| On September 26, NOAA’s newest state–of–the–art survey and research vessel, the Bell M. Shimada slipped into the waters of the Escatawpa River, miles from its eventual homeport on the West Coast. [view slide show of launch] |
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| The fourth vessel of its kind, the Bell M. Shimada offers fisheries scientists of the Northwest Fisheries Science Center the ability to monitor fish populations without altering their behavior, allowing them to collect data with unprecedented accuracy. With better data, biologists and oceanographers can help managers make better management decisions. |
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| In the Pacific, the Bell M. Shimada will help scientists gain valuable insight into the California Current Large Marine Ecosystem, a globally–significant natural resource that stretches from Baja California to British Columbia. Three scientists at the Center recently described some of the ways in which this vessel will enhance existing or open opportunities for new research projects. |
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| Ship Design Enables Critical Groundfish Surveys and Multi-Mission Ecosystem Studies |
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| Our region supports a number of economically and ecologically important fisheries such as groundfish, salmon, shellfish, and Pacific hake—one of the largest and most valuable fisheries on the West Coast. |
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| During groundfish surveys, scientists from the West Coast Groundfish Program will benefit from the Bell M. Shimada’s multiple design features, including a quiet hull that minimizes underwater noise, hydro acoustic sampling, trawling capabilities, and other hydrographic and oceanographic operations. |
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| One of the vessel’s primary uses will be to collect data for the Pacific hake biomass survey. Obtaining complete information of hake biomass will help manage this commercial fishery more effectively. And because Pacific hake is a key component of the California Current Ecosystem, the survey will also help the scientists complete an integrated ecosystem assessment of this large marine ecosystem. |
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| "With this dedicated vessel, we’ll make a quantum leap in our capacity to study a complex ocean ecosystem and conduct multi–species assessments," said John Stein, Deputy Director. |
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| At the root of NOAA’s mission to pursue ecosystem based management is the coastal ocean observing system. The Pacific Coast Ocean Observing System (PaCOOS) is building upon a 20–year dataset that includes observations of the oceanographic conditions and its influence on secondary productivity that fuels marine fish and salmon stock production. At the heart of the effort is a requirement to make connections between climate variability and change and the availability of fish stocks that leads to better management of the ecosystem for current and future use. Because of the dynamic nature of marine environments, regular sampling is required to get a frequent pulse of the ocean to identify the state of ocean conditions. |
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| The Center has developed an effective set of fishery management tools that allow qualitative forecasting of Pacific salmon returns from this ocean monitoring. Hydrological data collected from these cruises include sea surface temperature (SST), dissolved oxygen (DO), surface/subsurface chlorophyll, and acoustics (for currents and biomass estimates). Information on ocean conditions and salmon abundance derived from ecosystem–based cruises on the Bell M. Shimada will be used to produce these salmon population forecasts. |
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| Quiet Ship Better for Killer Whale Research |
| "The Bell M. Shimada will enhance our ability to better define critical habitat for southern resident killer whales." For biologist, Brad Hanson, who studies Southern Resident killer whales in the Center’s Marine Mammal Program the new vessel represents a major opportunity to support the Center’s research, for a quiet ship is particularly helpful to a team that finds and tracks killer whales by both listening for them and visual sightings during the winter in the often stormy Pacific. |
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| The lower background noise essentially improves the sensitivity of their acoustic equipment. And, with the Bell M. Shimada’s comprehensive environmental sampling capabilities, Hanson’s team can gather a much broader suite of data about the killer whale’s world, allowing us to better understand, and better manage the population through an ecosystem approach. |
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| Oceanographic Sampling Capabilities |
| For NOAA oceanographer Nick Adams, it’s all about the water. Design advances of the Bell M. Shimada where all fluid system discharges are on the port side of the ship to avoid contamination of sampling gear deployed from the starboard side will allow NWFSC’s oceanographic staff to conduct water column sampling. |
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| Adams anticipates better sampling resolution in the upper layers of the water column. He also looks forward to the improved facilities on–board. "Compared to other ships available to us, there will be more laboratory space available for setting up onboard instrumentation for «real-time’ sample analysis," he explains. |
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| Bell M. Shimada’s Bright Future |
| Several programs will benefit from the improved facilities on board the new ship. From groundfish monitoring to trawling efforts that study ocean conditions for their predictive capabilities, the Bell M. Shimada has something for everyone. Clearly, the future looks bright for ocean and fishery science on the West Coast. |
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| See related stories: |
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| http://www.noaanews.noaa.gov/stories2008/20080929_surveyvessel.html |
| http://www.nwfsc.noaa.gov/education/ship_naming/more_vessel.cfm |
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