Tag: Oscar Dyson

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Rebecca Kimport, JUNE 28, 2010

NOAA Teacher at Sea Rebecca Kimport
NOAA Ship Oscar Dyson
June 30, 2010 – July 19, 2010

Mission: Summer Pollock survey
Geograpical Area:Bering Sea, Alaska
Date: June 28,  2010

Dutch Harbor — Welcome to the Aleutians

After 14 + hours of traveling from the sweltering heat of DC to the snow capped mountains of Alaska, I finally arrived in Dutch Harbor late Friday evening and began to explore the town on Saturday. Due to some mechanical difficulties, our departure was delayed and we were given a couple bonus days in Dutch Harbor which I definitely used to my advantage.

The town of Dutch Harbor and the neighboring village of Unalaska are located on the island of Unalaska, the second largest island in the Aleutian Chain. It is referred to in some documents as the gateway to the Western Aleutians – containing an airport and a large commercial fishing operation. The majority of full year residents appear to live in Unalaska (which contains the school district and schools) while Dutch Harbor contains commerce to support the local processing plants and canneries. According to the local I quizzed, there are about 3000 full year residents of Dutch Harbor and Unalaska and several hundred more fishermen stopping through.

Unalaska was originally home to the Unangan people who survived for thousands of years off the fish and mammals found in the sea before the Russians arrived in the mid-eighteenth century. As described by the Museum of the Aleutians, the relationship was first hostile but evolved into something that was treasured. Many residents of Unalaska are Russian Orthodox and several have Russian surnames. The Russian Orthodox church was completed in 1825 and is one of the oldest in North America (here is a picture of the outside).

Church
Church
WWII Memorial
WWII Memorial

Unalaska became a United States territory in 1867 (as part of “Seward’s Folly”) and while there was some American presence – notably from fisherman seeking the bounty of the Bering Sea, there was not a great deal of contact until World War II. The US Military started fortifying Dutch Harbor in 1940 (building a variety of small bunkers known as pill boxes which were so embedded in the town, I didn’t even take a picture!). Japan must have been aware of this as the island was attacked on June 3-4, 1942. Numerous buildings were destroyed and dozens of people died. (Look up the “Battle of Dutch Harbor” for more information).

Although I would claim to have learned a great deal about World War II during the course of my education, I had no idea that a battle was waged on American soil after the bombing of Pearl Harbor. (Check out the war memorial to the left). Further, I did not realize the cost of this battle to the native residents. Although there was a military base, the US government decided it was “too costly to secure and protect the residents” (according to a display at the Museum of the Aleutians) and instead, conducted mass evacuations soon after the attack. The residents were interred in camps in Southeast Alaska for the duration of the war. While visiting the Museum of the Aleutians, I watched a very powerful video on the untold story of this internment which included interviews from the survivors and told of harsh conditions and confusing information.

In addition to learning a great deal about the history of Dutch Harbor/Unalaska, I also had a chance to see the sights and explore a bit:

I hiked until I hit the snow,

touching snow
touching snow

I checked out sea creatures at low tide with Katie and Michele,

Sea Cucumbers
Sea Cucumbers

I joined a search for wild horses which, although unsuccessful, led to some amazing vistas,

Summer Bay
Summer Bay

I saw more bald eagles than I could count (see how many you can spot in this picture) (to give the local cliché — they are like pigeons here),

How many bald eagles
How many bald eagles

And I tried to take some cool shots of local life.

Mountains and Clouds
Mountains and Clouds
Colorful Lines
Colorful Lines

Pioneer Patriot Spirit
Pioneer Patriot Spirit
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Richard Chewning, June 23rd, 2010

NOAA Teacher at Sea
Richard Chewning
Onboard NOAA Ship Oscar Dyson
June 4 – 24, 2010

NOAA Ship Oscar Dyson
Mission: Pollock Survey
Geographical area of cruise: Gulf of Alaska (Kodiak) to eastern Bering Sea (Dutch Harbor)
Date: June 23rd, 2010

Weather Data from the Bridge

Position: Bering Sea, east of St. George Island
Time: 0450
Latitude: N 56 38.000
Longitude: W 168 28.030
Cloud Cover: overcast with patchy fog
Wind: 14.0 knots from the east
Temperature: 5.8 C
Barometric Pressure: 1006.6 mbar

Science and Technology Log

Combining science, technology, and leadership, NOAA Commissioned Officer Corps provides skilled leaders for NOAA’s diverse programs. Numbering around 300 individuals, this group of dedicated professionals has a wide range of duties and responsibilities including operating NOAA’s ship and aircraft, managing research projects around the world, conducting diving operations, and manning staff positions on the shore. Officers are rotated every 2-3 years between ship-based and land-based positions. Before joining the Dyson as the Executive Officer for instance, Lieutenant Jeffrey Shoup worked with a satellite-based international search and rescue system as his NOAA shore assignment.

NOAA Corps emblem

All of these officers have completed rigorous training and have degrees in various fields of study relating to NOAA science such as physical oceanography, marine biology, chemistry, fisheries science, engineering, and meteorology. For example, the Dyson’s Commanding Officer, CDR Mike Hoshlyk, studied biology and geology at the University of Rochester.

Part of the U.S. Department of Commerce, NOAA Corps is one of the nation’s seven uniformed services of the United States. You are undoubtedly familiar with the other six: U.S. Public Health Service, Army, Navy, Coast Guard, Air Force, and Marines. During times of war or national emergency, NOAA Corps officers can assume duties with the Armed Forces. NOAA Corps officers have leadership and command positions on NOAA’s various vessels, aircraft, and instillations and manage programs and research efforts.

Personal Log

I wish to extend a heartfelt thank you to all the NOAA Corps officers, crew, and scientists of the NOAA ship Oscar Dyson for their support of my Teacher at Sea experience. I greatly appreciate their time and efforts making my stay comfortable and informative. I recognize that they not only allowed me to observe and learn about their workplace, but they also welcomed me into their home.

Ensign Russell Pate performing a safety demonstration

I have been continuously impressed by the professionalism and dedication of the Dyson’s NOAA Corps officers. Ensuring a safe and successful cruise for all onboard, I am grateful for the many efforts of CO Mike Hoshlyk, XO Jeff Shoup, Field Operations/Acting XO Officer Sarah Duncan, Navigation Officer Nathan Witherly, Safety Officer Russell Pate, and Medical Officer Amber Payne. I credit the entire engineering and electronics departments for their hard work ensuring that the Dyson remained in fine working order throughout the cruise. Jerry, Fred, Jim, Bob, Walter, Dave, Terry, and Steve comprised the Dyson’s engineering and electronics departments. The deck crew deserves recognition for always being ready to fish anytime day or night and for keeping the Dyson in ship shape over the last three weeks. The deck crew included Willie, Dennis, Joel, Glen, Mike, and Buddy. Special thanks to the scientists for sharing their passion for maritime research and for welcoming me as a part of their team. Paul, Patrick, Darin, Rick, Misha, Bill, Liz, Patti, Yin, Paula, and Ernesto each demonstrated personal dedication to better understanding our world’s seas and oceans. Gathering data and assisting the deck crew during the Dyson’s many deployments, Kathy and Jonathan deserve recognition for their many efforts as members of the survey department. Finally, I wish to express a word of thanks to the Dyson’s two stewards, Rick and Floyd, for keeping the crew well fed.

LTjg Nathan Witherly working on a chart

I wish to say a final word of thanks to the NOAA Teacher At Sea staff whose many efforts on my behalf made this experience possible. NOAA’s TAS program director is Jennifer Hammond. Elizabeth McMahon is the deputy director, and Elizabeth Bullock is the program support specialist. Thank you for bringing this amazing experience to life for so many teachers and students around the country.

Richard holding a Chinook salmon

Kodiak and Dutch Harbor As my TAS experience draws to a close, I reflect on where our cruise began and will conclude. Kodiak and Dutch Harbor are regular stops for the Oscar Dyson as she conducts research in the Bering Sea and Gulf of Alaska. Each community has a unique history and serves as a vital link to the outside world for the crew of Dyson.

St Paul Harbor, Kodiak, Alaska
Gray whale skeleton on display at Kodiak National Wildlife Refudge Visitor Center

Kodiak is the main city on Kodiak Island and is the home port of the Oscar Dyson. Carved by retreating glaciers during the last ice age, Kodiak’s most famous resident is the massive Kodiak brown bear. The Alutiiq called this area home for thousands of years before the Russian fur traders arrived in the early 1700s. Kodiak was the capital of Russian Alaska before becoming a US territory in 1867. In 1964, Kodiak suffered a devastating tsunami from the powerful 9.2 magnitude Good Friday Earthquake. Today Kodiak is a quaint commercial fishing community surrounded by beautiful untamed wilderness.

Priest Rock marking the entrance to Dutch Harbor
Church of The Holy Ascension, Dutch Harbor

Located on the on the island of Amaknak in the Aleutian Islands, Dutch Harbor is an industrial fishing outpost on the outskirts of the city of Unalaska. Dutch Harbor is a major industrial seaport serving fishing vessels of every description. Dutch Harbor is steeped in history. Hunting, fishing, and gathering for many generations, the Aleuts lived here long before Russian fur traders arrived in the mid 1700s. The Church of the Holy Ascension was built Dutch Harbor in 1825 and is the oldest Russian Orthodox church in the United States. Japanese and American military forces fought over the Aleutian Islands during the early months of the United States entry into World War II. Many concrete pill boxes and gun emplacements can still be seen along the surrounding hillsides. Dutch Harbor is defined by fishing and at one time was the largest fishing port in the US. Most people today recognize Dutch Harbor as the home of the crab fishermen portrayed in the Discovery Channel’s popular show, The Deadliest Catch.

Sunset in the Bering Sea
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Rebecca Kimport, JUNE 23, 2010

NOAA Teacher at Sea Rebecca Kimport
NOAA Ship Oscar Dyson
June 30, 2010 – July 19, 2010

Mission: Summer Pollock survey
Geograpical Area:Bering Sea, Alaska
Date:June 23,  2010

By the Numbers

As my trip is now days or hours away rather than weeks away, I figured I should give a little overview by the numbers:

* Hours until I leave: 41

* Travel time to get to Dutch Harbor (including layovers): 14 1/2 hours
* Legs of Flight: 3
* Days at Sea: 20

* Current temperature in our port, Dutch Harbor: 47°F
* Current temperature in DC: 94°F
* Temperature difference between DC and Dutch Harbor: 47°F cooler in AK
* Hours of Daylight in Dutch Harbor today: almost 19

* Number of teachers on my trip: 2 (including me)
* Number of scientists: 15 (again, including me)
* Crew members: approximately 12-15 but I will have to update

* Number of posts per week, anticipated: Around 4
* Amount of extra credit my students will earn if they comment on a post: 1 Homework Assignment
* Number of people who have asked me to report when I can see Russia from our boat: 10
* Episodes of Deadliest Catch watched in preparation: 2

* Number of school-related items on my to-do list that have to get done before I leave: 6
* Number of items packed: Currently, none…but I do have a pile and a list…

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Richard Chewning, June 21st, 2010

NOAA Teacher at Sea
Richard Chewning
Onboard NOAA Ship Oscar Dyson
June 4 – 24, 2010

NOAA Ship Oscar Dyson
Mission: Pollock Survey
Geographical area of cruise: Gulf of Alaska (Kodiak) to eastern Bering Sea (Dutch Harbor)
Date: June 21st, 2010

Weather Data from the Bridge

Position: northeast of Dutch Harbor, Bering Sea
Time: 1100 hours
Latitude: N 54 45.610
Longitude: W 167 06.540
Cloud Cover: cloudy
Wind: 35 knots
Temperature: 6.2 C
Barometric Pressure: 1000.8 mbar

Science and Technology Log

Throughout this cruise I have been continually impressed with the engineering of the NOAA ship Oscar Dyson both in terms of modernization and capacity. State of the art technology can be found throughout the ship from the bridge to the engine room. Computer touch screens are used to control such operations as navigation on the bridge, power management in the engine room, and data entry in the wet lab. Junior engineer Walter Daniel summed up the advanced look and feel of the ship well; in comparison to the many vessels he has encountered in his career, he likened the Dyson to the Starship Enterprise of the science fiction franchise Star Trek. Even though the Dyson is one of the most technologically advanced fisheries vessels in the world, the engineers still get their fingers dirty from time to time. Although most of the equipment in the engine room can be adjusted with the simple touch of a button, flip of a switch, or turn of a knob, the Dyson’s veteran engineers still carry a screwdriver and wrench in their back pocket. Fred Ogden, first assistant engineer, told me he always likes to be prepared to bypass the computers and be able to make an adjustment by hand if needed, and you need to have the right tools for the job at hand. Recognizing that sometimes a person needs to get back to basics and that one should always be prepared, Fred says he never goes fishing without packing his sextant. Tracing its origins to the days of Sir Isaac Newton, the sextant is a tool used for navigation that only needs a clear view of the sky and horizon to work!

Diesel fuel centrifuges

At full power, the Dyson can reach 15.0 knots or a little more than 17 miles per hour. A knot is a unit measurement of speed roughly equal to 1.151 miles per hour. Four diesel generators capable of 3,017 horse power turn the Dyson’s shaft and prop. Horse power is a unit of measurement of power. To give you some perspective, modern cars typically only have 125 to 200 horsepower. To ensure these generators operate as efficiently and cleanly as possible, diesel is first cleaned using powerful centrifuges (machines that rotate very quickly to separate oil from the fuel). Fuel is also filtered twice more in each engine using filters. By burning clean fuel, the Dyson reduces pollution output and increases the life of the generators. Most of the oil and dirty water can be filtered on board to remove the impurities and reused.

Two of the Dyson’s powerful diesel generators

The Dyson also has two desalinization machines. What is desalinization and why is it important? ‘Desalinization’ is easy to subdivide and define to reveal its meaning. ‘De-’ is a prefix that means removal or reversal. ‘Salin’ is a French root word that means salt. ‘-zation’ is a noun suffix meaning an action, process, or result of making. If you put the parts together, desalinization means the process of removing salt. Desalinization machines produce fresh water by removing the salt from seawater. The importance of fresh water on a ship at sea cannot be overstated. Fresh water is essential to the crew of the Dyson for drinking, food preparation, waste management, and washing. Fresh water is also used to remove the heat from the generators in the engine room and to cool living spaces throughout the ship. The generators give off so heat much in fact there is never a shortage of hot water for the crew!

The desalinization machine

After touring the engineering spaces of the Dyson, I was surprised to see several work stations comprising of work benches and many hand tools dedicated to servicing equipment and fabricating new parts while at sea. Any one of these machine shops would satisfy any suburban Mr. Fix-it! In addition to these work stations, the Dyson also has numerous storage cabinets and cubby holes located throughout the ship storing everything from screws and zip ties to transistors and electronic circuit boards. The extent to which technology has permeated the Dyson is revealed by the maze of wires found overhead in every room and passageway. The many wires and pipes snaking from one room to another remind me of a giant circulatory system. The Dyson has two rotating Electronic Technicians, Vincent Welton and Stephen Macri, and an Engineering Electronics Technician, Terry Miles, whose job is to keep all these technologically advanced electronics in good working order.

Personal Log

Amber and Sarah keeping a sharp lookout on the bridge
CO Hoshlyk at the helm during 2pt anchoring in Three Saints Bay

One of my favorite places on the Dyson is the bridge. The bridge of the Dyson is the command and control center for the entire ship. The bridge not only allows the NOAA Corps officers to safely navigate the Dyson but allows communication with the entire ship, nearby boat traffic, and the shore. Utilizing radar, electronic charts, magnetic compasses, GPS, sonar, advanced radio and communication equipment, and various weather instruments, the bridge provides a wealth of information at one’s fingertips. The OOD (Officer of the Deck) carefully monitors the numerous screens and readouts on the bridge control panels and keeps a sharp eye on the surrounding seas. While I have become familiar with several of the main systems on the bridge and can deduce a great deal about the Dyson’s current location and movement, I recognize there is much to learn to safely navigate and operate the ship. I am comforted when resting in my rack knowing there are skilled and experienced hands on the bridge 24 hours a day!

Ensign Payne maneuvering from starboard control station

Located five stories above the water, the bridge has a fantastic view. The bridge is wide and open and has windows in every direction. The bridge provides a great view of the operation of the ship and the surrounding seas. I am most impressed with the layout of the bridge. The ship can be controlled from any one of four stations located around the bridge. The bridge is laid out like a capital T: a central control station located in the middle of the bridge, a station positioned on both the port (left) and starboard (right) sides of the bridge, and a station located aft (back) facing the rear of the ship. This allows the OOD to pilot the vessel while keeping a close eye on deployments/operations being conducted anywhere on the Dyson. For example, when conducting an Aleutian wing trawl off the stern (back) of the vessel, the OOD can transfer control to the aft station and pilot the Dyson while facing backwards!

In addition to the view, the bridge is also fun to visit as there is always someone to talk to and usually fun music playing quietly in the background. Recently, I have enjoyed watching the bow crash through 15-20 foot waves as we continue running each transect of our acoustic trawl survey.

Richard holding a sea star, better known as a starfish

While the weather continues to make deployments challenging, we have still managed to fish a few times. Interesting bycatch from these trawls includes seastars and brittle stars from the Tucker trawl and Pacific cod and sturgeon poacher from the Aleutian wing trawl.

A Pacific cod

Did you know?

The summer solstice marks the longest day and the shortest night of the year. The word solstice comes from the Latin word ‘sol’ meaning ‘sun’ and the word ‘stice’ meaning ‘to stand still’. As summer days lengthen (meaning the sun rises earlier and sets later each day), the sun’s path through the sky takes the sun higher and higher above the horizon forming a greater and greater arc. At a certain point, the sun reaches its highest point. At this point the sun seems to stand still before slowly falling back to the horizon with each passing day. This point when the sun reaches its highest arc in the sky is called the summer solstice. The earth’s tilt on its axis causes the sun to travel slightly different paths through the sky each day and causes the sun’s rays to fall with varying intensity on different regions of the earth. Over the period of one year (one orbit of the sun by the earth), this variation in sunlight explains why the earth has four seasons: summer receives the most direct rays, winter receives the least direct rays, and spring and fall are times of transition between these two extremes. The summer solstice always falls around June 21st in the northern hemisphere (above the equator). With the Dyson surveying southeast of Pribilof Islands in the Bering Sea, the sun will rise at 6:30 AM and will set at 11:50 PM on June 21st. If you were standing at the North Pole during the summer solstice, you would experience 24 hours of sunlight (the sun would never dip below the horizon!) while 24 hours of darkness would be observed at the South Pole.

A sturgeon poacher
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Richard Chewning, June 18th, 2010

NOAA Teacher at Sea
Richard Chewning
Onboard NOAA Ship Oscar Dyson
June 4 – 24, 2010

NOAA Ship Oscar Dyson
Mission: Pollock Survey
Geographical area of cruise: Gulf of Alaska (Kodiak) to eastern Bering Sea (Dutch Harbor)
Date: June 18, 2010

Weather Data from the Bridge

Position: Bering Sea, north of Dutch Harbor
Time: 1600 hours
Latitude: N 55 06.120
Longitude: W 166 33.450
Cloud Cover: Mostly cloudy
Wind: 10 knots from the west
Temperature: 7.1 C
Barometric Pressure: 1010.8

Science and Technology Log

In order to manage a public resource such as pollock, fisheries managers must develop a stock assessment. A stock assessment is a big picture overview of a certain population of fish. Fisheries managers use stock assessments to determine opening and closing dates for fishing seasons, catch limits (the number of fish that can be caught by a particular fisherman or boat), and the total allowable catch for the season. Stock assessments are developed from a combination of fishery dependant and independent data. Fishery dependant data includes catch records from commercial fishing boats and reports from processors dockside that prepare and package the fish for market. Combined with this information is fishery independent data. This information is gathered from sources not involved with commercial fishing.

Cod end filled with pollock
Unsorted catch entering wet lab

The Dyson’s acoustic trawl survey is one of the primary sources of fishery independent data for the pollock stock assessment. The Dyson’s transducers provide a wealth of acoustic data from each transect. These acoustic returns must first be identified or deciphered before being used in the stock assessment. Just like you need a key to decode the symbols on a road map or need a scale to interpret the colors on a weather map, the acoustic returns also need to be referenced with actual pollock specimens collected by trawling. By matching up the characteristics of the fish caught in the trawl with their acoustic returns, researchers can interpret all the acoustic data from the entire survey area.

Walleye pollock
My what sharp teeth you have! Arrowtooth flounder

Pollock specimens are collected with Aleutian wing trawls, or AWTs for short. An Aleutian wing trawl is a single large net deployed off the stern of the Dyson. Large metal fishbuster doors are used to open the mouth of the net in the water. The catch is collected in a bag located at the end of the net called the cod end. The cod end’s mesh size prevents anything larger than 0.5 inches from escaping. Once the net is hauled back on deck, the cod end is emptied in the wet lab, and the entire catch is sorted. Fish are identified, counted, weighed, and measured. The gender and maturity of a subsample of pollock are also recorded. Stomachs are collected to determine what the pollock are eating. Finally, otoliths, the ear bones of fish, are collected. Just like counting the rings of a tree, researchers will count the number of rings in the otolith to determine the age of the pollock. Notable bycatch (fish that were not targeted) include eulachon, arrowtooth flounder, Pacific cod, sturgeon poacher, and yellowfin sole. Misha told me Russians used to dry out eulachon whole and use them as candles because of their high oil content. In fact I learned that one of common names in the US for eulachon is candlefish!

Yellowfin sole
Eulachon

Why gather so much information on a single species of fish like pollock? Fisheries managers are responsible for the sustainable use of public resources. Without careful monitoring, fishing pressure, natural predation, and disease might remove pollock from the population faster than they can replace themselves. There is great demand for pollock both commercially and in the Bering Sea ecosystem. Walleye pollock is the largest US fishery by volume and third largest by value. Annual US catches can average 2.5 billion pounds. Pollock is also an important food source for Stellar sea lion, other marine mammals, birds, and other fish.

The Dyson in Dutch Harbor

Personal Log

On Thursday, I had the pleasure of joining two members of the deck crew, Joel Kellogg and Glen Whitney, to pick up a new addition of the science party in Dutch Harbor. Mike Sigler, a fish biologist with NOAA, is a project leader and principal investigator with the North Pacific Research Board’s Bering Sea Integrated Ecosystem Research Program (BSIERP). He is joining the Dyson for the last week of our survey. BSIERP is a six year long collaborative study with the National Science Foundation’s Bering Ecosystem Study (BEST). More than a hundred scientists from these two groups are investigating the organisms and physical forces that make up and influence life in the Bering Sea ecosystem.

Recovering the Peggy D.

To pick up Mike, the Dyson launched the Peggy D. Named for wife of Oscar Dyson, the Peggy D. is a small power boat used to ferry people to and from shore. Peggy Dyson is a famous Alaskan in her own right, serving as a National Weather Service ship to shore weather broadcaster. Her voice brought vital information and reassurance to Alaskan fisherman. She diligently performed these duties twice a day, seven days a week for 25 years. I really enjoyed having the opportunity to see the Dyson from the water as my only vantage point for the last two weeks has been from the Dyson looking out. I was surprised how quickly the Dyson shrunk on the horizon as we sped away and traveled into Dutch Harbor. Dutch Harbor felt like a true frontier town. The vehicles seemed to reflect the character of the town. While looking rough and weathered on the outside, the beat-up cars and trucks of Dutch Harbor revealed a resilience and gritty determination to keep moving forward and press on against an unforgiving environment. I loved hearing the cry of the bald eagles that were spotted everywhere you looked. While I enjoyed having solid ground under my feet for a few short minutes, I appreciated the sense of familiarity and belonging I felt upon returning to the Dyson.

Scute visits the Bering Sea

Scute, the Georgia Sea Turtle Center Mascot, was spotted visiting the Bering Sea today! Scute, a loggerhead sea turtle, travels the world promoting awareness of sea turtles. We know Scute was only visiting the Bering Sea as these waters are too cold for loggerhead sea turtles. Loggerhead sea turtles are the most abundant sea turtles in US coastal waters. Scute’s home is the Georgia Sea Turtle Center (GSTC) located on Jekyll Island, Georgia. The GSTC is a research, rehabilitation, and education center dedicated to helping sea turtles along the GA coast and around the world. Sea turtles released from the GSTC will often have a satellite transmitter attached to their shell just like Scute. The transmitters allow researchers to track their movements at sea. Only one of the seven species of sea turtles found worldwide can survive this far north – the leatherback sea turtle. The leatherback sea turtle is the largest species of sea turtle reaching six and a half feet in length and weighing as much as 2000 pounds! Leatherbacks have several adaptations such as high oil content in their large bodies that help them tolerate the cold waters of the southern Bering Sea. Leatherback sea turtles feed on jellyfish and can dive to great depths because the protection provided by their leathery shell (a hard shell would crack under the high pressure of the water). For more information about Scute and sea turtles, check out the GSTC website at http://www.georgiaseaturtlecenter.org !