NOAA Teacher at Sea
Laura Brezinsky
Aboard NOAA Ship Miller Freeman
April 8 – April 22, 2004
Day 6: Wednesday, April 14, 2004
Latitude: 57.40.47N
Longitude: 155 12.38
Weather: continuous clouds
Visibility: 29.5-49.5 ft (Very High)
Wind direction: 220 degrees
Wind speed: 11 (m/s)
Sea level pressure: 26
Science and Technology Log
Last night we sailed south/west and this morning we are off the coast of the Alaska Peninsula in the vicinity of Katmai National Park. According to Carol Dewitt, one of the supervisors on this leg of the project, there have been an inordinate number of lost moorings on the GLOBEC line as compared to other moorings in this area. It has been suggested that this could possibly be due to long-line fishing interference but no definitive cause has been determined as of yet. Today we will recover and deploy another buoy and continue in a south westerly direction.
Personal log
Last night during my nightly visit to the bridge I discovered that the crew was closely observing 2 lights that were directly in our path. The concern was that they could possible be marker buoys for a long line and if we were to cross the line it could become entangled in our propeller. Fortunately the lights turned out to be a small boat and a marker for some rocks called “latex rocks”. There is only one captain (John Herring) on this boat and he cannot be on watch 24 hours a day. Often the driving of the boat is turned over to the other crew members including the XO (Executive office) as well as other less senior personnel such as the ensigns. After watching them all work I have complete confidence in their abilities, dedication and attention to detail.
Question of the day: What is long-line fishing and how is it impacting our fisheries? What regulations have been put in place to try and reduce negative impacts of long-liners?
Laura
