SEAMAP Summer Groundfish Survey SEAMAP (Southeast Area Monitoring and Assessment Program) started in 1982. According to NOAA Fisheries’ Summer and Fall Groundfish Surveys in the Gulf of America, these surveys provide long-term data that help monitor the health of the ecosystem in the Gulf in order to support sustainable fisheries management. SEAMAP surveying is done in the summer and in the fall and consists of over 300 stations (stops) throughout the Gulf, spanning from Texas to Florida.
The Summer and Fall Groundfish Survey combined collects data for over 80 days in the Northern Gulf of America per year, which is critical for fisheries managers. Credit: NOAA Fisheries
This leg (Leg 3) of the survey will consist of survey points from Louisiana (Atchafalaya River) to northern Florida (north of Tampa Bay).
Red dots show approximate locations of the start and end of the surveys.
The scientists deploy a trawl net that sweeps near or on the ocean floor to collect the groundfish. This sampling shows a point in time of the Groundfish population throughout the northern area of the Gulf of America/Mexico.
NOAA Scientist Adam Pollack and NOAA Senior Survey Technician Stephanie Stabile pulling in the trawl net for sample collection.
Our first haul of this Leg took place at 2100 hours (9pm). We ended up with a collection weight of 24.179kg (53 pounds). Shrimp made up the predominant groundfish caught; total shrimp collection tipping the scales at 35 pounds!
There were four different species of shrimp collected within this sample; brown, pink, white, and mantis. The majority of the shrimp were brown shrimp (Farfantepenaeus aztecus) weighing in at 32 lbs. Next was 2.8 lbs of pink shrimp (Farfantepenaeus duorarum). We collected a small sampling of white and mantis shrimp.
We sorted the shrimp into different taxa (types). The most telling difference between the brown and the pink shrimp is that the pink shrimp has a pink dot on its side.
Native shrimp found in Alabama (Photo credit: National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, taken from Alabama Cooperative Extension System website)
The white shrimp (Litopenaeus setiferus) is similar to the brown shrimp but has an iridescent tail. The mantis shrimp (Squilla empusa) has a sharp looking tail and is known as a ‘thumb splitter’. This made me quite leary of the shrimp at first, needless to say I was hesitant to handle the mantis shrimp (even though the ones we caught weren’t big enough to cause serious damage.)
After sorting the catch we measured and weighed the groundfish based on SEAMAP set parameters needed for data analysis. Criteria might include sending groundfish in for further testing and processing, while others groundfish populations might only require a certain number of the catch to be measured and weighed. For instance, of the shrimp caught 50 of each type were split between male and female then measured and weighed.
Measuring the brown shrimp (Farfantepenaeus aztecus). Can you estimate her length?
Personal Log
First Day of School… at Sea!
Monday at 0900 hours, I boarded the ship and started my journey with NOAA’s Teacher at Sea Program. I imagine that I felt pretty similar to how my students feel on the very first day of school: a mix of intense excitement and a little bit of nervousness!
The day started with a brief tour of the ship, where I met the Field Party Chief (FPC), Faith. Then, I attended an orientation led by the officers about the ship’s rules and expectations. Just like how teachers go over classroom rules and expectations on day one.
A lot of new terms, vocabulary, and acronyms were thrown our way. Luckily, I had done a little bit of preparation and learned some of the maritime language beforehand, even though I still have a lot to learn! Here are a few quick translations:
Berth=Bed/room
Head= Bathroom
Stern=Back of Ship
Bow=Front of Ship
Muster= Meeting area for roll call
Next, we participated in two of the three required safety drills. The first was a fire drill. Instead of evacuating the vessel (leaving the ship), the science team mustered at the stern and awaited further instructions. This is similar to school fire drills, where we go to our designated area, take a headcount, and wait for further directions.
The next drill that we participated in was the “abandon ship” drill. We meet at our muster station with our lifevest and survival suit. The survival suit is made of neoprene and is designed to keep our body temperature stable so we don’t succumb to hypothermia before being rescued.
You might be wondering (as I did), how can someone get hypothermia in warm water? While the water in the Gulf may be a nice 85℉, our bodies sit at 98.6℉. This means the ocean would slowly absorb your warmth and cause your core body temperature to drop. Check out this fact sheet on how to put on the survival suit (immersion suit) https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/s3//2024-09/NOP-Observer-Immersion-Suit-2023.508.pdf
The third drill we learned about is the “mariner (man) overboard” drill. If someone were to end up in the water it is everyone’s job to stop, point directly at the person, and never take your eyes off them. This allows the crew to follow recovery procedures to save the mariner.
Assigned stations for drills.
After the drills, the science team returned to the dry lab, and I met the crew members I will be working alongside. The work rotations are split into two 12-hour shifts, day and night. I’ve been assigned day shift, working 11:30am to 11:30 pm.
We reached our first survey station at 2100 hours (9pm) and the real work began!
Warm weather and blue skies are making it easy to spend a lot of time out on deck, looking for wildlife! In addition to the lazy seagulls who keep hitching a ride on the ship’s trawling gear, we continue to spot dolphins, flying fish, and even a shark feeding frenzy!
Lazy sea gulls hitch a ride on our trawling gear
Latitude: 28 24.13 N
Longitude: 83 57.32 W
Air temp: 27.7 C
Water temp: 31.3 C
Wind direction: light and variable
Wind speed: light and variable
Wave height: 0.3 meter
Sky: 50% cloud cover, no rain
Science and Technology Log
The organisms in each catch provide a snap shot of the marine life in one location in one moment in time. It’s interesting to see what we catch, but there are not many scientific conclusions that we can draw based on what we see in just 10 days. However, this survey has been completed twice per year (once in the summer and once in the fall) for over 35 years. It is looking at trends, or changes and patterns over time, that allows scientists to draw conclusions about the health and ecology of the Gulf of Mexico.
One of the major practical applications of this research is to prevent overfishing, the removal of too many individuals from a population causing that population to become unstable. Continued overfishing can lead to the extinction of a species because it leaves too few mature individuals to reproduce and replace those that are removed.
One famous example of overfishing and its consequences occurred in the late 1980’s off the Atlantic coast of Canada. Cod was a major food source and commercial industry in the provinces of Newfoundland and Labrodor. However, unregulated overfishing depleted the cod population and, between 1988 and 1992 the cod population crashed, losing more than 99% of its biomass – they were essentially gone. This destroyed the industry, putting over 40,000 people out of work. In 1992, the government finally imposed a complete ban on cod fishing in hopes that the cod population could still recover. The fishing ban is still in place today, though just last year, Canadian scientists released a report stating that there are some signs of hope!
When NOAA scientists notice overfishing occurring in US waters, they can recommend that protective regulations, or rules, are put in place to limit or even stop fishing in an area until the species has had a chance to recover.
Here are a few examples of the types of regulations that have been created in the Gulf of Mexico in response to the data from the Groundfish Survey.
Texas Shrimping Closure
To prevent overfishing of shrimp in the western Gulf of Mexico, NOAA and the Texas Department of Wildlife collaborated to implement an annual closure of state and federal waters off the coast of Texas to shrimping. This is called the “Texas Closure.”
The Texas closure runs each year from about May 15 to July 15, though the exact dates vary depending on the health of the shrimp population that year. This break allows the shrimp time to mature to an age at which they can reproduce, and to migrate out to deeper waters, which is where females spawn. It also allows the shrimp to grow to a size that is more commercially valuable.
A shrimp we caught off the coast of Florida.
We saw quite a few shrimp in our recent catches. Because this species is being more intensively monitored, we collected more detailed data about the individuals we caught, including the length, mass, and sex of a sample of least 200 individual shrimp (instead of a the smaller sample size of 20 that we used for most other species.)
In addition to sending out an annual notice to fisherman of the dates of the Texas Closure, NOAA also makes all of the shrimp survey data available. This can help fishermen to target the best fishing locations and work efficiently. For example, this is a plot showing the amount of brown shrimp found at various locations, created using this year’s survey data.
Another species that is currently under regulation is the red snapper, which has been a popular seafood in the US since the 1840s. As fishing technology improved and recreational fishing expanded in the 1950’s, the number of red snapper captured each year increased dramatically. The shrimp industry was also expanding rapidly at this time, and juvenile red snapper were often accidentally caught and killed in shrimp trawls. As a result of these three pressures, the red snapper population began to decline dramatically.
By 1990, the spawning potential, or the number of eggs produced by the population each year, was only 2% of what it would have been naturally, without any fishing. This was far below the target spawning potential level of 26% that is necessary to sustain the species.
Limiting the number of commercial and recreational fishing licenses issued each year
Restricting the size and number of fish that a fisherman could collect on a fishing trip
Reducing the amount of time each year that fishermen could fish for red snapper
Regulating the type of fishing gear that could be used
Requiring commercial shrimp fishermen to install devices on their trawls to reduce the by-catch of juvenile red snapper
Requiring fishermen to avoid areas where red snapper spawn
Survey results in the last 5 years show that these regulations are working and that the red snapper population is growing. This is good news. However, the red snapper is not out of the woods yet. It is important to understand that, as a species with a long life span (they can live over 50 years!), it will take time for the population to regain
its normal age structure. Currently, the majority of red snapper found in the Gulf are less than 10 years old. These fish are still juveniles capable of producing only a fraction of the offspring a fully mature individual would produce. It is important to continue to closely monitor and regulate the fishing of snapper until both the number and age of individuals has been restored to a sustainable level.
We were fortunate to catch members of three different species of red snapper during my leg of the survey. I did notice that most of them were relatively small – less than 10 inches – which is consistent with the concern that the population is still disproportionately young.
As with the shrimp, we collected more detailed information about these individuals. We also removed the stomachs of a sample of snappers. As I discussed in my last blog (“What Tummies Tell Us”), scientists back on land will examine the contents of their stomachs as part of a diet study to better understand what snapper are eating. Because the invasive lionfish has a competitive relationship with red snapper, meaning that it eats many of the same foods that red snapper eat, fisheries biologists are concerned that red snapper may be forced to settle for alternative and/or reduced food sources and that this could also slow their recovery.
A typical red snapper from our catch. Note that each mark on the ruler is one centimeter.
Red snapper from one catch.
Hypoxia Watch
Getting ready to deploy the CTD sensors.
In addition to collecting data about the fish and other organisms we find, remember that we also use a group of instruments called a CTD to collect information about the quality of the water at each survey station. (For more about CTDs, please see my previous blog “First Day of Fishing.”)
One of the measurements the CTD takes is the amount of oxygen that is dissolved in the water. This is important because, just like you and me, fish need to take in oxygen to survive. (The difference is that you and I use our lungs to remove oxygen from the air, whereas fish use gills to remove oxygen from the water!) When dissolved oxygen concentrations in the water drop below 2 mg/L, a condition called hypoxia, most marine organisms cannot survive.
When waters become hypoxic, organisms that are able to migrate (like some fishes) will leave the area. Organisms that cannot migrate (like corals or crabs) will die from lack of oxygen. This creates large areas of ocean, called dead zones, that are devoid of typical marine life. Often anaerobic microorganisms, some of which are toxic to humans, will then grow out of control in these areas. Not only is this stressful for the marine populations, it hampers regular fishing activities, and can even pose a threat to human health.
The Gulf of Mexico is home to the largest hypoxic zone in US waters. Nitrogen-rich fertilizers and animal waste from farming activities throughout the Midwest United States all collect in the Mississippi River, which drains into the Gulf. Though nitrogen is a nutrient that organisms need in order to grow and be healthy, excess nitrogen causes an imbalance in the normal nitrogen cycle, and stimulates high levels of algae plant growth called an algal bloom. Once the algae use up the excess nitrogen, they begin to die. This causes the population of decomposers like fungi and bacteria to spike. Like most animals, these decomposers consume oxygen. Because there are more decomposers than usual, they begin to use up oxygen faster than it can be replenished.
This hypoxic zone is largest in the summer, when farming activities are at their peak. In the winter, there is less farming, and therefore less nitrogen. As the hypoxic water continues to mix with normal ocean water, the levels of oxygen begin to return to normal. (When there are tropical storms or hurricanes in the Gulf, this mixing effect is more significant, helping to reduce the impact of the hypoxia. This is often the primary cause of low-hypoxia years like 2000.) Unfortunately, the average size of the annual dead zone remains at nearly 15,000 square kilometers, three times the goal of 5,000 square kilometers.
The data collected from this year’s Groundfish Survey was used to create this map of hypoxic areas. How might this map be different if tropical storm Cindy had not occurred this summer?
A plot of dissolved oxygen levels created from this year’s survey data.
The data we collect on the Groundfish survey is combined with data gathered during other NOAA missions and by other organizations, like NASA (the National Aeronautics and Space Administration) and USGS (the United States Geologic Survey). By collaborating and sharing data, scientists are able to develop a more complete and detailed understanding of hypoxia levels.
In response to the levels of hypoxia seen in the data, the federal Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has required Midwestern states to develop and implement plans that will allow them to make greater progress in reducing the nutrient pollution that flows into the Mississippi. Specifically, the EPA wants states to do things like:
Identify areas of land that have the largest impact on pollution in the Mississippi
Set caps on how much nitrogen and other nutrients can be used in these areas
Develop new agricultural practices and technologies that will reduce the amount of these pollutants that are used or that will flow into the water
Ensure that the permitting process that states use to grant permission to use potential pollutants is effective at limiting pollutants to reasonable levels
Develop a plan for monitoring how much nutrient pollution is being released into waters
These EPA regulations were only recently implemented, so it is still unclear what, if any, impact they will have on the hypoxic zone in the Gulf. It will be interesting to keep an eye on the data from the Groundfish survey in coming years to help answer that question!
In the mean time, though, things still seem to be moving in the wrong direction. In fact, NOAA just announced that this summer’s dead zone is the largest ever recorded.
Getting a PhD in your chosen field of science is an awesome accomplishment and is necessary if your goal is to design and carry out your own research projects. However, I’ve noticed that the PhD is often presented to students as the only path into a career in science. I think this is unfortunate, since this often discourages students who know they do not want to pursue a graduate degree from entering the field.
I’ve noticed that most of the scientists I’ve met while on board the Oregon II and in the NOAA lab at Pascagoula do not hold PhDs, but are still deeply involved in field work, lab work, and data analysis every day.
I asked Andre DeBose, a senior NOAA fishery biologist and the Field Party Chief for this mission, if he feels a PhD is necessary for those interested in fishery biology. Andre agreed that a graduate degree is not necessary, but he cautioned that it is a very competitive field and that education is one way to set yourself apart – “if you have the opportunity to get an advanced degree, take the opportunity.”
However, he continued, “the MOST important thing you can do is take the opportunity to do internships, volunteering, and fellowships. Those open a lot of doors for you in the world of biology.” Andre himself holds a bachelors degree in biology, but it was his years of experience working in aquaculture and as a contractor with NOAA that were most helpful in paving the way to the permanent position he holds today. “When I graduated from college, I took a low-paying job in aquaculture, just to start learning everything I could about fish. When contract [or short-term] positions became available at the NOAA lab, I applied and tried to make myself as useful as possible. It took time and I had to be really persistent – I would literally call the lab all the time and asked if they had anything they needed help with – but when a full time position finally became available, everyone knew who I was and knew that I had the right skills for the job.”
Now, Andre tries to help others navigate the tricky career path into marine biology. In addition to his responsibilities as a biologist, he is also the Outreach and Education Coordinator for the NOAA lab, which allows him to mentors all of interns (and Teachers at Sea like me!) and to talk with students at schools in the community.
If you’re interested in pursuing a career in marine biology, it’s never to early to start looking for some of those volunteer opportunities! There are lots of scientists out there like Andre who are excited to share their knowledge and experience.
The Day-Shift Science Team as we head back in to port. From left to right: TAS Anna Levy, NOAA Summer Intern Jessica Pantone, NOAA Biologist & Field Party Chief Andre DeBose, NOAA Fellow Dedi Vernetti Duarte, NOAA Volunteer Elijah Ramsey.
Did You Know?
In the Gulf of Mexico, each state has the authority to regulate the waters that are within about 9 miles of the coast. (This includes making rules about fishing.) Beyond that, the federal government, with the help of federal agencies like NOAA, make the rules!
Questions to Consider:
Research: This article discussed the political side of the Snapper situation. Research other news articles about this issue to ensure that you have a balanced perspective.
Reflect: To what extent do you believe this issue should be governed by science? To what extent do you believe this issue should be governed by politics?
Take action: Propose some specific ways that fisherman, scientists, and policy-makers could work together to address issues like the overfishing of red snapper fairly and effectively.
Review: Examine the graph showing the size of the hypoxic zone in the Gulf each summer. There are unusually small zones in 1988 and 2000. How do you explain this?
Research: Two other reoccurring hypoxic zones in the US are found in Chesapeake Bay and Lake Erie. What is the cause of each of these zones?
We left port Friday evening and by 10:00pm we were fishing. We move from stations to station, often in a zig zag pattern to retrieve our samples. As I mentioned in a previous blog, the stations we will visit are randomly generated for us. I will use this post to give you an idea of what we do at each station.
CTD instrument ready for deployment
As we come upon a station, we first deploy a scientific instrument called the CTD, which stands for conductivity, temperature, and depth which it measures. Additionally, this instrument measures dissolved oxygen. During day light hours, we also take additional environmental data including water color, percent cloud cover and wave height. At least once per day, we take a water sample which will be titrated using the Winkler method to double check our dissolved oxygen readings. The CTD is first calibrated at the surface for three minutes, then lowered to approximately two meters above the bottom, with a maximum depth of 200 meters. Teamwork is critical here as the officers in the bridge announce that we have arrived at a station. The Science Field Party Chief (FPC), Andre, tells the fisherman the depth andwatches the data come into a computer in the dry lab near the stern. They are all in radio communication to make sure everything goes smoothly.
Trawl headed into the water
Then the fishermen prepare to deploy a 40-foot trawl within a 2.5 mile radius of the station coordinates. Again, with communication from the fisherman, bridge and the FPC, the trawl is lowered into the ocean and moves along the bottom collecting organisms for exactly 30 minutes after which the trawl is raised and the net is brought onto the boat. The organisms caught in the net are then released into baskets,which are weighed on deck to get a total mass for the catch.
Releasing the catch
Massing the total catch
Then the fun begins! The full catch is poured out into the trough or if big enough, brought in via a conveyor belt. If the catch is 24 kg or under, we will log the entire catch.
Catch poured out into the trough
If it is over 24 kg, then we will split the catch and log a representative sample. When splitting the catch, we first place all the organisms in the trough and roughly divide the catch in half. Before we send the half that we will not log back to the ocean, we must pull out commercial species, such as shrimp and snapper, and any individual species not found in the half we will log. Then we take the half of the catch that we will log and start the sorting.
Splitting the catch
We sort all organisms that are the same species into one basket, then count and take a total mass for each species group. You can see images below of a sorted catch.
Sorted fish
For most species, we will sample up to 20 random individuals. We record length for all 20 and then take a mass and sex every fifth organism. Logging is a bit different for shrimp, we will record length, mass and sex for all organisms up to 200 individuals. We will do the same for any other commercial species.
Measuring a fish with the Limnoterra board
We use a Limnoterra measuring board with a magnetic wand which gives an accurate length by connecting to a magnetic strip on the board. This tool saves a lot of time and allow us to get accurate measurements.
In future posts, I’ll talk more about what we are finding and learning from our data.
Trying to sex a fish which can be sometimes be challenging
Personal Log
I am starting to find my sea legs. The seas were a bit rough as we left port after the storm. It was touch and go for the first 24-36 hours, but with the help of Meclizine (a motion sickness medication) and sea bands (wrist bands that push on a pressure point in your wrist) I am now feeling pretty good. I’m also getting used to the constant movement of the Oregon II which makes everyday activities like walking, showering and sleeping quite interesting. When I lay down in bed and close my eyes, I can feel the troughs of the waves push me down into my mattress and then I spring up at the tops of the waves. It is very relaxing and helps lull me to sleep. When showering, I frequently need to hold on so as to not fall over. As some of you know, I have a habit of moving pretty fast around school. Often in a rush to check items off my to-do list or get to my classes. On the boat, we need to move slowly due to the constant motion. You also never know when someone is going to open a door into the hallway or come around the corner. There is not much space, so you must move slowly and cautiously.
Day shift crew from left to right: David, Tyler, Field Party Chief Andre, Sarah and Melissa
I am also getting use to the fish smell in the wet lab where I spend most of time when working. I’m on the day shift, which runs from noon to midnight. I’ve tried to soak up as much information as I can over the last couple days and have really enjoyed the learning. The hardest part for me is trying to learn scientific names for the 30-40 species we find in each catch. The Latin names go in one ear and out the other. Having never worked with fish, this part pretty challenging, but luckily Andre is very patient and always willing to answer my questions. My day-shift teammates, Tyler, David and Sarah, are terrific, keep the atmosphere fun and teach me each day. It has been really interesting to see the increase and decrease of certain species from different stations.
Melissa and Tyler measuring fish in the wet lab
Did You Know?
The Texas shrimp fishery closed on May 15, 2017 and will re-open on a yet to be determined date in July. This is what is referred to as the “Texas Closure”. The shrimp data that we are collecting will be sent to the state to help them determine the health of the fishery and when to open it back up. According to the Coastal Fisheries Division of the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department (TPWD), “The closure is designed to allow escapement of shrimp out to the gulf where they can grow to a larger, more valuable size before they are vulnerable to harvest. The goal is to provide shrimp of a size that are more valuable for the shrimping industry while ensuring sustainable stocks in the future.”
A large Brown Shrimp: Penaeus aztecus
Dawson Sixth Grade Queries
How many different species did you find? (Owen, Sylvia, Tyler, Maylei, Ben)
The number of species we find varies with each trawl, but recently we have been finding about 35-40 species per trawl. The picture below show the diversity a typical catch.
What organisms other than fish did you find? (Badri, Tyler, Alexa, Lorena, Wanda)
We find many other species besides fish. Some of the more common groups of organisms we find are squid, jelly fish, shrimp, sea stars, scallops, crabs, and vacated shells. Occasionally we catch a small shark or sting ray.
Here in Longmont, Colorado where I live, we are settling into warm summer days often topping out in the high 80’s to 90’s F and typically with low humidity. In Galveston, Texas, where I’ll board the ship it is in the 80’s F this week with 90% humidity. I’ll have to get used to that humid air.
Science and Technology Log
NOAA Ship Oregon II. Photo courtesy of NOAA.
I will spend two weeks aboard the NOAA fisheries research vessel Oregon II, in the Gulf of Mexico, working on the SEAMAP (Southeast Area Monitoring and Assessment Program) Summer Groundfish Survey. The objective of the survey is to monitor the size and distribution of shrimp and groundfish in the Gulf of Mexico.
The Gulf of Mexico. Photo from world atlas.com
What are groundfish, you ask? These are the fish that live near or on the bottom of the ocean. This survey is conducted twice per year; the data help scientists monitor trends in shrimp and fish abundance as well as changes over time. We will also be collecting plankton samples and environmental data at each site. The second leg of the groundfish survey works off of the Louisiana coast and the outlet of the Mississippi River where a “dead” or hypoxic zone forms in the summer. I am very interested to see the what we pull up in this area.
Personal Log
I’m all geared up and ready to go!
When the NOAA Teacher at Sea email arrived in my inbox in February, I held my breath as I opened and read it as fast as possible. I was accepted! I was going to sea! I am honored to be a part of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Teacher at Sea program.
I teach Biology and direct the Experiential Education program at the Dawson School in Lafayette, Colorado. I love sharing my passion for learning about the biological world with my students and engaging my students’ curiosities. Many of my favorite teaching moments have been times when I can take students outside to observe and explore their surroundings.
My classroom for a week in the San Juan Mountain Range, CO. March 2017. Photo credit Pete Devlin
I’ve lived in Colorado for about 17 years and love to play in the mountain environment on foot, ski or bike. Having lived land locked for most of my life, I can’t wait for the opportunity to explore the ocean ecosystem this summer. As a child, I spent short amounts of time exploring tide pools in Maine and beaches in Florida and was always intrigued by the vastness and mystery of the ocean.
Tending my garden to grow delicious food
Now, I’m heading out to sea for two weeks to dive right into (not literally) learning about the ocean. Like my students, I learn best by doing, so I am thrilled to be working with the NOAA Fisheries team.
Did You Know?
Did you know that June is national ocean month? Celebrate the ocean this month.Check out this great video from NOAA and visit NOAA’s Celebrate the Ocean page for more information.
Dawson Sixth Grade Queries
Just before the end of the school year, I visited the Dawson sixth graders to talk about my NOAA Teacher at Sea expedition. We learned about the importance of the ocean, even for us here in Colorado, and the sixth graders wrote questions for me to answer while I’m at sea. Look for this section in my blog where I will answer some of those questions.
Dawson School sixth grade. Photo by RuthAnne Schedler.
-What do you think the most common organism is that you will find? (from Allison)
One of the main goals of the Groundfish survey is to collect data on the abundance and distribution of shrimp, so I think I’ll be seeing a lot of shrimp in our net. I’ll be sure to post photos of what we find.
-Are you going to scuba dive? (from Gemma, Emma and Margaret)
I will not be scuba diving on my trip. I am not certified and the Teacher at Sea program does not allow teachers to scuba (even if they are certified). Instead I will be learning from above the water’s surface and pulling up samples to learn about what lives deep below.
Now it’s your turn to ask the questions…
What are you curious about? Maybe you are interested to know more about what we haul up in our nets or how to become a NOAA scientist. You can write questions at the end of any of my blog posts in the “comments” section and I’ll try to answer them.
NOAA Teacher at Sea David Walker Aboard NOAA Ship Oregon II June 24 – July 9, 2015
Mission: SEAMAP Bottomfish Survey Geographical Area of Cruise: Gulf of Mexico Date: Monday, June 29, 2015
Weather Data from the Bridge
NOAA Ship Oregon II Weather Log 6/28/15
Weather remained quite calm through Days 3-5. I observed a couple minor rain showers during the night shift. As noted in the above weather log from the bridge, hazy weather (HZ) on multiple occasions during Day 4. Sky condition on Day 4 went from 1-2 oktas in the morning (FEW), to 5-7 oktas (BKN), to 8 oktas (OVC) by midday. The sky cleared up by the evening.
Science and Technology Log
Day 3 was incredibly busy. There were no breaks in the 12 hour shift, as there were many trawl stations, and each catch contained a very large amount of shrimp.
According to many on deck, the shrimp catches on Day 3 would have been deemed successful by commercial shrimping standards. I got lots of good practice sexing the shrimp from the catch — I sexed over 2000 shrimp on Day 3 alone. Sexing shrimp is fairly easy, as the gonads are externally exposed.
I also learned how to sex crabs. This is also a simple process, as there is no cutting involved (see graphic below). The highlight of the day was the landing of a really large red snapper. They let me take a picture with it before taking it inside for processing. I was absolutely exhausted at the end of Day 3 and completely drenched in a mixture of sweat, salt water, and fish guts.
Preparing to sort a large shrimp catch
Northern Red Snapper (Lutjanus campechanus) — the heaviest fish I’ve ever held
How to determine the sex of a crab (Source — Fisheries and Oceans, Canada)
Day 4, in contrast, was very slow. The trawl net broke on one of the early stations, so the research was delayed for quite awhile. In fact, in my entire 12 hour shift, we only had to process two catches. We were able to complete all CTD, bongo, and Neuston stations, however, quite efficiently. I have gotten to the point where I can serve as the assisting scientist for the CTD, bongo catch, and Neuston catch on my own. This data also requires two fisherman on hand — one to operate the crane, the other (along with me) to guide the device or net into the water. The fishermen with whom I most commonly work are Lead Fisherman Chris Nichols, Skilled Fisherman Chuck Godwin, and Fisheries Methods and Equipment Specialist (FMES) Warren Brown (see photo).
On Day 5, I got great practice sexing a wide variety of fish. An incision is made on the ventral side of the fish, from the anus toward the pectoral fin. After some digging around inside the fish, you will find the gonads — either ovaries (clear to yellowish appearance with considerable vasculature, round in cross-section often many eggs) or testes (white appearance, triangular in cross-section). As you might guess, larger fish are much easier to sex than smaller ones, and the ease of sexing is also species dependent. To make matter even worse, many fish are synchronous hermaphrodites (containing both male and female sex organs), and some are protogynous hermaphrodites (changing from female to male during the course of life). The ease of sexing is also species dependent. For instance, I have found the sexing of adult puffer fish and lizardfish to be quite easy (very easily defined organs), however I have experienced considerable difficulty sexing the Atlantic menhaden (too much blood obscuring the organs).
The Neuston net, collecting plankton from the water surface
Fishermen of the night watch aboard the NOAA Ship Oregon II — From left to right, FMES Warren Brown, Skilled Fisherman Chuck Godwin, Lead Fisherman Chris Nichols
Sexing a red snapper (Lutjanus campechanus)
Field Party Chief Andre DeBose provided me with a hypoxia contour chart (see below), representing compiled CTD data from Leg 1 and the beginning of Leg 2. According to DeBose, these contour charts are generated by the National Coastal Data Development Center (NCDDC) once out of around every 10 stations, and they represent an average of data taken by station near the ocean floor. A data point is defined as hypoxic if the dissolved oxygen content is below 2 mg/L. On the below chart, you can see that many hypoxic areas exist along the Texas coast, near the shore.
Dissolved oxygen contours for water at ocean bottom — Plotted data thus far from the SEAMAP Summer Survey (June 9 – 26, 2015)
I could not wrap my head around why this trend exists in the data, as I figured that shallower water would be warmer, allowing for more plant life in greater density, and accordingly more dissolved oxygen in greater density. Fisheries Biologist Alonzo Hamilton helped me better understand this trend. The fact that the water is warmer in shallower areas means that more of the dissolved oxygen leaves the surface of water in these areas. In addition, while plant life is indeed in greater concentration in shallower water, so is the concentration of aerobic microbes. These organisms use up oxygen through respiration to decompose organic matter. You can see on the above graphic that the greatest hypoxia is found in areas near major runoff (e.g. Matagorda Bay and Galveston Bay). Among other things, this runoff feeds nitrates from plant fertilizer into the ocean, which supports growth of more algae (in the form of algal blooms). Aerobic microbes decompose this excess organic matter once it dies, taking further oxygen from the water. Although it seems counterintuitive, at least to me, the greater heat and greater organism density actually leads to a more hypoxic environment.
I am slowly getting better with the species names of aquatic organisms, but as of now, I am still focusing on common names. The common names often relate to the fish’s phenotype, and this helps me recall them with more ease. Common name knowledge, however, is fairly useless when it comes to entering the organisms into the computer during species counts, as the computer only has scientific (Latin) names in its database. I hope to learn more scientific names as the week progresses.
I am also slowly amassing a really interesting collection of organisms to take back with me to LASA High School. CJ Duffie taught me how to inject crabs with formaldehyde to preserve them. Upon return to port, I will spray these crabs with polyurethane, to preserve the outer shell. I have also been preserving different organisms in jars with 20/80 (v/v) formaldehyde/saltwater. If you know me, you know I love collecting things, so this process has been particularly enjoyable. Fisheries Biologists Alonzo Hamilton and Kevin Rademacher have been very supportive in helping me collect good specimens for my classroom.
Personal Log
Life on the ship is very enjoyable. My bed is comfortable, the work is exciting, the meals are excellent, and the company is gregarious. However, I have completely lost track of time and date. My “morning” is actually 11 PM, and my “evening” is actually 1 PM. Accordingly, my “lunch” is actually breakfast, and my “breakfast” is actually lunch. I also never have any idea what day of the week it is. I called my girlfriend yesterday and was surprised to hear that she was not at work (it was a Sunday).
Regarding this blog, I have finally found the optimal time to write and upload photos. As the satellite internet is shared by all of the ships in the area, it is not possible to access WordPress during the daytime. Accordingly, I do all of my uploading and most of my writing between 2 and 6 AM. This works for me, as long as I can find time for the blog between research stations.
I really enjoy the people on the night shift. Kevin Rademacher, Alonzo Hamilton, and Warren Brown provide such a wealth of knowledge. These three are absolute experts of their craft, and it is a true honor to work with them. I am nearing the end of my first week on the ship, and I am still learning just as much as I was on my first day – this is incredibly exciting.
I have found that Alonzo really enjoys the TV show, “Chopped,” as it seems to be on every time I enter the dry lab. It is pretty interesting to observe him watching the show, as he enthusiastically comments on all of the dishes and regularly predicts the correct winner.
I am also getting well through one of the books I brought – Everything is Illuminated, by Jonathan Safron Foer. It is a very odd read, but it has been enjoyable so far.
I am looking very forward to every new day.
Did You Know?
The scorpionfish that we are catching are some of the most venomous creatures in the world (see Scorpaenidae) . These fish have spines that are coated with a venomous mucous, and their sting is incredibly painful – just ask CJ Duffie! These fish are also incredible masters of camouflage, changing in color and apparent texture to disguise themselves, so as to catch more prey.
Notable Species Seen
Fringed Sole (Gymnachirus texae)
Whelk (Busycotypus plagosus)
Whelk (Busycotypus plagosus)
Sea Star (Atropecten cingulatus)
Sea Star (Tethyaster grandis)
Gladiator Box Crab (Acanthocarpus alexanderi)
Yellow Box Crab (Calappa sulcata) — I injected this crab with formaldehyde to preserve the tissue. Once dry, I will give it a coat of polyurethane to preserve the shell.
Gulf Frog Crab (Raninoides louisianensis)
Calico Box Crab (Hepatus epheliticus) — I injected this crab with formaldehyde to preserve the tissue. Once dry, I will give it a coat of polyurethane to preserve the shell.
Lancer Stargazer (Kathetostoma albigutta) — In this photo, you can see the two large venomous spines located at the back of the head. Certain stargazers are “bioelectrogenic”, meaning that they are capable of generating an electricity to shock their prey.
Reticulate Goosefish (Lophiodes reticulatus) — In this photo, you can see that this fish contains a fishing apparatus (called an “illicium”) with a lure (called an “esca”) extending from its snout. It uses this apparatus to attract prey.
Spotted Batfish (Ogcocephalus pantostictus)
Slantbrow Batfish (Ogcocephalus declivirostris)
Pancake Batfish (Halieutichthys spp.)
Brown Rock Shrimp (Sicyonia brevirostris)
Humpback Shrimp (Solenocera vioscai)
Mexican Sea Robin (Prionotus paralatus)
Bigeye Sea Robin (Prionotus longispinosus)
Atlantic Bearded Brotula (Brotula barbata)
Bigeye (Priacanthus arenatus)
Atlantic Angel Shark (Squatina dumeril)
Sharksucker (Echeneis naucrates)
Sucking disc of a sharksucker (Echeneis naucrates), running from top of head to anterior part of body, used to attach to host
Sea Cucumber (Molpadia spp.)
Atlantic Thread Herring (Opisthonema oglinum)
Smooth Puffer (Lagocephalus laevigatus)
Sand Perch (Diplectrum formosum)
Blue Runner (Caranx crysos)
Smoothhead Scorpionfish (Scorpaena calcarata) — These fish have sharp spines coated with venomous mucus. One of the world’s most venomous species.
Atlantic Midshipman (Porichthys plectrodon) — This species uses photophores (light-emitting organs) to attract prey. They are named for these photophores, as these organs reminded observers of the buttons on naval uniforms.
Photophores on the Atlantic Midshipman (Porichthys plectrodon). These light-emitting organs are used to catch prey.
Northern Red Snapper (Lutjanus campechanus)
Lane Snapper (Lutjanus sunagris) — Also commonly called the “Candy Snapper”, due to the pink and yellow striping patter
