R/V Fish Hawk 1880-1926
The U.S. Commission of Fish and Fisheries recognized the need for
coastal vessels to conduct surveys, explorations and scientific
research on marinc resources from its beginning by a joint resolution
of Congress on February 9, 1871. In 1879 Congress appropriated $45,000
for a vessel and the Commission decided on a coastal steamer designed
by C. W. Copeland of the Light House Board. It was planned primarily as
a floating hatchery and was to be named the Fish Hawk. Until 1880 the
Navy Department had furnished steamers for the Commission's summer work
every year except 1872 and 1876. The first detail was a small steam
launch in 1871. In 1873, 1874, and 1875 the 100-ton steamer Blue Light
and in 1877, 1878 and 1879 the 306-ton steamer Spedwell provided
excellent facilities for coastal surveys.
HATCHING EQUIPMENT
The main deck was filled with hatching equipment. This equipment
consisted of a pump supplying 10,000 gallons per hour, two distribution
tanks of 5()0 gallons cach, 36 hatching cones, each capable of hatching
200,000 shad eggs, and 18 hatching cylinders, which werc suspended nine
on each side from beams outside the vessel. Fertilized cggs were placed
in each cone and the current was regulated by feed valves to keep them
gently in motion so they would not mat or settle to the bottom. The
hatching cylinders with wire gauze bottoms were suspended, partially
submerged, over the side and cam machinery gave them a gentle ascent
and a more rapid descent of about 8 inches causing the eggs to rise
from the bottom and circulate freely. Each cylinder held about 250,000
eggs. The trawling, dredging and collecting gear consisted of an otter
trawl and three beam trawls, 9, 11 and 1 7 feet, Blake and Chester rake
dredges and a tangle bar. The ngle bar was an iron axle and wheels
with deck swabs or bundles of rope yarn on chains that were dragged
along the rocky bottom to capture marine organisms. Hydrographic
equipment consisted of a sounding machine with 600 fathoms of piano
wire, deep sea reversing thermometers and density salinometers.
Tilefish Discovery
The Fish Hawk was the first large vessel built by any nation expressly
for the promotion of the fisheries. The steamers previously employed
for this character of investigation had been adapted to the work by
only such additions and alterations as were deemed essential. They
were inconvient at best but were made to answer the requriements with
the crude appliances then available. A new era as regards the
exploration and of fish culture was, however, rapidly approaching, and
the building of the Fish Hawk happened opportunely with respect to the
improvements made in both.
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An ocean-going marine fish hatchery outfitted for general scientific
research--that was the Fisheries Research Steamer Fish Hawk
The Fish Hawk a coal burning twin-screw steamer, was 157 feet long with
484 tons displacement. The fore and aft two-masted schooner was
commissioned in the spring of 1880 and the Navy Department provided
officers and crew under the command of Lieut. Z. L. Tanner. She was
outfitted as a hatchery for shad, striped bass. mackerel and herring
and also for general scientific research with a hoisting winch with
1,000 fathoms of steel cable for trawling and dredging and a variety of
other equipment for sounding, obtaining sea bottom temperatures and
collecting marine organisms. The hull below the main deck was of iron
sheathed with yellow pine, about 3-inches thick, caulked and coppered.
Above the main deck the structure was wood. She had a promenade deck
extending from stem to stern and from side to side on which was located
Ihe pilot house, captain's quarters and laboratory. In 1870, most
fishery scientists believed that spawning success was the most
significant factor in the productivity of fisheries. American shad was
one of the more important fisheries of the United States and their
propagation had the highest priority. To successfully propagate shad,
hatcheries would have to be built on every major river from Florida to
Massachusetts. Because shad runs last only a month or less at any
locality, the concept of a floating hatchery that could move along the
coast was considered practical.
The Fish Hawk was designed as a hatchery ship capable of going
nearshore in bays and estuaries and was not considered too suitable for
offshore oceanic research. However. during her 46 years of active
service she trawled and dredged out to the edge of the Continental
Shelf from Maine to Florida, in the Gulf of Mexico, and off Puerto
Rico. The objectives of trawling and dredging were to explore for
potential fishery resources and to collect organisms for more
information about the idcntity and life history of marine animals and
plants. The Fish Hawk began her long career with the auspicious and
publicized discovery of the tilefish along the edge of the Continental
Shelf. It all started when a commercial fisherman, Captain Kirby,
brought some strange fish to the Fish Commission's station at
Gloucester. Mass. in 1879. It was a new fish, new to scicnce and new
to the fishing industry. The Fish Hawk was called upon to explore the
possibilities of this new resource. Four trips were made to the edge of
the Shelf in 1880 and 40 new species of molluscs and 20 new species of
fishes were obtained but the most important observations in this
offshore region were those made on the tilefish. The known range of
this valuable fish was greatly extended and its existence in fishable
quantities was established.
