It pays to network! As a fisheries biologist at NOAA’s Southeast Fisheries Science Center, I was fortunate enough to be invited by Southwest Fisheries Science Center’s Dr. Brittany Schwartzkopf to participate in one of the legs of the annual Coastal Pelagic Species Survey.
While I’m sure I’ll encounter different species than the ones we work with in the Southeast, I hope that I will be able to share some techniques I’ve learned and bring back a few from the Southwest. I especially look forward to using electronic fish measuring boards—tune in next week to learn more about this technology!
Coastal Pelagic Species Survey
The Coastal Pelagic Species Survey takes place annually on the NOAA Ship Reuben Lasker in U.S. waters from the Mexico border to the Canadian border. During Leg 2, the science crew—including a chief scientist, four trawl biologists, and two acousticians—will do daily transects and nightly trawls from San Diego to San Francisco over 22 days. During the day, the crew will tow acoustic instruments through areas of interest to determine where to trawl at nighttime. These instruments allow scientists to compare acoustic signals of fish abundance to trawl abundance. Species of interest include Pacific sardine, northern anchovy, Pacific mackerel, and jack mackerel.
Why This Survey Is Important
West coast coastal pelagic species play an important role in the California Current ecosystem as food sources for marine mammals, sea birds, and larger fish. They also support various commercial and recreational fisheries. The biomass and abundance estimates derived from this project are inputs into stock assessment models and are used by the Pacific Fishery Management Council to set regulations to ensure sustainable fisheries.
How a Southeast Scientist Got On Board
Talk about a fish out of water! As a Southeast fisheries biologist, I never expected to be invited to participate in a west coast acoustic-trawl survey. But then again, I never expected to connect with other scientists from other centers when I first began my NOAA Fisheries career 8 years ago. So how does this happen? Networking and a willingness to try new things! What started as a casual comment led to an invite to participate in a west coast acoustic-trawl survey during the summer. I didn’t ask what it entailed, I just wanted to try it out.
Fast forward a few months from that initial conversation, and I was on my way to sunny San Diego for the first time to jump on the NOAA Ship Reuben Lasker.
After leaving the dock, we transited out of the harbor, past downtown San Diego and the large Naval station. There were a lot of things to see for the first time, which made for a great start to the trip. We also did safety drills, including putting on the infamous Gumby suit! These suits, nicknamed for their likeness to a familiar children’s toy and cartoon character, are actually called immersion or survival suits. These are used to maintain one’s core body temperature if an emergency situation arises during which we need to enter the water.
Getting Underway
Led by chief scientist Dr. Brittany Schwartzkopf, I am one of four trawl biologists that are part of the five-person trawl team. We are responsible for sorting and processing whatever comes up in the trawl net. The first few days were all about training while collecting samples. Each team member has a job (camera prep, beacons, mammal watch, and location) that is rotated each night. Joining this crew, I knew it would be a whole new experience: different sampling techniques, all new species, new processes, new people to meet and a whole new survey design. It hasn’t disappointed!
For the first few days, I have been getting used to the hours since we trawl at night. Coming from the East Coast, this was actually a lot easier than expected (and aided by coffee of course!). The ship’s crew deploy and retrieve the trawl and it’s a sight to behold—it’s a well-choreographed operation. One of the first things I noticed was how physically demanding it was to deploy and retrieve the net. It’s impressive to watch!
While we are just getting started, we have already encountered some really cool catches, including squid (so many—oh my word!), baby octopus, and a giant ocean sunfish (Mola mola). This was my first time seeing one, and it exceeded all expectations! The crew worked quickly to send it on its way once it was freed from the marine mammal excluder device—a device used to remove marine mammals and large fish from the trawl (which did its job well!). We expect to catch a lot more coastal pelagic fish and begin collecting otoliths, gonads, and tissue samples over the next few weeks.
