gangion – NOAA Teacher at Sea Blog

August 19, 2025August 19, 2025

Robert Markuske: Land to Sea, Early Days, August 17, 2025

Robert Markuske

Aboard NOAA Ship Oregon II

August 13 – 29, 2025

Mission: Long Shark and Snapper Survey

Geographic Area of Cruise: Gulf of America

Date: August 17, 2025

Weather Data from the Bridge:

Greenwich mean Time: 23:51

Latitude: 25 22.739′ N
Longitude: 82 24.980′ W
Relative Wind speed: 2 Knots
Wind Direction: North – Northwest
Air Temperature: 32.8 Celsius
Sea Surface Temperature: 30.8 Celsius

Hello from the Gulf of America. Hereafter, it will be referred to as the Gulf.

We departed the Port of Miami at 14:20pm EST on August 13th. Below are my early experiences leaving port and getting a crash course before our survey starts. It’s been lots of info quickly; from living at sea on the Oregon II, how we fish, why we fish, what we use to fish, and all the different roles NOAA corps, Steward Crew, Deck Crew, Engineer Crew, and Science team do function on the water.

First and foremost, I have better service and internet at sea than I do at home—definitely better than at New York Harbor School. Maybe it’s time we really bring marine and maritime tech beyond the decorative portholes on our classroom doors. 😉

Although funny, it makes sense. At sea, doing scientific research on fisheries, things need to be a certain way—for the sake of quality science directives, the life of the organisms studied, and the quality of life for those walking the corridors and decks of the ship. While transiting from port to our first station in the Gulf, it’s been overwhelming—in a good way—but exciting, learning all that’s needed to truly be a part of the crew.

Why does the Oregon II even go to sea?

An assignment given to my students – albeit over the summer – comment on the blogs. Maybe they were hoping I’d have no internet connection. They were wrong. Let’s get those comments going.

Mission Objectives:

Ready to learn and assist in Oregon 2’s objectives

Conduct a study to assess the distribution, abundance trends, life history (age structure, growth, and reproduction), movement patterns, and habitat of coastal sharks and red snapper (Lutjanus campechanus).
Collect biological and environmental data at survey sites (including water quality parameters).
Tag and release sharks.

For some context on fisheries scientific surveys:

I’m currently on Leg 2. This survey has four legs. A leg is a separate time at sea within the overall survey. In each leg, different stations are worked to reach objectives. This survey runs down the Atlantic Coast from North Carolina to West Palm Beach, FL, then transits back around past the Florida Keys, and into the Gulf to begin sampling again north of the Dry Tortugas. The legs in the Gulf , data is collected at three different depth strata: shallowest and closer to the coast (9-55 m), midway (55-183 m), and farther out on the continental shelf (183-366 m)—bouncing back and forth along shelf as we move up the western coast of Florida..

The gear used on this survey is bottom longline. But first—safety. I’ll get to the science and tech in a bit.

Safety Training & Protocol

Before the ship got underway, we went over a lot of safety procedures in case something were to occur while at sea. We went over what emergency signals are: fire is a 10-second alarm, man overboard is three long blasts, and abandon ship is six short blasts and one long. We were given cards that list our locations for where to muster in the event something occurred. We went over protocol and procedures if any of these events happen. While underway, we did some drills.

Rob dons an orange survival suit on deck. He stands with his arms completely outstretched. Behind him, the sky is blue and mostly clear, and the ocean is deep blue. — Training for Abandoning Ship in Emergency

an orange life ring mounted on a wall, printed with the words Oregon II, R-332, Pascagoula, MS. — Training for Abandoning Ship in Emergency

While on the ship, we did some drills. I would have to say, practicing for an event where I have to abandon ship was a little fun and emotional. Putting on the immersion suit to save my life—keeping you warm, afloat, illuminated, and with your head above water—in the event I need to abandon ship, is an iconic “teacher at sea” shot, I am told. I should have known; we have them at Harbor School. I’ve seen lots of selfies of kids and VIPs in them, but never had the chance. It’s an exciting and necessary drill aboard a working vessel.

Parachute Flare Training

We were demoed and practiced two types of flares to be used in different emergency situations. It was the best birthday candle I’ve witnessed to date. I got to set off the parachute flare, and some folks lit off other flares with a birthday serenade. It goes without saying, the reusable Grateful Dead birthday candle from Clara—my partner—is out of the league of candle celebrations. But the flare demo came close.

While underway, I’ve noticed and learned little things I would normally take for granted and that we don’t need on land.

Not unfamiliar PPE

Red lights at night help preserve night vision and are just being kind to our shipmates. Watch for the red light blinking on top of the engine room—that means someone’s coming up the stairs. The office chairs don’t have wheels. The computers and equipment are cantilevered to the wall. Hard hats go on when things are overhead, and a PFD (personal flotation device) goes on when working close to the edge or near the stern. And when handling animals or fishing gear, we’ve got different gloves for different jobs.

a travel mug in a bright pink cone that stops it from rolling, on a wooden table. — BK Roasters doesn’t go rolling

My coffee cup really needs a stabilizer for this table. Honestly, I might bring one of these into the classroom—I’m forever spilling or misplacing my coffee.

And of course, the big reminder out here: follow directions. Listen, read, communicate. Feels like I’ve heard that a million times—pretty much every teacher, whether at sea or on land, says it.

coffee maker — You smell it through the galley.

Life at sea has its own lessons. Out here, everything needs backups, and things have to work a certain way. We’re living, working, and doing science on a ship that never stops moving and is always a long way from shore.

Shout out to BK Roasters for supplying a critical piece of material for this mission, good smelling, roasted coffee from the Brooklyn Navy Yard in NYC. My shipmates are saying it’s super smooth!

Science and Technology Log

In order to conduct the data collection and research on sharks, lots of scientific protocols and technology, both computer-based and mechanical, go into the survey. First and foremost, we are fishing. The techniques are similar to those of commercial fishermen. On the longline shark and snapper survey, we use bottom longline.

Graphic design illustration bottom longline fishing gear lying on the sea floor with fish swimming nearby. The bottom long line is connected to a blue fishing vessel in the background. — Bottom longline fishing

Bottom longlines have a mainline weighted to the seafloor with buoy lines marked by flags on either end, called high flyers.

Typically, per watch from 12 p.m.–12 a.m. and/or 12 a.m.–12 p.m., there are 3–4 sets, depending on how far away the stations are and conditions in the Gulf. An orchestrated ballroom dance across the Gulf, except the dance floor is wet, moving, with predictable and sudden changes in environmental conditions. Oh right, and sharks. Brings “the floor is lava” to a new level.

Gangions—short lines clipped to the mainline with hooks—are baited and attached to the mainline (4 mm thick). We bait 100 gangions (3 mm thick) with Atlantic mackerel and circle hooks. This one-nautical-mile line is then deployed off the stern. Note: we use a data collection system on a Toughbook to mark, map, and catalog the numbered hooks that are baited to use later on when hauling.

The most interesting thing I learned, or rather don’t emphasize when I teach about fishing gear types, is that longlines are detached from the vessel. There is a winch (like a big reel) that trails the line from the bow to the stern to set the gear and haul the gear. Upon set, it is released from the ship. Upon hauling it in, we reconnect to the harvesting system.

Mainline Hauling and Setting System; 4mil line
One BIG fishing reel
Its runs from Bow
Line Continues through breeze way
At end of Breeze way, its almost to stern to be in position for setting line.
In middle of stern, line will be set to connect all the gangions.

To set the longline, it’s deployed in this order:

As things go into the water, data is collected on the gear—quantity and location.

This all happens from the stern (back of the ship) of the Oregon II:

Buoy, High-flyer (high visibility, designed and lit) – tossed out at the station coordinates.
Weights – connected after some slack from the high-flyer to keep the line on the bottom.
50 gangions with bait, numbered 1–50 – spaced out along half a nautical mile of mainline.
Weights – to keep the middle section on the bottom.
50 gangions with bait, numbered 51–100 – spaced out along another half nautical mile of mainline.
Weights – attached at the opposite end to keep the line on the bottom.
High-flyer, Buoy (high visibility, designed and lit) – with some slack given after the weight to keep things accurately placed.

a line of clips with round metal tags stamped with numbers

view down at a white barrel lined with empty circle hooks attached to gangions

two gloved hands slide a piece of mackerel onto a circle hook hanging off a white barrel, lined up next to other baited hooks

Rob, wearing a life vest and work gloves, drops a baited gangion over the railing as another crewmembers watches. it is nighttime.

crewmembers in life vests stand around two white barrels lined with baited gangions and look out at the water. the longline extends over their heads and then down into the water.

Two crewmembers in life vests work together to lower a high flyer - an orange buoy with a pole and a reflective marker - over the railing

view of the aft deck set up at night. a line of numbered clips stretches across a work table. two white barrels are lined with baited gangions. a vertical pole of some sort holds the deploying fishing line - this is hard to describe.

view out over dark water of the high flyer (buoy with tall flag) and another buoy adrift after deployment

During the soak of the 100 gangions, we are also completing water quality data via a CTD Device ( Conductivity, Temperature and Depth) that measures conductivity, depth, temperature, dissolved oxygen, and Ph. I will describe this in more detail in a later post.

a conductivity, temperature, and depth (CTD) rosette on deck, awaiting deployment

photo of a computer screen displaying readout

CTD water quality monitoring device; Watching data on descent and ascent

After being deployed its time to let the longline soak for an hour. Then we flip it and reverse it with some twists.

A big twist through the whole process is that you will have live animals on the ship that need to be returned to sea. The idea is to study these animals.

Lastly, as you are hauling up the line, you are simultaneously thinking of the next set. For example, keeping numbered gangions in order and placing hooks correctly in the barrel. If not careful, things can get squirrely quickly.

Note: as things come out of the water, data is collected on the gear—quantity, location, and status of the hook. How’s the bait looking? Is there a fish on!?!?!

Happens from the bow (front of the ship) of the Oregon II:

Buoy – High-flyer (high visibility, designed and lit) – A grappling hook is tossed to nab the mainline and pull it toward the vessel. The buoy and high-flyer are pulled onto the vessel, detached from the mainline, the mainline is reconnected to the harvesting winch, and the highflyer brought back to the stern.
Weights – Pulled onto the vessel.
50 gangions with bait – Status of the hook. How’s the bait looking? Is there a fish on!?!?
Weights – Pulled onto the vessel.
50 gangions with bait – Status of the hook. How’s the bait looking? Is there a fish on!?!?
Weights – Pulled onto the vessel.
High-flyer (high visibility, designed and lit), buoy

During the hauls, data is collected on the animals; fin clips taken for genetics, sexed, measured, and weighed. Some animals are tagged.

two crewmembers wearing life vests kneel or crouch on deck next to a wooden measuring board, preparing to measure a shark that one crewmember holds in her hands — Measuring different data lengths on sharks

Rob sits and a computer desk with a row of small blue-capped sample vials — Measuring different data lengths on sharks

Rob, in his Teacher at Sea hat, life vest, and work gloves, holds an unidentified shark up (snout facing up, ventral side facing camera) for a photo on deck at night — First “fish on” of our watch

top-down view of an unidentified shark swimming away in bright blue water — First “fish on” of our watch

Fish Hauled in the early days of this mission

Silky Shark – Carcharhinus falciformis

Sandbar Shark – Carcharhinus plumbeus

Barracuda – Sphyraena barracuda

Speckled hind – Epinephelus drummondhayi

Yellowedge grouper – Hyporthodus flavolimbatus

Red Porgy – Pagrus pagrus

Tiger Shark – Galeocerdo cuvier

Sharpnose – Rhizoprionodon terraenovae

Gulf Smoothhound – Mustelus sinusmexicanus

Snake Fish – Trachinocephalus myops

Click Common Name for for more info

Personal Log

I would say writing a personal log is probably the hardest. I’ve been so engaged in learning what we are doing, I haven’t really been thinking about anything other than being a student.

But after some reflection, some workout routines in the corner of the bow, listening to some music, and working off all the great food I’ve been eating—I am a dessert-after-every-meal type of person—the Chief Steward has won my heart. It’s hard walking past the galley and not grabbing the cooking of the day on a 12-hour shift, in between set and haul.

In the early days of taking this journey, it reminded me of my first year of teaching. With eight hours of doing it, the learning curve is steep and continues to climb. You kind of have no choice, especially when you aren’t getting off the vessel for 17 days.

All in all, I am so grateful for this experience. It’s made me realize how much I underestimate the appreciation I have for both the people who do the work to study our marine life and for those who fish the marine life as a wild food source. It’s a massive world out here on the Gulf—in some distances it’s 800 miles from Texas to Florida—and on the open ocean. It takes special people both to do the work of studying these animals and to fish them for money.

Instantly, stepping on this ship, it’s place-based learning in stakeholder engagement. It’s a wild world out there. Living and working on a vessel is both a good way and a crash course in stakeholder engagement and cooperation. You kinda have no choice. We could learn a few things on land from the folks that work on the water for research and/or their economic income, specifically when it’s in the realm of fisheries.

Moreover, from the shark wranglers that are my current shipmates.

Animal Sighting:

a brown bird with a long bill rests on a railing of an upper deck of NOAA Ship Oregon II at night — Brown Noddy Chilling

Brown Noddy ( Anous stolidus)

The brown noddy forages over the water and dipping down to catch small squid, other mollusks, aquatic insects and super small fish, like sardines and snatching insects in air too.

AKA -Tuna Bird – Fishermen see it as a sign that tuna are near.

Did you know?

Sharks are fish.

They live in water, and use their gills to filter oxygen from the water. They don’t have bones. These are a special type of fish known as chondrichthyans because their body is made out of cartilage instead of bones. The further classification of sharks, rays, and skates are known as “elasmobranchs.”

August 1, 2023August 2, 2023

Martin McClure: Starting the Survey, July 30, 2023

NOAA Teacher at Sea

Martin McClure

NOAA Ship Oregon II

July 25– August 9, 2023

Mission: Shark/Red Snapper Bottom Longline Survey

Geographic Area of Cruise: Gulf of Mexico/Atlantic Ocean

Date: July 30, 2023

Latitude: 31°21.967’N

Lonfitude: 80°12.135’W

Air Temperature: 27.5° C.

Wind Speed: 6.79 kph

Science and Technology Log: Longline Fishing

Teacher at Sea Stephen Kade created this graphic to help explain longline fishing.

We have started the longline survey and it is well organized and exciting. The first part of the process is called the set. We start the fishing process by baiting circle hooks. These hooks are attached to a 12 foot length of 3 mm line called a gangion (gan-jin). We use mackerel for bait. Each piece of fish is hooked through a circle hook.

Circle hooks ready for baiting

Next we drop over a buoy with a radar reflector on top called a hi flier. Attached to this is a 4 mm line called the main line. Then a weight is attached to the line and dropped. This anchors the beginning of the fishing line to the seafloor. Next, a numbered clip is attached to each gangion. The gangions are attached to the main line in order from 1- 50. A second weight is then attached to the main line and the process is repeated with gangions numbered 51- 100. A third weight is then attached to anchor this end of the line to the seafloor.

Tagging and attaching the gangions

Finally, a second hi flier buoy is attached and released to mark the end of the line. As each of these steps is done a member of the team records it on a computer. This gives a precise time that each baited hook went in the water as well as when and where the anchors and buoys were released.

Ready to drop the hi flyer

The next step is to take water measurements. This is done with a remarkable device called a CTD. CTD stands for conductivity, temperature and depth. Conductivity is related to how much salt is in the water (salinity) and is related to how well it will conduct electricity. It also measures the temperature and depth of the ocean at that spot. We attach a camera to it to see what the seafloor is made of at that spot. We want to know if it is a sandy bottom, sea grass, muddy, etc.

The CTD

Then we wait one hour.

The second part of the process is called the haul. The haul is simply the set done in reverse, except that we often catch fish. The fishermen use a grappling hook to retrieve the main line attached to the hi flier.

Grappling hook ready to thrown

When it is brought on board, the main line is attached to a winch. The winch is used to pull the main line up of the seafloor. As the main line is pulled in the gangions are detached and replaced in a barrel, the numbered clips are detached and kept on a line in number order. That way, everything is ready to be used for the next set. Whatever is on, or not on, the hook is recorded on the computer. If the bait is missing or damaged is noted.

Weighing a barracuda

Any fish caught is noted on the computer and the team jumps into action. For sharks there are several things that happen. They are identified by species. The hook is removed and the shark is weighed. It is then measured for three different lengths, precaudal (before the tail fin), fork (at the fork in the tail, and total (the end of the tail fin). The sex, male or female, and maturity is determined. Tissue samples are taken by cutting off a small piece of a fin. This tissue sample is placed in a small plastic vial and labeled. They are also often given a numbered tag. This information is all recorded and entered into the computer.

Me, tagging a sandbar shark.

Meet the Crew: Lieutenant James Freed

NOAA Corps Lieutenant James Freed is the operations officer for the Oregon II. He has many responsibilities as part of his job. Part of his job is to liaison, or maintain communication, between the science party and the ship’s commanding officer (CO). That means making sure that everything that the science team needs is on the ship. If the science team has needs then we would go through him and not directly to the CO. As Operations Officer he is also in charge of organizing materials when they come aboard the ship. He posts the Plan of the Day which lets everyone on board know what to expect that day. Lieutenant Freed coordinates port logistics for the ship. This means he coordinates the loading and unloading of materials. His duties also include acting as Officer of the Deck (OOD). During this 4 hour shift he is responsible for the ship’s navigation and safety. His emergency response assignments on the Oregon II include being the nozzleman on the fire team, launching life rafts for abandon ship and he goes out on the rescue boat for man overboard.
Lieutenant Freed grew up in Santa Rosa, California. He attended Santa Rosa Junior College and then transferred to University of California, Santa Cruz where he studied marine biology. During this time he worked as an intern on a fishing vessel and this is where he first heard about the NOAA Corps. He has now been in the NOAA Corps for 6 years. Before being assigned to the Oregon II he was first assigned to the NOAA Ship Bell M. Shimada in Newport, Oregon. He then moved to Seattle working with the Marine Mammal Laboratory at Alaska Fisheries Science Center. For this assignment his duties were quite varied. They included doing a lot of field work, flying drones, and doing whale biopsies.
Lieutenant Freed is clearly enthusiastic about his career in the NOAA Corps. He describes it as an “incredible career” that supports his growth with leadership and management training. The NOAA Corps is growing with new ships and aircraft and will need to recruit new members.. The ships participate in a wide variety of tasks including fisheries research, oceanographic and atmospheric data collection and hydrographic mapping.

Personal Log

Well these last few days have been quite a transition. After 2 1/2 days of transit from Pascagoula, MS to Miami. It was a bit shocking to see how the skyline has changed after 40+ years. It has grown, to say the least. We started fishing just north of Miami. The 10 person science team is split into two shifts. I am on the “day” shift. We work from noon to midnight. These long shifts are filled with alternating periods of activity and waiting. After the set we wait for an hour before the haul. Then, depending on where the next set is, there will be another wait of between two to three hours. The hauls seem to follow the same patterns. As the mile of line is reeled in, there are long periods with not much happening. Then, there might be three fish online within a few hooks. Last night it was two baby tiger sharks and a 1200 mm (3 ft. 11 in.) barracuda within about 5 minutes. When there is a shark too big to haul up by hand on the gangion, the crane is used. We all don hardhats, the crane is moved into place and everyone is busy taking measurements, preparing tags, and taking tissue samples. I was warned to bring a lot of reading material for the down time and I did that. However, with so many things to learn, interesting people to talk to, and beautiful scenery to watch, I have had little time for boredom to creep in.

Ready to release a baby tiger shark.

One of the most common questions that I had before I left concerned getting motion sick. Dare I utter the word… seasick. So far, I have been lucky… hmm, I can’t seem to find any wood around here to knock on. I started the voyage with what I consider to be a rational decision, take the Dramamine. We started with two days of beautiful weather. By the first sign of rough seas I had stopped taking the Dramamine so I went outside and watched the horizon for about an hour. I decided that watching the horizon on a beautiful day at sea had no drawbacks. I never did feel nauseaus. Some people recomended that I buy the accupressure bands which I did. When seas get rough and I am inside I will sometimes wear those. I have not been seasick, yet. I still take precautions like not doing computer work inside when in rough seas but so far I have been fine. In fact, as far as I know none of the volunteers or crew have been sick.

I cannot end this blog without acknowledging the stewards in the gally and the impressive menu available at each meal. I think that there are always three choices for a main dish and a variety of sides. Additonally, a salad bar is always available, snacks, and my favorite, ice cream.

Just one of three delicious options that night

Animals seen: sea turtle, dolphin, snake fish, spotted eel, barracuda, shark sucker. Sharks: sandbar shark, tiger shark, Atlantic sharpnose shark, scalloped hammerhead

shame faced crab

Did you know?

Most of the fish that we catch have parasites living in and on them?

August 20, 2018August 21, 2018

Stephen Kade: What is Long Line Fishing? August 19, 2018

NOAA Teacher at Sea

Stephen Kade

Aboard NOAA Ship Oregon II

July 23 – August 10, 2018

Mission: Long Line Shark/ Red Snapper survey Leg 1

Geographic Area: 30 35’ 34’’ N, 80 56’ 48’’ W, 20 miles off the coast of Jessup, Georgia

Date: August 2, 2018

Weather Data from Bridge: Wind speed 14 knots, Air Temp: 27c, Visibility 10 nautical miles, Wave height 2 ft.

Science and Technology Log

Longline fishing is a technique that consists of one main fishing line with many baited hooks that come of that line on shorter lines, (like branches off a tree) attached at various distances. Long lines are used in both coastal areas and the open ocean and are often placed to target specific species. If the long line is suspended in the top or mid depth water, it is called pelagic longline fishing. If it is on or near the ocean floor by weighting it down to the sea floor, it is called bottom longline fishing. A high-flyer buoy is placed at either end to mark the position of the line in the water so boats can see it while submerged, and so it can be found when it needs to be retrieved. Weights are placed on each end and the middle of the line to hold the line down to a specified depth.

Longline_KadeTAS2018 — Computer created infographic of long line fishing process by NOAA TAS 2018 Stephen Kade

On board NOAA Ship Oregon II, the mission is a red snapper/shark longline fishing survey in the Gulf of Mexico and the Western North Atlantic coast. I was on the first of four legs of the survey that left Pascagoula, Mississippi, rounded the bottom of Florida and stopped for 44 stations between West Palm Beach FL, up to Cape Hatteras, NC, and back down to Port Canaveral, FL. NOAA’s mission is to research current shark and snapper populations in specific areas as determined by NOAA shark scientists and related state Fishery Departments.

The Oregon II has a large spool of 3mm monofilament fishing line on deck. For our survey, we used a line that was one mile long, and had 100 baited hooks approximately 50 feet apart. The hooks are attached to the line by gangions. Gangions are 12 foot long monofilament lines with a hook on one end and a manual fastener at the other end that can be taken on and off each time the line is deployed. All 100 hooks on the gangions are baited with Atlantic mackerel.

numbering gangions — The team attaches the gangion numbers and hands over for deployment

To deploy the line into the water, it takes a team of 6 people. The first person strings the line from the spool and through various pulleys along the length of the ship moving toward the back of the boat before tying it to the high flyer buoy and returning to the spool control to deploy the mile long line into the water. A team of two works to attach a specific number tag onto each gangion, and then to retrieve the 12 foot long gangion from a barrel. The numbered, baited, gangions are handed one by one to the next team member who attaches the gangion of the main long line every 60 feet as the line descends into the water. This crewman also places three weights on the line to hold it onto the ocean floor, one at each end, and one in the middle. When all hooks are deployed, the line is cut from the spool and the high-flyer buoy is attached to mark the end of the line in the water.

deploying high-flyer — Deploying the high-flyer buoy after all 100 gangions and weights are attached.

The last member of the science team is at a computer station on deck and they are in charge of inputting data into the computer. Each time a buoy, weight, or gangion goes into the water, a specific button is pushed to mark the items place in the water. This is done so when a shark comes up on a numbered hook, NOAA scientists know exactly the latitude, longitude and depth of where that specific shark was caught. Scientists upload this important data immediately to NOAA servers for later use so they can assess average populations in specific areas, among many other data points.

The bait stays down on the ocean floor for about an hour before the boat returns to retrieve it. The retrieval process is similar to deploying the line except that it takes longer to bring it in, as there are now some fish and sharks attached to the hooks. If the hooks are empty, the number is taken off the line, and the gangion is placed back in the barrel until the next station. If there is a shark or fish on the line, it is pulled onto the deck and data is collected before the shark is safely placed back into the water. The first step is unhooking the fish, before it is measured. The shark is measured from the tip of the nose to various parts of the body to determine the size in those areas. The gender of the shark is also determined, as well as the maturity. Finally, the shark is weighed on a scale and most are tagged before being photographed and released. The process only takes about two minutes to safely ensure the shark survives. The data is recorded on a data log, and after the retrieval, the data is input into a database.

Removing Gangions — Gangions are taken off the long line, de-baited, de-numbered and put back in barrel.

Personal Log

Before coming on the Oregon II, I knew only about the fishing process on a larger scale from what I’d read about, or seen on television. I was slightly intimidated that without experience, I’d likely be slowing down the experienced team of professionals from their difficult job. As we headed out to sea, I found out it would take a few days before we reached our first station and that gave me time to get to know the crew, which was very valuable. There are two crews, each work 12 hours a day, so fishing was happening around the clock. I was able to listen to their advice and explanation of the techniques used in the long line process, and also some fantastic stories about their lives and families. Their patience with me and the other volunteers during those first few stations gave us time to get up to their speed, and from then out it was like clockwork. It was certainly hard to work outside all day, but the passion, skill, and humor of the crew made it quite fun work each day and night. It was impressive and amazing to see how this efficient process is used to help NOAA scientists and fishermen collect data from vast areas of the ocean for two weeks. I am proud to say I helped a great team to get information that can help us understand how to help populations of sharks and fish for long into the future.

Stephen removes shark — TAS 2018 Stephen Kade taking shark off gangion, ready to measure, weigh, and put back in ocean

July 27, 2015August 21, 2021

Kathleen Gibson, Sailing Away, July 27, 2015

NOAA Teacher at Sea
Kathleen Gibson
Aboard NOAA Ship Oregon II
July 25 – August 8, 2015

Mission: Shark/Red Snapper Longline Survey
Geographic Area of the Cruise: Atlantic Ocean off the Florida and Carolina Coasts
Date: July 27, 2015
Coordinates: 25^o 30.755 N
O79^o 55.736W

Weather Data from the Bridge:
Wind speed (knots): 9
Sea Temp (deg C): 31.3
Air Temp (deg C): 31.2

View from the Bow - Gulf of Mexico — View from the bow – Gulf of Mexico

Just before we left Pascagoula last Saturday, we learned that the V-Sat system was not operational and that in all likelihood we wouldn’t have internet access during the trip. So far this prediction has been accurate. I’ll continue to write these blogs as we go and post them all after we get to port if it doesn’t get fixed.

In my first post I wrote a bit about the area we would be surveying. I’ve since learned that during this cruise we will only be working in the Atlantic Ocean. Another change is that our final destination will be Cape Canaveral, FL rather than Jacksonville, FL.

Since we aren’t doing any fishing in the Gulf, we are currently following a straight track from Pascagoula to the Florida Keys. We’ve been sailing for two days and are currently off the coast of Key Biscayne, FL. There has been one rain event that went by quickly, and otherwise it has been fair weather. While land isn’t visible, there are a good number of recreational motorboats, so land must not be too far off.

Science and Technology

This cruise is the first of four legs of a long-term (longitudinal) study of the distribution and abundance of shark and red snapper populations. The study began in 1995 and the research area includes U.S. waters of the Atlantic Ocean and Gulf of Mexico. The Atlantic Ocean sampling stations on this first leg are positioned at various distances offshore from Miami, FL to Cape Hatteras, NC and at different depths. Later legs will complete the survey in the Gulf of Mexico. While this type of study can be resource and labor intensive and also time consuming, a well-designed longitudinal study can provide valuable data that tracks trends and patterns over an extended period of time. As with any investigation, numerous potential variables must be controlled, including time of year sampling occurs, sampling equipment (line and hooks) and sampling locations.

We’ve prepared three barrels of gangions (50 hooks in each). When we start fishing we will bait the hooks with mackerel and hook them on the long line.

Kristin Hannan ( left) and science volunteers preparing gangions. These will be baited and attached to the main line. — Kristin Hannan ( left) and science volunteers preparing gangions.
These will be baited and attached to the main line.

The circular hooks are designed to minimize harm.

NOAA Careers

A successful cruise requires a significant amount of preparation as well as committed participants. Those aboard include NOAA scientists, NOAA Corps Officers, an experienced deck crew, engineers, stewards, and science team volunteers. From the moment I arrived on board it has been apparent that everyone is fully invested in this project. They’ve been willing to share their stories of how they made their way on to this cruise of the Oregon II; I’ll share some of their stories with you in this and future blog entries.

Career Spotlight: Kristin Hannan – Field Party Chief, NOAA Shark Unit

As Field Party Chief, Kristin is responsible for all of the scientific work done during the cruise. She is also the watch leader for the day shift. While Kristin was fascinated with marine science at an early age, she followed some sage academic advice for her undergraduate program: “focus on being a scientist first, include rigorous coursework, and then do marine work.” She graduated from Virginia Tech with a degree in Biology and a minor in Chemistry and she remains a loyal Hokie fan.

She has been involved in a number of challenging marine-related projects all around the United States and has been open to unusual opportunities when they arose. One such opportunity, over 10 years ago, was to be a volunteer with NOAA Fisheries in Pascagoula, MS. She joined the Shark Longline cruise as a volunteer one summer, and returned in subsequent summers to participate. Kristin eventually joined NOAA permanently as a Field Biologist with the Shark Unit, and is now the Chief Scientist/Field Party Chief for this cruise–the very same one she volunteered for some years ago.

In addition to her work with NOAA, Kristin is pursuing a Master’s Degree from the University of South Alabama, where she is studying chimeras and methods used to determine their age.

Kristin’s advice to students looking to work in Marine Sciences –or any field- is to:

Be open to unusual opportunities
Try to make a good impression every day
Work hard

Personal Log

Flying Fish Photo Credit: NOAA — Flying Fish
Photo Credit: NOAA

We’re still sailing to the sampling area, so there is plenty of free time to meet others on board, read and walk around the deck. This will definitely change when sampling begins. Today I went out to the bow and saw flying fish for the first time and dolphins were swimming off the bow.

The science team is made up of 4 NOAA scientists and 7 volunteers with a variety of experience. Our volunteers include 2 university professors, one graduate student, three undergraduate students, and one Teacher at Sea! The group is split into two 12-hour shifts. I’m on the day shift which begins at noon each day and ends at midnight. It’s likely that we will begin fishing tomorrow morning, and the night crew has begun adjusting their sleep pattern to be prepared. I’m going to have to work at sleeping in.

Survival Suit - Perfect Fit Photo Credit: Lecia Salerno — Survival Suit – Perfect Fit Photo Credit: Lecia Salerno

The Executive Officer (XO) LT Lecia Salerno, has graciously allowed me to share her quarters, which includes her office. The cabin is on an upper level so I definitely get rocked to sleep.

A fire drill and abandon-ship drill were called on the first full day at sea. Lecia helped me get into my survival suit and, more importantly, out of it as well.

Questions of the day for my students:

What additional variables do you think should be considered and kept constant in this study?

What is a nautical mile and how many nautical miles is it from Pascagoula, MS, to Miami, FL?

How do chimeras differ from sharks?

Up next… Time to Fish.

September 19, 2013August 20, 2021

Louise Todd, Setting the Line, September 19, 2013

NOAA Teacher at Sea
Louise Todd
Aboard NOAA Ship Oregon II
September 13 – 29, 2013

Mission: Shark and Red Snapper Bottom Longline Survey
Geographical Area of Cruise: Gulf of Mexico
Date: September 19, 2013

Weather Data from the Bridge:
Barometric Pressure: 1017.17mb
Sea Temperature: 28.8˚C
Air Temperature: 27˚C
Wind speed: 18.05 knots

Science and Technology Log:

Those of you following our progress on the NOAA Ship Tracker might have noticed some interesting movements of the ship. We had some rough weather that forced us to skip a station, and the current by the mouth of the Mississippi River also forced us to skip a station. The safety of everyone on board comes first so if the seas are too rough or the weather is bad we will skip a scheduled station and move to the next one. Now we are off the coast of Florida and hope we can get some good fishing done!

This survey is being done using longlines. Longlines are exactly as their name describes, long stretches of line with lots of hooks on them. The line we are using is 6,000 feet long, the length of one nautical mile. From that long line, there are 100 shorter lines called gangions hanging down with hooks on the end. Each gangion is 12 feet long.

When we arrive at a sampling station, everyone on our shift helps to set the line. In order to set the line, we have to bait each one of the hooks with mackerel.

Once the hooks are baited, we wait for the Officer of the Deck (OOD), driving the ship from the bridge, to let us know that we are in position at the station and ready to start setting the line. The first item deployed is a high flyer to announce the position of our line to other boats and to help us keep track of our line.

High Flyers — High flyers ready to be deployed

This is a bottom longline survey so after the high flyer is deployed, the first weight is deployed to help pull the line to the bottom of the ocean just above the seabed. After the first weight is deployed, it is time to put out the first 50 hooks. This is typically a three person job. One person slings the bait by pulling the gangion from the barrel and getting ready to pass it to the crew member. Another person adds a number tag to the gangion so each hook has its own number.

Numbers for hooks — Number clips are attached to each gangion

A member of the deck crew attaches each gangion to the main line and sends it over the side into the water. The gangions are placed 60 feet apart. The crew members are able to space them out just by sight! The bridge announces every tenth of a mile over the radio so they are able to double check themselves as they set the line. Another weight is deployed after the first 50 hooks. A final weight is placed after the last hook. The end of the line is marked with another high flyer. Once the line has been set, we scrub the gangion barrels and the deck. The line stays in the water for one hour.

Once the line has soaked for one hour, the fun begins! Haul back is definitely my favorite part! Sometimes it can be disappointing, like last night when there was absolutely nothing on the line. Other times we are kept busy trying to work up everything on the line. When the line is set and brought back in, everything is kept track of on a computer. The computer allows us to record the time and exact location that every part of the line was deployed or retrieved. The touchscreen makes it easy to record the data on the computer.

Computer ready to document what is on each hook

Personal Log:

It is nice to be doing some fishing! There have been some long distances in between our stations so my shift has not gotten the opportunity to set the line as much as we would like. I’m hopeful that the weather holds out for us so we can get a few stations in on our shift today. Being able to see these sharks up close has been amazing. I am enjoying working with the people on my shift and learning from each one of them. Before we haul back the line, I ask everyone what their guess is for number of fish on the line. My number has been 45 the past few haul backs and I’ve been wrong every time! Christine was exactly right on one of our last haul backs when she guessed two. I know I’ll be right one of these stations. It is hard to get pictures of what comes up on the line because we get so busy processing everything. I’m going to try to get more pictures of our next stations.

The views out in the Gulf are gorgeous. I never get tired of them!

Did You Know?

When we arrive at a sampling station, the officer on watch must be aware of other ships and rigs in the area. At times the bridge watchstander will make the decision to adjust the location of our sampling station based on large ships or rigs in the area.

Rig and Ship — Rigs and other ships in the area of a sampling station can force us to move the station