Fisheries-Oceanography
Coordinated Investigations (FOCI)
FOCI PI Meeting Minutes - 12 August 1997
ATTENDANCE
Kevin Bailey, Ric Brodeur, Ned Cokelet, Al Hermann,
Anne Hollowed, Art Kendall, Allen Macklin, Jeff Napp, Jim Schumacher, Phyllis
Stabeno, Matt Wilson, Chris Baier (rapporteur)
ANNOUNCEMENTS
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FOCI’s new NOAA Corps Officer reports August 28 - Allen
Macklin: Kurt Zegowitz will join FOCI at the end of the month. His first
sea duty will be the final mooring cruise this fall. He will work closely
with Phyllis Stabeno on the biophysical moorings and with Allen Macklin
on FOCI coordination. Kurt is completing his tour aboard the Townsend Cromwell,
and has a background in marine science.
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Significant migratory sea bird mortality - Allen Macklin:
Karen Lang, ADF&G, reports a significant die-off of migratory seabirds
in the Bering Sea and Gulf of Alaska. George Hunt has also observed high
sea bird mortality. Other anomalous conditions, including high sea surface
temperatures, unusually calm conditions in the Bering sea, and weak Bristol
Bay salmon runs have also been reported. These may be associated with the
current El Nino, although, by past standards, it is months too early for
the connections to the mid and high latitudes.
Art Kendall suggested that the anomalous conditions
in the Pacific should be reflected in FOCI’s research plans, and he proposed
a half-day workshop to which outside scientists would be invited. Several
candidates were recommended, including Steven Hare (University of Washington),
Nick Bond (PMEL), Jack Helle (Auke Bay), John Piatt (ADF&G), Richard
Merrick (NMML), Don Rogers (University of Washington), Ray Hillborn (University
of Washington), Sue Henrichs (University of Alaska) and John Goering (University
of Alaska). The workshop would address teleconnections and marine responses.
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Initiative 2000 - Allen Macklin: John Hunter issued
a call for ideas for NMFS’ Initiative 2000. The following ideas have been
submitted:
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Pat Livingston - track year class strengths of pollock
and hake based on the incidence of cannibalism.
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Anne Hollowed - establish permanent line east of Kodiak
for bimonthly monitoring of inshore/offshore movements of fish.
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Anne Hollowed - conduct feasibility study for summer
juvenile survey.
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Anne Hollowed - equip "ships of opportunity" with XBT’s
to get temperatures at depth, to monitor shape and extent of the cold pool.
Fishing vessels or others that routinely traverse the region could be used.
Fishery observers also might collect the data.
OAR also has called for Initiative 2000 proposals
and PMEL has suggested the following activities:
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McPhaden, Harrison, Bond (PMEL) - Extend NOPP network
of monitoring buoys in the North Pacific.
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Overland (PMEL) - Install 15 biophysical moorings in
Gulf of Alaska and Bering Sea. Develop a model assimilating data from moorings
and monitoring network.
Art Kendall commented that biological data, especially
that related to salmon, collected using this network would be important.
Ann Hollowed mentioned that Jack Kelly is interested in 2 salmon specific
projects: comparing smolts in vs. smolts out, and examining size data for
adults.
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SEBSCC PI meeting scheduled for Monday and Tuesday,
24-25 November - Allen Macklin: Terry Whitledge cannot attend on that date.
Jeff Napp suggested that Terry's presence is critical and that the date
should be changed to accommodate him.
-
PMEL 25th Anniversary Review in June 1998. Other FOCI
scientists may be asked to assist in presentations.
FIELD SEASON
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W9706C, 30 June 1997- 14 July 1997.- Matt Wilson: The
weather was excellent and all objectives were accomplished, except at one
station that was fished too shallow. The acoustics equipment was calibrated,
the biophysical transects, Pribilof Island transects, and Canyon Transport
stations were sampled. Deviations from the original cruise plan included
repeating the CTD transect on line A, which showed differences in the temperature
profiles and front locations on the 2 dates, possibly due to tidal changes.
Line D was extended 20 nm, at the request of the seabird biologist, and
CTD and bongo samples were taken along the extension. Several Tucker trawls
were added to the sampling regime.
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Oshoro Maru - Ric Brodeur: The third year of sampling
on the Oshoro Maru showed that pollock densities in July were highest around
the Pribilofs, consistent with the previous 2 years. Hiro collected jellyfish
for stable isotope and gut content analysis, to evaluate them as predators
of juvenile fish. Abundances of age-1 pollock indicate that the 1996 year-class
is a strong one.
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Collaboration with Japanese - Ric Brodeur: Next year
the Oshoro Maru will arrive in Seattle 13-18 July 1998 and depart for the
Bering Sea, going as far north as St. Matthews. They have offered to let
FOCI sample during that leg of the cruise, providing an opportunity to
sample during the summer and to get an early indication of year-class strength.
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SEBSCC, FOCI, ARI, GLOBEC: Allen Macklin has called
for SEBSCC input on plans for 1998. No responses have been received to
date. As the monitoring program is only in its third year and process-oriented
studies in the second, little change is anticipated. A draft of the cruise
schedule has been distributed, but the ship to be used this fall is still
uncertain. The Canadian ship Ricker may be chartered. The backup plan was
to send out a self-contained CTD to record data, and to make integrated
instead of MOCNESS tows from the Tiglax. Alternative plans were suggested
for using some combination of the 3 ships: Alpha-Helix, Tiglax, and Redeemer.
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Project description forms for field work are due this
month. Field operations schedules based on these forms will be distributed
next month.
NEXT MEETING
The next FOCI PI meeting will be held at 10 a.m.
on Thursday, September 11, 1997, in the CARD Conference Room.
CORRECTIONS
Please mail corrections and additions to
the FOCI Coordinator.
FOCI
Coordinator
MINUTES SELECTION
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