Pisces – Page 5 – NOAA Teacher at Sea Blog

July 15, 2014March 18, 2021

Kevin McMahon: Midnight Mapping! July 13, 2014

NOAA Teacher at Sea

Kevin McMahon

Aboard the NOAA ship Pisces

July 5 – July 18, 2014

Mission: Southeast Fisheries Independent Survey

Geographic area of the cruise: Atlantic Ocean, off the coast of North Carolina and South Carolina

Date: July 13, 2014

Weather Information from the Bridge

Air Temperature: 27.6 °C

Relative Humidity: 73%

Wind Speed: 5.04 knots

Science and Technology Log

Someone is always working on the Pisces. When Nate Bacheler and the other fishery scientists have finished their work for the day collecting fish, it is show time for the hydrographers, the scientists who map and study the ocean floor. Their job is to map the ocean floor to help Nate find the best places to find fish for the next day. Warren, Laura, David and Matt were kind enough to let me join them and explained how they map the ocean floor while on board the Pisces.

People have learned over the years that some fish like to hang out where there is a hard bottom, not a sandy bottom. These hard bottom areas are where coral and sponges can grow and it also happens to be where we usually find the most fish.

Instead of using a camera to find these hard bottom habitats, the mapping scientists use multibeam sonar. Here is a simple explanation on how sonar works. The ship sends a sound wave to the bottom of the ocean. When the sound wave hits the bottom, the sound bounces back up to the ship.

Since scientists know how fast sound travels in water, they can figure out how far it is to the ocean floor. If the sound wave bounces back quickly, we are close to the ocean floor. If the sound wave takes longer, the ocean floor is farther away. They can use this data to make a map of what the ocean floor looks like beneath the ship.

The neat thing about the Pisces is that it does not send down one sound wave only. It sends 70 waves at once. This is called multibeam sonar.

Single Beam versus Multibeam sonar. Can you see why scientists like to use multibeam sonar? — Single Beam versus Multibeam sonar. Can you see why hydrographers like to use multibeam sonar? Credit: NOAA

So, now you know how sonar works in simple terms.

But it gets a little more complicated. Did you know that sound speed can be affected by the water temperature, by how salty the water is (the “salinity”), by tides, and by the motion of the ship? Computers make corrections for all of these factors to help get a better picture of the ocean floor. But, computers don’t know the physical properties of our part of the ocean (because these properties change all the time) so we need to find this information and give it to the computer.

To find the temperature of the ocean water, the mapping scientists launch an “XBT” into the water. XBT stands for “expendable bathythermograph.” The XBT records the changes in water temperature as it travels to the ocean floor. It looks like a missile. It gets put into a launcher and it has a firing pin. It sounds pretty dangerous, doesn’t it! I was excited to be able to fire it into the water. But, when I pulled out the firing pin, the XBT just gently slid out of the launcher, softly plopped into the ocean, and quietly collected data all the way to the ocean floor.

Kevin McMahon nervously holding the XBT Launcher and waiting for the order to fire.

Kevin McMahon watches as the XBT gently plops out of the launcher.

With the new data on water temperature, the hydrographers were able to create this map of the ocean floor.

In the map above, blue indicates that part of the ocean floor that is the deepest. The green color indicates the part of the map that is the next deepest. The red indicates the area that is most shallow.

Nate talks to the hydrographers early in the morning and then predicts where the hard bottom habitats might be. In particular, Nate looks for areas that have a sudden change in elevation, indicating a ledge feature. If you had Nate’s job, where would you drop the 6 traps to find the most fish? Look at the map below to see where Nate decided to deploy the traps.

The green dots are the spots where Nate dropped the traps in hopes of finding fish.

To find out more about using sound to see the ocean floor and to see an animation of how this works, click on this link:

NOAA: Seeing the Ocean Floor

Personal Log

We have now gotten into a regular routine on the ship. The best part of the day for me is when we are retrieving the traps. We never know what we will see. Sometimes we catch nothing. Sometimes we find some really amazing things.

Here are a few of my favorites:

Sea stars with beautiful navy blue colors

Did you know?

The ocean is largely unexplored. Maybe someday you will discover something new about the ocean!

July 14, 2014August 21, 2021

Emina Mesanovic, An Adventure Begins, July 13, 2014

NOAA Teacher at Sea

Emina Mesanovic

(Almost) Aboard NOAA Ship Pisces

July 20 – August 2, 2014

Mission: Southeast Fisheries-Independent Survey

Geographic area of the cruise: Atlantic Ocean

Date: July 13, 2014

Personal Log

Hello everyone! My name is Emina Mesanovic and I am so excited to have been selected by NOAA (National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration) to be a part of the 2014 Teacher at Sea field season. July 20^th can’t come fast enough.

I am very excited to share this experience with everyone on the blog this summer and back at school in the fall. As I learn more about the research being done on the Southeast Fishery-Independent Survey (SEFIS), and my ship the Pisces, so will you!

During the school year I teach science at Danbury High School and I LOVE my job. The students at DHS are amazing and I enjoy watching them learn and grow as they explore science inside and outside the classroom.

Students collected physical, biological and chemical information on Long Island Sound for Project Periphyton.

In the classroom I try to give my students experiences and interactions with science content so that they can truly internalize the knowledge and be active participants in the learning process. I know that the experiences that I will have while on the cruise will enhance my ability to craft and deliver lessons, by incorporating current research into the classroom. My students are always more interested in topics that are current and relevant and I am looking forward to bringing back stories of scientists working collaboratively to study and solve problems.

Students collecting physical data on the Shepaug River for Project Periphyton.

When I am not teaching I enjoy being outdoors preferably near water. I love the beach and there is nothing I enjoy more then listening to the calming noise of the ocean while I read a good book. In planning a vacation my first thoughts are always is it near warm water and what cool and exciting things can I do there. That is how I found myself Zip-lining through the forest in the Dominican Republic and Ice Skating on the beach in San Diego.

Soon I will be heading out on the NOAA Ship Pisces into the Atlantic Ocean whereI will be find out more about the various jobs my shipmates have, information about ocean ecology, and life onboard a ship. Stay tuned and let me know if you have any questions.

The Pisces my home for the next 12 days. Picture courtesy of NOAA

July 13, 2014March 18, 2021

Kevin McMahon: GoPro Science! July 11, 2014

NOAA Teacher at Sea

Kevin McMahon

Aboard NOAA Ship Pisces

July 5 – July 18, 2014

Mission: Southeast Fisheries Independent Survey

Geographic area of the cruise: Atlantic Ocean, off the coast of North Carolina and South Carolina

Date: July 11, 2014

Weather Information from the Bridge

Air Temperature: 28.1 °C

Relative Humidity: 86%

Wind Speed: 17.08 knots

Science and Technology Log

As mentioned earlier, we are trying to collect data about fish populations in the Atlantic Ocean, off the southeast coast of the United States. One way to do that is to catch fish in traps. But, wait. What if some of the fish don’t go in the trap?

To help get a better estimate of fish populations, scientists use technology used by skateboarders, surfers, and snowboarders – the GoPro camera.

There are two cameras mounted on the top of the trap. One is placed on the front of the trap. Another camera is placed on the back of the trap.

Because the video file is so large, I won’t be able to upload it to this blog. But here are some screenshots of what we see on the video.

GoPro Camera and Trap Heading into the Ocean

This is what the camera sees as it is sinking to the bottom of the ocean.

Hello pufferfish! This is a view of what we can see with the video camera.

Sometimes the video helps explain why we do not have many fish in our trap. In this photo, a tiger shark is swimming in front of the camera.

So, how do you count fish on the video? The fish can be very fast and they zoom in and out of view. The scientists use a procedure called MeanCount. They look at the video from minute 10 to minute 30. Every 30 seconds, they stop the camera and count the number of fish of each species that they are studying. They then find the average number of those fish in this twenty-minute video segment. This MeanCount allows them to better estimate the fish population of that species.

Spotlight on Ocean Careers

I have been fortunate to meet many interesting people while at sea. One of those people is Adria McClain, the survey technician on the Pisces. Listed below are her answers to questions that I asked about her job.

Adria McClain holding a spottail pinfish

Tell us your name and where you grew up.

My name is Adria McClain and I was born and raised in Los Angeles, California.

What is your job title and could you explain what you do.

Survey Technician. I am responsible for collecting, checking, and managing the ship’s meteorological data (temperature, atmospheric pressure, relative humidity, wind speed/direction) and oceanographic data (water temperature, salinity, current speed/direction, speed of sound in water). Additionally, I am responsible for the ship’s scientific equipment (e.g. conductivity, temperature, and depth (CTD) sensor, scientific seawater system) and the ship’s scientific software. I also assist the visiting Fisheries Biologists with sorting and measuring fish.

What got you interested in doing this type of work?

I’ve always liked science and knew from an early age that I wanted to be a scientist. I studied Biology in college and Oceanography in graduate school – this job allows me to do work in both fields.

How can a student prepare to do this type of work?

Take lots of science and math classes in high school and in college. Take lots of English classes too! In the sciences, it is important to be able to communicate verbally and in writing. I would also recommend taking a basic seamanship course to learn about navigation, shipboard communication, tying knots, and safety at sea.

Why do you think it is important to study the ocean?

The reasons are many, but to name a few, the ocean influences Earth’s climate and weather patterns, the ocean harbors yet undiscovered species, and the ocean provides food for humans and countless other life forms.
What was your favorite subject or subjects in school, and why were they your favorite(s)?

All of them! I’ve always had a passion for learning. If I had to pick a favorite subject, it would be a tie between science and foreign languages. I liked science because I was always fascinated with the natural world and wanted to understand and be able to explain what I observed in nature. I liked foreign language study because I wanted to be able to communicate in more than one language.

What are your hobbies?

Reading, science, and travel. I am also a Batman enthusiast and collect Batman comic books, movies, TV shows, as well as books about the mythology, philosophy, and psychology of Batman.

Tell us about what it was like when you were in 6th grade.

In my school district, elementary school included sixth grade. We stayed with the same teacher all day and the subjects we studied included social studies, math, science, reading, writing, music, and physical education.

“International Day” was one of my favorite days – once per year, each of the school’s 12 classrooms featured the food, art, and history of another country or culture. Each student received a “passport” and could choose which countries to visit that day.

What is your favorite sea creature?

The Smooth Lumpsucker (Aptocyclus ventricosus)

Adria explained to me that the Smooth Lumpsucker won’t be found on our current trip. Too bad. It looks pretty cool. She said that you can find it in much colder water, like the North Atlantic Ocean. To find out more about the Smooth Lumpsucker, you can click on this link:

Smooth lumpsucker

Personal Log

It has been fun and challenging living on a ship. It is VERY different from living on land.

My room is comfortable and I sleep on the top bunk. The greatest part of all is when it is time to sleep. While you are lying down in bed, the waves will roll you gently from side to side. At the same time, the head of the bed will rise up and down too. And, if that wasn’t enough movement, we sometimes feel the ship slide left and right.

Because my room is on the bottom floor, the water from the waves will crash against the window. It makes a sloshing sound. With all the rocking and sloshing, I sometimes think that I am sleeping in a washing machine. So far, it has been a relaxing way to fall asleep.

I spend much of the day in the wet lab. Yes, you are right. It is wet in there. In the picture below, I am standing in the entrance to the wet lab.

This sharksucker can stick to humans too.

This is where we collect data on the fish, like their weight and size. It is also where the scientists collect samples to help determine the age and reproductive health of certain species.

My favorite part of the wet lab is the fish waterslide. The fish that are returned to sea are dropped down a hole in the wet lab where they land on a jet stream of water and get launched back home.

Triggerfish returning to sea from the ship's "waterside". — Triggerfish returning to sea from the ship’s “waterslide”.

We also have a dry lab. Yes, you are right again! No fish are allowed in here. This is where the scientists have their computers and where the video cameras are kept when they are not in their waterproof containers. Our chief scientist, Nate Bacheler, works on 5 computers at once when it comes time to decide where and when to drop the traps.

Nate Bacheler in the Dry Lab. Can you see the 5 computers that he uses?

Did you know?

A team of 5 seventh graders from Sacred Heart School in South Haven, Mississippi named our ship the Pisces. They won a contest to name the ship by writing an essay and explaining why NOAA should choose the name that they selected.

June 11, 2014August 21, 2021

Spencer Cody: NOAA Careers, June 10, 2014

NOAA Teacher at Sea

Spencer Cody

Aboard NOAA Ship Pisces

May 27 – June 11, 2014

Geographical Area of Cruise: Gulf of Mexico

Mission: SEAMAP Reef Fish Survey

Date: June 10, 2014

Observational Data:

Latitude: 28˚ 4.545 N

Longitude: 90˚ 43.557 W

Air Temp: 28.4˚C (83.1˚F)

Water Temp: 25.4˚C (77.7˚F)

Ocean Depth: 148.0 m (486 ft.)

Relative Humidity: 80%

Wind Speed: 11.8 kts (13.6 mph)

Barometer: 1,011.1 hPa (1,011.1 mbar)

Science and Technology Log:

106_0247 — Adria McClain, a survey technician, works on meteorological and oceanographic data collection in the acoustics lab.

It takes many different types of skill sets with many different types of backgrounds to make a NOAA mission like this a success. Since it takes all kinds of people to get the job done, NOAA needs people with all of these backgrounds working together as a team for a common goal. Maybe a NOAA career is in your future?

121_2160 — Physical scientist Joe Tegeder is tracking the progress of one of the night-long mapping missions. Since the mapping grids commonly resemble a tightly-knit zig-zag of mapping trails, they are commonly referred to as “mowing the lawn.” Such a pattern is needed in order to properly map a given area.

Do you have an interest in meteorology or oceanography? If so, NOAA needs you! Meet Adria McClain; Adria is a survey technician who is responsible for collecting meteorological and oceanographic data and managing and maintaining the databases that store these observations. She also helps integrate the Pisces’ system resources with each visiting science party. She has an undergraduate degree in biology, a masters in physical oceanography and meteorology. She was on active duty in the Navy for 10 years with the Meteorology and Oceanography Community or METOC. During those ten years, she served two tours with the Naval Oceanographic Office where she was a hydrographer using sonar to make nautical charts for the Department of Defense. She also served one tour at the Fleet Numerical Meteorology and Oceanography Center where she developed atmospheric and ocean models. She states that she very much likes her job even though she still has a lot to learn about fish and fishery biology since she does not have a background in those areas.

124_2189 — Lead fisherman Joe Flora is maintaining the weather deck by power washing surfaces. An advanced ship like the *Pisces* is a major investment in science and must be carefully maintained for future use.

Do you have an interest in the physical sciences and mapping? If so, NOAA needs you! Meet Joe Tegeder; Joe is a physical scientist who is responsible for using the acoustics equipment onboard specifically the ME-70 and the EK-60 in order to map fish habitat on the ocean bottom. He has both an undergraduate and graduate degree in marine science. He currently works for the Pacific Hydrographic Branch for NOAA where he primarily works with updating nautical charts in the U.S. waters of the Pacific. Previously, he worked for the Naval Oceanographic Office where he helped map out harbors from around the world to develop anti-mining operations for possible future military missions.

Do you have an interest in doing the hands-on operational work required to carry out fisheries science? If so, NOAA needs you! Meet Joe Flora; Joe is the lead fisherman onboard the Pisces. He helps implement all of the operational aspects of science missions by launching and retrieving science equipment, operating bandit reels, and cleaning and maintaining the ship in general. He was with the Military Sealift Command for eight years where he worked on refueling ships and transport operations involving cargo and ammunition. For the last nine years, he has worked in NOAA onboard the ships Thomas Jefferson, Gordon Gunter, and the Pisces. He has been on the Pisces for six years.

103_0062 — NOAA Corps officers are manning the bridge overseeing operations and ship resources. From left to right: Ensign Johnson, Commander Fischel, and Lieutenant Commander Mowitt.

Do you have an interest in hands-on science and exploration? If so, NOAA needs you! Meet the NOAA Corps; they navigate the ship, allocate and coordinate the ship’s resources with the crew and the embarking science party, and most importantly make sure all hands are kept out of harm’s way by implementing proper safety procedures and protocols. They bring all of the component parts together for a successful mission and try to make it as functional and as successful as possible. Applicants to the NOAA Corps must possess a minimum of a four year degree with a minimum of 48 semester hours in science, math, or engineering coursework. All of the officers onboard the Pisces have one thing in common: they have a background in science, mostly biology and marine biology. They also had to complete Basic Officer Training Classes after which they reported to a NOAA ship to serve onboard for two years where they learned watch duties and various other collateral duties along with all of the ship’s systems and operations. In addition to assigned duties, they needed to know how to deploy and recover a diverse array of equipment including fishing gear, oceanographic instrumentation, sonar devices, and underwater cameras. I could tell right away on the cruise that the officers had an inherent interest in science since they were always dropping in to see what we were working on exhibiting a genuine curiosity in the science that was going on. NOAA officers are rotated out of their work positions spending a certain period of time out to sea and on land in varying geographical areas with alternating assignments. This gives them a well-rounded experience in many aspects of NOAA’s mission.

124_2183 — Members of the science party processing and recording fish specimens in the wet lab. Pictured from left to right are Paul Felts, John Moser, Adam Pollack, and Harriet Nash.

Do you have an interest in working with food preparation and presentation? If so, NOAA needs you! Meet Moises Martinez and Mark Potter; Moises is the chief steward. His responsibilities include making sure there is enough storage for food, linens, and toiletries. He is also responsible for hospitality onboard the ship and cleaning of the galley and mess. He works with the second cook to preplan menus, but he really tries to take requests from the scientists and crew and responds accordingly. He knows that there is not as much to do at sea during downtime as on land; so, he appreciates how much people look forward toward their meals; he tries to make everyone happy when possible. He was in the Navy for eight years where he realized his interest in preparing food. Later he worked two years in Italy with the Military Sealift Command as a cook and a baker. When he came back to the United States, he found out that NOAA was trying to contact him to see if he was still interested in working for them. He found this to be surprising since he had forgotten that he had applied through NOAA before he left for Italy two years prior. He started out as a second cook for NOAA and has worked his way up the last six years. Meet Mark; he is the second cook onboard the Pisces. His responsibilities include cleaning, preparing food, cooking, and restocking. He used to work in computer servicing but had to make a career change due to the economic downturn. He liked preparing food; so, he decided to go back to school. He went to Great Lakes Culinary Institute in Traverse City, Michigan, where he worked with some world class chefs to learn what he needed to know in order to work onboard the Pisces. Prior to his assignment on the Pisces, he worked on freighters and research vessels in the Great Lakes for a couple of years.

Do you have an interest in engineering and mechanical systems? If so, NOAA needs you! Meet Jake DeMello; Jake is the chief engineer for the Pisces. His responsibilities include maintaining any mechanical, propulsion, or electrical system. He works to ensure that these systems are running safely and efficiently. He has worked for NOAA for six years. Prior to NOAA he worked in engineering on cruise ships and tankers. He has a BA in marine engineering from the California Maritime Academy and is licensed as an unlimited chief engineer through the Coast Guard.

105_0117 — The science party’s chief scientist, Kevin Rademacher, is coordinating from the dry lab a camera array drop with the bridge and the crew out on the weather deck.

Do you have an interest in science? If so, NOAA needs you! Meet the fishery research biologists onboard the Pisces; this includes the science party’s chief scientist and fishery research biologist, Kevin Rademacher, fishery research biologist Paul Felts, and fishery research biologist John Moser. Other members of the science party include fishery biologist Adam Pollack and guest scientist Harriet Nash. In order to be a fishery biologist, one needs a degree that includes courses such as limnology, ichthyology, fishery biology, and various other aquatic topics. A background including technology, computer programming, and statistics is also useful when data analysis software is needed to produce maps and other displays of research data. Having research experience that gives one the ability to do the data collection and processing, trouble-shooting, and analysis that is needed to carry out fishery research is also necessary.

121_2155 — Jim Johnson works on the camera array after another full day of scheduled camera drops and data acquisition.

Do you have an interest in computers, computer programming, and electronics? If so, NOAA needs you! Meet Jim Johnson; Jim is an electronics technician for this mission. His responsibilities include data downloading and maintenance and repair of the camera array system. He started working for NOAA as a contractor and has been a NOAA employee for the last five years. He has a four year degree in electronic engineering technology and a background in computers, technology, and computer programming.

Personal Log: Unfortunately, my time on the Pisces is quickly coming to an end as the science carried out by the Pisces continues on for another leg of the SEAMAP survey. I am so grateful for this experience and this remarkable program that NOAA has in place to provide such research experiences for teachers. I look forward to developing materials in my classroom from this experience and making an impact on my students’ lives by sharing my experiences with STEM related NOAA careers. I am also thankful to all of the crew and scientists of the Pisces for showing patience in everything from explaining basic ship operations and procedures to showing me how to carry out some of the science onboard. The hands-on nature of the cruise made it an extremely valuable learning experience. It is my hope that this program will continue offering such opportunities to educators well into the future. I truly believe that the future of STEM-related jobs in the United States depends on programs like this to develop tomorrow’s scientists and engineers.

June 2, 2014August 21, 2021

Spencer Cody: Science at Sea, June 1, 2014

NOAA Teacher at Sea

Spencer Cody

Aboard NOAA Ship Pisces

May 27 – June 11, 2014

Geographical Area of Cruise: Gulf of Mexico

Mission: SEAMAP Reef Fish Survey

Date: June 1, 2014

Observational Data:

Latitude: 27˚ 50.503 N

Longitude: 93˚ 46.791 W

Air Temp: 26.3˚C (79.3˚F)

Water Temp: 23.3˚C (73.9˚F)

Ocean Depth: 126.8 m (416 ft.)

Relative Humidity: 84%

Wind Speed: 7.8 kts (9.0 mph)

Barometer: 1,009.5 hPa (1,009.5 mbar)

Science and Technology Log:

It was not until the Pisces arrived at its first survey area off the coast of Texas that I was able to appreciate the volume of scientific data collection that this vessel could collect. It took most of the 27^th and all of the 28^th to arrive at our initial survey area. While in transit, the Pisces is constantly collecting data. Data such as air temperature, wind direction, relative humidity, wind speed, and barometric pressure are recorded and periodically reported back to NOAA and the National Weather Service and from other marine vessels to improve data on meteorological events in the Gulf and weather forecasts.

In addition to collecting meteorological data, the Pisces uses a fishery acoustics system called the ER-60 to track depth and various sea floor features. This system can also be used to monitor biomass such as fish, coral, and even plankton. Once we arrived at our initial survey area within the SEAMAP survey grid, the amount of science conducted increased dramatically. In the survey areas, the camera array is dropped to the sea floor to survey fish populations. In most cases we are looking at fish habitat from 50 to 120 m deep. Video and still photos are taken of fish attracted to the bait bag filled with squid. To ensure that sampling is both consistent and unbiased for the survey, pictures and video are pulled at random from all four cameras on the camera array. It is important that the same procedures are carried out throughout the SEAMAP survey gird concerning data collection in order to be able to reliably compare different survey areas and track species development and abundance.

In order to assist the camera array in obtaining accurate information about precisely how deep the camera array is when it is recording fish population data, a Temperature Depth Recorder or TDR is attached to the camera array to compare position in the water column to what the ship’s fishery acoustics system is displaying. This is necessary in case the camera array has fallen off an underwater cliff or is hung up on some other topographic feature.

106_0233 — The Conductivity Temperature and Depth or CTD submersible probe can measure the salinity of the water, temperature, pressure, plankton concentrations, dissolved gases, and water samples at different depths.

The Conductivity Temperature and Depth submersible aids the ship’s acoustic equipment in determining an accurate depth of the ocean bottom. Since sound travels at different velocities in water that has different densities and temperatures, information regarding the salinity and temperature of the water must be fed into the ship’s fishery acoustics system to calibrate the system for it to accurately read the bottom depths. If temperature or salinity are not taken into account, the depth will either be too shallow or too deep compared to the true value.

The Pisces not only has the ER-60 for fishery acoustics, but it also has a state of-the-art multi-beam echo sounder, the ME-70, that has 27 transducers that are aligned in a configuration allowing for scans of wide swaths of the ocean bottom. In fact, the Pisces has engines that are specifically designed to run quietly enough to accommodate such advanced acoustic equipment. The ME-70 is used for mapping various sample areas of the SEAMAP survey.

While the camera array can be used to measure the length of some of the fish viewed, it cannot reliably determine characteristics such as age or sex. Determining age or sex just through appearance can be very tricky in the Gulf and is frequently unreliable. Many species of fish will grow at different rates depending on available forage and other environmental factors. This is an issue that is also commonly encountered among freshwater fish in South Dakota. Complicating fish characteristics even further, many reef fish are one or the other sex at different phases of their lives. They are not strictly male or female but change roles depending on complex physical or environmental factors. With so many factors complicating these characteristics, live catches are necessary to determine the full story of what is going on with reef fish in the Gulf.

For live catches we use bandit reels. Bandit reels are similar in concept to a standard fishing rod and reel except they are built for heavy duty sea fishing. The reel and rod are attached to the side of the ship. One hundred pound test line is used with a five pound sinker weight. Each line for the bandit reels has ten hooks, a small float that keeps the hooks in a vertical column, and a large float that keeps the ten hooks just above the ocean bottom.

Again, in order to guard against bias in the results, we use the bandit reels with a set procedure. For our survey we are using three bandit reels at a time each with ten hooks. The bandit reel stations are in radio communication with the dry lab, where the chief scientist is coordinating the sampling, and the bridge, which is keeping the ship in position for the lines preventing lines from running under the ship. Since we want to be as objective as possible without contributing to any type of bias in the sampling, each line was in the water for exactly five minutes. Even though it may have went against every natural inclination of most fishermen and fisherwomen, we were not allowed to jig our lines or do anything that might attract more fish to our bait. In addition to standardizing the number of hooks and the length of time spent fishing, three different sizes of hooks are used and rotated out from each bandit reel station; consequently, one of each of the three hook sizes is always being used for each survey area.

105_0180 — White, nickel-sized disk-like structures called otoliths can reliably age fish. They are inner ear structures that grow in size as a fish ages allowing calcium carbonate deposits to form over the course of its life. Scientists can read these calcium carbonate deposit rings like rings in a tree to determine the age of the fish. Credit Harriet Nash for the photo.

107_0275 — After all the measurements are taken of the fish and their otoliths and gonads have been sampled, the information must be added to the database for use in the SEAMAP Survey. Credit Adam Pollack for the photo.

After five minutes of fishing, the lines are brought up and fish are tagged one through ten to keep fish identified with a specific hook and depth. The tagged fish are then taken to the wet lab for measurement readings. In the wet lab, fish length, weight, sex, and phase of reproductive development are recorded. Since reproductive development, and sometimes even sex, can be difficult to determine, a sample of each fish’s gonads (ovaries or testes) are removed and placed in a labeled specimen vial for confirmation in the lab back on land. The otoliths (inner ear bones) are removed from the fish, as well, in order to reliably age the fish back in the lab. Once the measurements are recorded, they need to be added to the database to be compiled with the gonad and otolith specimens. This is just a small piece of the monitoring that is occurring in the Gulf through NOAA. The Gulf of Mexico is a remarkably diverse expanse of ocean and requires significant scientific research in order to understand and track fish populations and the habitat and forage that sustain them. Without these types of intensive scientific studies on the ocean, we could not possibly manage or attempt to conserve a natural resource that we would, otherwise, have little to no understanding of.

Personal Log:

Since we had arrived off the coast of Texas a couple of days ago, we have been slowly back tracking to Pascagoula as we go through our survey areas. The weather has been beautiful the last couple of days; however, sea swells do cause the boat to jostle around a bit. Each day we see more species on the surface of the water and through our camera array under the water. Since the science log is rather long for this post, I will talk more about life at sea and the different types of organisms we are encountering in future posts.

Did You Know?

Fish identification can be a tricky business in the Gulf of Mexico. Many species of Gulf fish alter their physical appearance depending on their reproductive development, environmental factors, or phase of physical development. Fish will even appear to have different patterns depending on whether they are viewed under our out of water.