Fisheries-Oceanography
Coordinated Investigations (FOCI)
FOCI PI Meeting Minutes — 14 May 1998
ATTENDANCE
Kevin Bailey, Ric Brodeur, Michelle Bullock. Mike
Canino, Mark Koehn, Art Kendall, Allen Macklin, Jeff Napp, Jim Overland,
Ron Reed, Phyllis Stabeno, Cindy Tynan, Lisa Britt (rapporteur)
ANNOUNCEMENTS
-
SEBCC Proposals report - Allen Macklin: Twenty-four
proposals were submitted. They've been mailed out to reviewers and should
be back by mid June. The proposals where categorized into five groups:
(1) Monitoring ($1.2 million); (2) lower trophic processes ($1.1 million);
(3) upper trophic processes ($980K); (4) Retrospective synthesis ($340K);
(5) Indices synthesis ($410K).
-
Oshoro Maru - Ric Brodeur: Ric reported that during
the Oshoro Maru's Seattle inport there will be a 1-day symposium on Ecosystem
Dynamics of the North Pacific Ocean. The symposium will be held on the
NOAA campus and will consist of 20-30 minute presentations. If you would
like to give a presentation please contact Ric (206 526-4318).
FIELD SEASON
-
Art Kendall and Phyllis Stabeno summarized the spring
field season in the Bering Sea. It was very stormy this year which impeded
some planned sampling aboard the Miller Freeman. Not much is known about
pollock egg or larval distribution since there was no grid work planned
for this year. The bloom hasn't started or is in its earliest stages (as
of May 14). The water is relatively warm compared to the last few years.
All of the moorings came back in February and April, and only one instrument
out of fifty failed. The Bering Slope Current has been interrupted by a
large clockwise eddy that has lasted 3 to 4 weeks. Planned aircraft ocean
color experiments over the slope and shelf had to be cancelled due to the
aircraft's maintenance schedule. Net sampling during the first Wecoma cruise
this year was not accomplished due to problems with the SeaCat and the
winch. Currently the Wecoma is doing CTD work,and net work has begun using
wireout/depth estimates.
-
Mike Canino reported on his cruise in Shelikof Strait.
The Miller Freeman occupied a bongo grid starting near the Semidi Islands
and extending up to Line 8. Overall larval abundance seemed lower than
in past years. SeaCAT data was contoured at 40m and a mesoscale feature
was seen in an area of high larval abundance. The first priority El Nino
sampling near Line 8 and at the mouth of the sea valley was completed.
Then a 48 x 28-km (6 x 5 station) grid was created over the mesoscale feature
and patch. Twenty-one of the thirty stations were sampled (some stations
more than once) using CTDs, Tuckers, Bongos and MOCNESS. Midway through
the grid, a storm passed and sampling was stopped for five hours. The mixed
layer depth doubled during that 5-hour period. The patch that was found
near the mesoscale feature was never refound. Four satellite-tracked drifters
were release during the cruise, two in the mesoscale feature.
-
Upcoming field work in Shelikof Strait will consist
of Kevin Bailey's late larval grid work and Matt Wilson's early juvenile
cruise in mid June aboard the Wecoma. In the Bering Sea there will be a
short September cruise to recover moorings and some work done on Japanese
vessels.
-
Michele Bullock has been working very hard to find vessels
to complete the fall and early spring work in the Bering Sea since the
Miller Freeman will be in for renovations. There doesn't appear to be any
single vessel that can accomodate mooring, acoustic and trawl operations.
Possible vessels are the Canadian Coast Guard vessel Sir Wilfred Laurier
(for moorings), the Russian vessel Professor Kaganovsky (for net work)
or the USCG vessel Polar Star. Negotiating a reasonable price for each
vessel has been the main road block. FOCI sincerely appreciates Michele's
efforts.
OTHER
Jim Schumacher is attending a meeting at Scripps
to give a presentation on the planned El Nino work in Shelikof Strait.
NEXT MEETING
The next meeting will occur at 10 a.m. on Thursday,
June 11, in the AFSC Director's Conference Room (4/2143).
CORRECTIONS
Please mail corrections and additions to the FOCI
Coordinator.
FOCI
Coordinator
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