the ship.” It is important to note that the acoustics under the water are different than in the air because the pressure in each location is different. Inside the acoustics lab there are many different screens that display the pings at different frequencies of sound waves. We know that jellyfish tend to show up the best from the low frequencies. Acoustics is a good tool to use to study pollock because pollock is the primary fish species inhabiting the middle-waters of the Bering Sea shelf. For example, bottom fish are difficult to see because the acoustic signals from the seafloor are too strong and tend to hide the bottom fish signals. Acoustic signals that we see on the computer screen rely on the actual physiological make-up of the fish. Also, the behavior of pollock plays a role in how we can see them acoustically. For example, salmon do not swim in large schools like pollock. When we see large schools of pollock on the acoustic screens, density determines the color – blue usually is reflecting a couple fish whereas red represents a high density of fish – and the shape of the schools tend to be typical of pollock. Through acoustics, we are able to survey pollock over a wide area and gain information regarding their distribution and population.
Prior to fishing, we consistently monitor the screens as the ship travels up and down the rectangular transects you can see when you view the ship’s path on ShipTracker. When we observe schools of fish, we need to decide whether they are large enough to sample the fish with the trawl. Because we also want to target certain ages of fish, it is important to be able to estimate their size.
We can estimate size through a method using additional measurements from the acoustic data. We draw a box around an area that is not densely packed with pollock so it is easier to distinguish an individual acoustic image of a fish. The software we have gives us the average intensity of the acoustic pixels. We call this intensity target strength which translates to the size of the echo. Because the size of the swim bladder is proportional to the size of the fish, we can use the intensity of the echo off the swim bladder to estimate the size of the pollock. In short, target strength depends on the size of the swim bladder and features of the swim bladder can be used to predict fish size.
Acoustic image from the bridge. The bottom blue streak is a large group of fish that ducked under the net. The horseshoe shape is the net. The blue inside the horseshoe are the fish.
We can use an equation for calculating decibels to help us estimate the size of the fish in the school we might target. For my friends and students who are math gurus, the equation is TS = 20Log(length cm) + b20. The b20 variable is different for different fish species and so for Walleye Pollock in the Bering Sea, b20 is -66. Therefore, the equation for Walleye Pollock is TSpollock = 20Log(length cm) – 66.
To provide an example of how the equation works, lets say that the average length of a two year-old pollock is 25 cm and that is the size we want to target. We take that 25 centimeters and “plug it” into the section of the equation that stands for length in centimeters. Scientific calculators are wonderful devices for logarithms as they have the Log function already installed, and if you plug in 20Log(25) – 66 into the calculator, the answer -38.4 translates into the target strength that would show up on the screen. So if we find schools of pollock and see that the target strength is close to -38.4, then we know the echosounder is observing two-year old pollock.
Once acoustics have determined that we need to fish, they send the coordinates they want the Officer of the Deck (OOD, a.k.a. the NOAA Corps officer on watch on the bridge) to follow and the officers drive the ship to the location. On the bridge of the ship, the scientists are able to see the acoustic screens and are able to keep an eye on the location of the fish, relative to the transducer underneath. From there the Lead Fisherman or Chief Bosun operates the machinery required to put the trawls in the ocean. After the large mesh net is placed in the ocean, the crew put on a sensor that measures water depth and temperature. They also install a tool, called a headrope unit, that is similar to a mini transducer which makes an image of the mouth of the net and allows the scientists to watch fish entering the net from the bridge.
Senior Survey Technician, Kathy Hough, and Ordinary Seaman, Frank Footman, installing the head-rope unit.
Once the fish are caught, the deck crew will draw the nets back onto the boat using hydraulics. From the stern (back of the boat), the fish go into the fish lab on a conveyer belt where we sort, sex, measure, and extract stomachs and otoliths. Since being on the ship, during my shift we have been averaging two trawls per day.
How is the information we collect used?
On the ship, we are collecting raw data, entering into our computers, and analyzing what we see. From there, we can draw conclusions based on what we have observed from our samples. However, there are other scientists at work here. For example, perhaps you are interested in working with computers and want to be involved with wildlife. Some of the scientists help design the computer programs we use and maintain them. Perhaps boat life is not your “cup of tea.” All the stomach and otolith samples we collect need to be sent into a lab to be analyzed by a stomach or otolith expert. The data they compile from the samples we collect get added into our publication at the end of the survey. There are also scientists that compile our conclusions about what we saw on the ocean and they create models to show population trends and predict future abundance. From that information, a council of scientists, industry representatives, and others of interest, get together and determine things such as fishing quotas. Also, don’t forget that there are teachers, like me, aboard who take some of the scientific information or scientific processes and educate students about real science in the real world.
If you want to obtain a job working in the sciences department of NOAA, some courses of study that will increase your chances of becoming involved include but are not restricted to: Marine Biology, Chemistry, multiple levels of mathematics, Computer Science, Writing. Versatility is another key factor to consider for any job you may want to pursue as the more background information you have, the more information you can “bring to the table.” For example, perhaps you love music. An understanding of decibels and how sound is carried at different frequencies is incredibly useful in acoustical sciences. Foreign Language is always beneficial as you will continually work with people from all over the world and remember, there are two scientists currently on the ship who are from Russia! Therefore, in my opinion, don’t forget about your electives when choosing your courses because the more rounded you are, the greater your chances are for success!
Personal Log:
My morning started off fantastic as I was able to launch an XBT into the water again. By the time I was beginning to type this blog we passed over a school of pollock and decided that we needed to turn around and go fishing. Approximately two hours of sorting commenced before I was able to return. I learned that acoustics is a very difficult concept to explain as there are many factors in mathematics and physics that are complicated to translate into layman’s terms. I ended up spending a lot of time reading a textbook on the research the theories of using acoustics on wild fish. Please do not hesitate to ask in the comment box below this post if you have questions!!!
Overall, there was a good assortment of fish today and I stayed fairly busy in the fish lab collecting pollock sample data!
Me giving the fish a layer of water so that they slide down the chute and onto the conveyor belt easier.
Animals Seen Today:
Walleye Pollock
Silver Salmon
Northern Fulmar
Parakeet Auklet
Short-tailed Shearwater
Least Auklets
Tufted Puffin
Thick-billed Murre
Northern Fur Seal
Something to Ponder:
Life at sea can be an amazing experience but there are many things people may take for granted when living on land. For example, consider the possibility of becoming hurt on the job, or developing a medical condition such as a rash or appendicitis. From the middle of the ocean, it is very difficult to reach a doctor to get a diagnosis. On board the ship, we have some medical supplies but typically there is not a licensed doctor on board the ship. Would you know how to respond to an emergency if it were to happen? If you have taken a First Aid or CPR class, do you remember what you need to do? How would you react? What would you do to reach help? Who could respond to your call?
For the Oscar Dyson we have the following protocols:
1. Contact the medical officer on board for an initial diagnosis.
2. If the condition requires advanced medical care, he or she will contact the medical officer on call at the NOAA Marine Operations Center.
3. In the case of an emergency and when the Marine Center cannot be contacted, he or she will contact the Maritime Medical Assistance (MMA).
4. If needed, we will arrange for a medevac (medical evacuation) which could involve the US Coast Guard and/or head back to port.
NOAA Teacher at Sea Obed Fulcar NOAA Ship Oscar Dyson July 27, 2010 – August 8, 2010
Mission:Summer Pollock survey III Geograpical Area:Bering Sea, Alaska Date: July 20,2010
SCIENTIFIC INFO Date: Tuesday July, 20, 2010 Time: 1240 pm Latitude: 53.51 North Longitude: 166.51 West Wind: 7 knots (aprox. 8.055 mph) Direction: 202 (south west) Sea Temperature: 9.22 C (aprox. 48.596 F) Air Temperature: 9.82 C (aprox. 49.676 F) Barometric Pressure (millibars): 1023.8 ANIMALS ONSERVED
Bald Eagles
NOAA Ship Oscar Dyson
PERSONAL LOG:
Whoever said that “getting there is half the fun”? On Saturday July 17,2010 I took a Jet Blue flight from JFK airport bound to Seattle, Washington. We landed at about 6pm Eastern time, and connected to Anchorage, Alaska on Alaska Air. I had to stay overnight to catch the next day a plane to Dutch Harbor, mi final destination. It was very estrange that night since the sun was out up until about 12 midnight, so I had to trick my body into going to sleep by closing all curtains and darkening the room.
The next day I flew on Penair, a commuter airline that uses small Saab turboprop planes. After stopping over King Salmon island for refueling we flew to Dutch Harbor,in the Island of Unalashka. I was amazed at the beautiful bay surrounded by glacial carved mountains and a snow covered peak volcano. I was picked up at the airport by Story Miller, my fellow teacher at sea, who lives in Dutch Harbor. We drove around a kind of frontier town,surrounded by fishing boats, crab pods, and cannery factories.
The smell of fish tells you that fishing is the biggest industry and is part of the general culture around here. Finally upon entering a cargo entrance leading to a comercial pier,there she was:the Oscar Dyson.
This NOAA ship was named after a fioneer comercial fisherman who championed sustainable fisheries in Alaska for many years.After setting up my gear in my stateroom, I was invited to take a short hike up what was going to be a 1,200 feet mountain known as “Ballyhoo”with, with one of Dyson’s junnior NOAA Corps Officer Ensign Dave Rodziewicz. Upon reaching the summit, in about hour and half, which left me with sored legs, I was met with a 360 degree view of Dutch Harbor.
Me at the summit of Ballyhoo
The mountain was covered with moss and flowers and I decided to call it a day and just below the clouds were passing by. All this surreal and wonderful view made me forget my aching legs. It was all worth it. Afterwards we came down the mountain and just when the sun was coming down around midnight I fell asleep in my bunk bed. Good night!
El pasado sabado 17 de Julio viaje en Jet Blue de NY hacia Anchorage, Alaska con escala en Seattle, Washington para el siguiente dia tomar un vuelo en un avion turbo-helice de la linea Penair hacia Dutch Harbor. Tan pronto llegue al barco de la NOAA Oscar Dyson deje mis cosas en mi cuarto y me fui a una caminata de campo. Lo que no me imagine era que iba a subir por una loma de cas 1,200 pies, con una vista increible en la cima. Lo mas raro fue el acostumbrarme a la luz solar de casi 24 horas, pues he tenido que cerrar las cortinas de my camarote para poder conciliar el sueno. Bueno nos vemos luego, Ciao!
Figure 1: View of the low fog, clouds and sunset in Dutch Harbor the night of the delay.
What Is NOAA and How Can You Get Involved?
NOAA stands for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Association and is part of the United States Department of Commerce. NOAA is involved around the world and there are many different avenues one could become involved with. For example, some people are involved in forecasting the location of the next hurricane strike, which means that you could be responsible for saving the lives of people living in those areas. If climate change is of a particular interest, you could aid in the monitoring of global weather systems to make climate predictions for the future. If ecological studies suit you, a job with NOAA could involve collecting data from costal environments to continue efforts of preserving healthy ecosystems. Perhaps your studies and data analysis would aid in the critical decision making processes of businesses around the world, such as creating and enforcing policies for the fisheries industry to maintain its resources for the future. Mapping is equally important and part of your experience with NOAA could involve creating or enhancing navigational data to aid in the protection of ships and prevent potential accidents. Finally, perhaps you are interested in commanding a NOAA ship or piloting a NOAA aircraft. In that case, you could become part of the NOAA Corps.
The Mission
The primary mission of the Oscar Dyson is the Walleye Pollock survey, which consists of conducting Acoustic Surveys and Fishery Survey Trawls. The acoustic survey relies on sonar waves that are powerful enough to detect fish at different depths. Once the fish is located on the sonar screen, the trawl net is then accurately deployed to a specific depth depending on where the targeted fish species are located. This depth can range from 16 meters from the surface all the way down to 3 meters from the bottom. The net is then hauled onto the ship’s aft deck and the contents are spread on the table in the lab for sorting and identification. Different species, such as the Walleye Pollock, will be measured for size, sex, and age before being released overboard. Some other species like Pacific Cod and Arrowtooth Flounder will be collected for additional studies.
Delays, Delays!
Monday, July 19th appeared to be a rare, sunny day in Dutch Harbor for most of the afternoon. We were scheduled to leave Dutch Harbor at 1500h but due to baggage problems for those who recently arrived in Dutch Harbor, we were delayed until the next day. Because of the short airstrip in Dutch Harbor, the sizes of the airplanes are smaller than those of regular airports. Currently Pen Air uses SAAB Turboprop airplanes. These planes are small and hold about thirty passengers. They are typically used for small air carriers for short commutes. Another critical factor involved with flights is weight. For every passenger, think of the additional weight of all the bags each person has. Most people fly with one or two bags, each weighing 50lbs or less and in our case, some people also had additional bags carrying scientific equipment.
Figure 2: A typical foggy day in Dutch Harbor, Monday, July 19th, 2010
Weight in an airplane causes the plane to use more fuel and smaller airplanes cannot carry as much fuel as the other airplanes, such as Boeing 737 aircraft, commonly used for longer commutes by larger airlines. Because of the distance between Anchorage and Dutch Harbor, full flights generally need to make a stop in the small villages of King Salmon or Cold Bay to refuel. Other difficulties faced by the airport in Dutch Harbor are that the airstrip is a “daylight only” landing zone and the weather can be quite hazardous. Winds reaching up to 90 mph are not uncommon and in the summer, low fog becomes a visibility issue. If the pilots do not have a specific range of visibility, they cannot land. Therefore, the necessity of refueling in Cold Bay or King Salmon is critical because many times when the plane reaches the airport and hazardous weather conditions are preventing a safe landing, the airplane must have enough fuel to circle the airport in hope for a sliver of time when landing conditions are safe and, if necessary, enough fuel to fly all the way back to King Salmon or Cold Bay. Again, weight is an issue in the fuel consumption of an airplane and therefore, on full flights, the airplane must sometimes “bump” bags, which means that sometimes your checked bag will not make it on the flight you are on and will be scheduled on a later flight. This of course isn’t a bad plan except that the weather in Dutch can change from one extreme to the next in a matter of fifteen minutes. In our case, to add to the difficulty of getting our bags, it was explained to us that because the air had become warmer, it lessened the lift on the airplane which was another reason why the planes did not carry very many bags that day. With all these important technicalities, one could maybe understand why flying into Dutch Harbor can be difficult. Therefore, some people have successful flights and others experience the “flight to nowhere” which involves flying part or the entire three hours to Dutch Harbor, circling or waiting in Cold Bay, and then flying back to Anchorage. One could say that you are not a local until you have experienced this situation a few times!
Personal Log:
My first day on the boat proved to be interesting as I quickly learned my way around the ship. I sometimes make the analogy of myself being like a rat in a maze trying to find the cheese. In a way it is accurate because the cook on board has made some fantastic dinners and I’ve been successful at finding the mess hall by simply following my nose! For supper on Monday night, we had a buffet-style dinner and I was pleasantly surprised with the menu as I helped myself to prime rib and king crab legs!
Figure 3: Me in front of the Oscar Dyson, Monday, July 19th, 2010 (notice the extreme weather change!)
On Tuesday, we were able to get underway at approximately 1300. Before pulling away from the dock, we needed to test our FRB (Fast Rescue Boat) to make sure it was functional in the possible event of an emergency. Once we knew the FRB was functional, we hauled it back onto the boat. As soon as we began to move, I went to the flying bridge (the highest deck on the ship) to catch a glimpse of Dutch Harbor and to watch the local birds sitting on the water. Most of the birds I saw were tufted puffins. I always find them amusing because if you get near them when they have eaten too many fish, they try to fly away but their belly is too heavy. Therefore they simply skim over the water, wings flapping intensely, and bellies dragging over the top of the water!
Figure 4: Lead Fisherman Dennis Boggs and Skilled Fisherman Mike Tortorella testing the FRB
Some advances in healthcare that I am extremely excited about is that I have found a seasickness medication that does not knock me out in under 5 minutes and that works for a long period of time. Thank you Meclizine!
Currently we are underway and have approximately 381 miles northwest to travel before we make our waypoint which will take approximately 28 hours. As of right now, my job has been to get acclimated to the ship. Work will begin Thursday at sunrise, about 0700). My current shifts will run from 0400h to 1600h each day. I cannot wait to begin the first part of my assignment!
Animals Spotted By Me Today:
Blackfooted Albatross
Tufted Puffin
Seagull
Sea Otter
Fur Seal
Something To Ponder:
Regarding NOAA fish surveys, such as the Pollock Survey I’m participating in, what impacts would the scientific information collected have on the fishery industry regarding revenue and long term success?
NOAA Teacher at Sea Michele Brustolon Onboard NOAA Oscar Dyson June 28 – July, 2010
NOAA Ship Oscar Dyson Mission: Pollock Survey Geographical area of cruise: Eastern Bering Sea (Dutch Harbor) Date: July 14, 2010
Weather Data from the Bridge
Time: 1500 Latitude: 57.34N Longitude: 173.35W Cloud Cover: 2/8 Wind: 10 knots Air Temperature: 8.50 C/ 470 F ater Temperature: 8.10 C/ 470 F arometric Pressure: 1021.4 mb
Science and Technology Log
Wish you could join the Oscar Dyson on its next journey? There are a number of ways you could come aboard:
Join NOAA Corps – NOAA Corps partake in officer training and complete years of service to earn officer ranks (such as the CO, XO, Operations Officer, etc). Unlike other military branches, NOAA Corps are required to hold a bachelor’s degree and have significant course work in math, science and/or engineering. (http://www.noaacorps.noaa.gov/index.html)
Ensign Amber Payne
Become a Deckhand/Fisherman – NOAA employs wage mariners for their deck crew. The Oscar Dyson has both a deck and fishing crew to help keep the boat in order and to support the scientific research (moving the net, bringing the CTD in and out) (www.omao.noaa.gov/publications/wagemarine.pdf)
Deckhands/Fishermen
Become a specialist – Beyond the deck crew, the ship needs specialists to help it run smoothly. We have a crew of amazing engineers, two great survey techs, and a Steward department that keeps us well fed (the food is delicious here!) (www.omao.noaa.gov/publications/wagemarine.pdf)
Survey tech Robert Spina on watch
Work for the National Marine Fisheries Service – most employees join a trip to complete field research and to ensure data collection and processing for those back in the lab. The Oscar Dyson works primarily with scientists from the Alaska Fisheries Science Center (http://www.afsc.noaa.gov/)
Chief Scientist, Neal Williamson
Work for another marine life service – As mentioned before, there are also birders (from the Fish and Wildlife commission) and mammalian observers (from the National Marine Mammal Laboratory). In addition, we are hosting two Russian scientists who are also studying pollock.
Birder Nate Jones at Summer Bay
Serve as a NOAA Intern – NOAA has a variety of internship opportunities for graduate, undergraduate and even high school students. You can check out more information here: http://www.oesd.noaa.gov/internships_opps.html
Intern Katie Wurtzell
Be like me and join a cruise as a Teacher At Sea – If you work in education (as a K-college teacher/administrator, an adult education teacher or a museum curator), you can apply to serve as a Teacher At Sea. Trust me, its awesome. (more information and application information can be found here: http://teacheratsea.noaa.gov/
TASs Michele & Rebecca
Personal log
Today was our last day of rising for our 0400 hour shift. The echo sounder was already in the water and the readings were being recorded. We were able to do a Methot early in the morning and it allowed us to see isopods and copepods along with the usual critters. It was a gorgeous day as the fog lifted early and the sun was out until the fog rolled back in around 2100 hours.
The perfect day!
While we didn’t use the AWT (Aleutian Wing Trawl) at all today, we made up for it yesterday since we fished a marathon- 3 times! Although a part of me wanted to fish one more time before this adventure begins to wind down, it couldn’t have been a more perfect day. With the sun out and the calm seas, the cetacean observers got their day. We saw everything from Dall’s porpoises, to fin whales, killer whales, and the new sighting of the day; sperm whales! I didn’t dare move to get my camera and I am glad I didn’t or I would not have seen its fluke gracefully come out of the water before it dove. After the excitement was over, it was time for dinner and the next entertainment of the evening; Taboo. It has been an ongoing competition between generations this entire leg.
Taboo: competition between generations
We started our transit into Dutch Harbor around 0400! It is going to take over 24 hours to get back into Dutch. Everyone that could, stayed up a little later with the excuse that breakfast isn’t until 0700 and we don’t have to get up for our shift at 0400! Helping out to make sure that everyone is ready to get off the boat and things are ready for Leg III is the focus. Robert scrubbed the wet lab for us so we just needed to tackle our foul weather gear and our boots. You have to remember that some people have been on the boat since early June and are going home while others just started with this leg and are continuing on Leg III. Once everything is ready for the next leg, I will probably take some time to swap pictures and contact information so I can keep in touch with people. Why is it that last weekend seemed like the end was never to be seen, but now I feel like I want to fish just one more time?
The long trek back to Dutch Harbor
New Animals Seen
isopods
copepods
sperm whales
Word of the Day
sagacious: having sound judgment
New Vocabulary- just as a reminder
CO: Commanding OfficerXO: Executive Officer
