2017 Cruise Schedule

Current or Upcoming -

Cruise dates are subject to change so check back often or check the UNOLS ship's schedule

• CalCOFI 1701RL • 05 - 29 Jan 2017 (Thu-Sun; 25 DAS) • RV Reuben Lasker •
  • Load & Setup 03(Tue) - 04(Wed) Jan 2017; with Dec pre-load 19-21 Dec • Loading & setup location - 10th Ave Marine Terminal, San Diego;
  • Offload San Diego 30 Jan 2017 (Mon)
• CalCOFI 1704SH • 05 - 29 Apr 2017 (Wed-Sat; 25 DAS) • RV Bell M Shimada •
  • Load & Setup 03(Mon) - 04(Wed) Apr 2017 • Loading & setup location - 10th Ave Marine Terminal, San Diego;
  • Offload in San Francisco 29 Apr 2017 (Sat)
• CalCOFI 1708SR  •  01 - 16 Aug 2017 (Tue-Wed; 16 DAS)  •  RV Sally Ride •  Load & Setup 30 (Sun) - 31 (Mon) Jul 2017 • Loading & setup location - Nimitz Marine Facility, San Diego; Offload in San Diego 17 Aug 2017 (Thu) • Prospectus pending
• CalCOFI 1711SR  •  10 - 25 Nov 2017 (Fri-Sat; 16 DAS)  •  RV Sally Ride •  Load & Setup 08 (Wed) - 09 (Thu) Nov 2017 • Loading & setup location - Nimitz Marine Facility, San Diego; Offload in San Diego 26 Nov 2017 (Sun) • Prospectus pending

Additonal Information:
      RV Sally Ride Info  |  RV Reuben Lasker Info  |  RV Bell M Shimada Info  |  RV Oceanus Info  |  RV Ocean Starr Info

Completed -

• CalCOFI 1611SR • 06 - 22 Nov 2016 (Sun-Tues; 17 DAS) • RV Sally Ride• Load & Setup 03(Thu) - 05(Sat) Nov 2016 • Loading & setup location - Nimitz Marine Facility, San Diego; Offloaded in San Diego 22 Nov 2016 (Tue), upon arrival • RV Sally Ride returned to San Diego 22 Nov @ 0745PST after successfully completing all 75 scheduled stations. Offloading commenced right away.
  • Summary page & CTD Data   |    Preliminary plots (stas 001- 075)    |   Cruise Log (Twitter posts)     |      Photos
• CalCOFI 1609SR Science Verification Cruise (UNOLS SR1606) • 30 Sep - 02 Oct 2016 (3 DAS) • RV Sally Ride • Load & Setup 26 (Mon) - 27 (Tue) Sep 2016 • Loading & setup location - Nimitz Marine Facility, San Diego; offload in San Diego 02 Oct 2016 (Mon)
  • Summary page & 1609SR CTD Data
• CalCOFI 1607OS • 10 - 27 July 2016 (Sun-Wed; 18 DAS) • loading days: 8-9 July 2016 (Fri-Sat) • RV Ocean Starr offload 27 July 2016 (Wed; load & offload location 10th Ave Marine Terminal San Diego). RV Ocean Starr returned to San Diego 0700 27 Jul 2016 after successfully completing 68 stations.
  • Summary page & CTD Data   |   Preliminary plots (stas 001- 068)    |   Cruise Log (Twitter posts)    |    Photos

• CalCOFI 1604SH • 01 Apr - 23 Apr 2016 (Fri-Sat; 23 DAS) • NOAA RV Bell M Shimada came into San Francisco Sat 23 Apr 2106 to Pier 30/32 after successfully occupying 102 stations.
  • Summary page & CTD Data   |   Preliminary plots (stas 001- 101)    |   Cruise Log (Twitter posts)    |    Photos
• CalCOFI 1601RL • 06 - 30 Jan 2016 (25 DAS) • NOAA RV Reuben Lasker returned to San Diego 30 Jan 2016 after successfully occupying all 104 scheduled stations
  • Summary page & CTD Data   |    Preliminary plots (stas 001-074)    |   Cruise Log (Twitter posts)    |    Photos

Read more: 2017 Cruise Schedule

Available Data

Since 1949, hydrographic and biological data of the California Current System have been collected on CalCOFI cruises. The 66+ year hydrographic time-series includes temperature, salinity, oxygen and phosphate observations. In 1961, nutrient analysis expanded to include silicate, nitrate and nitrite; in 1973, chlorophyll was added; in 1984, C14 primary productivity incubations were added; and in 1993, CTD profiling began. Please refer to the Data Edits & Updates page for changes to data files or formats.

>> Hydrographic Data - 1949 to Latest Update - tabulated bottle data from specific depths

>> CTD Data - 1992 to Latest Update - 1m Bin-averaged CTD sensor data; SBE processed & bottle-corrected

>> Net Sampling - Bongo Net Displacement Volumes

>> Underway Sampling - Surface Data collected during transits; ADCP Acoustic Data; Visual Observations

Data Usage and Distribution Policy
CalCOFI hydrographic and plankton data are distributed to the community for use without restriction. Unless otherwise noted, these data can be considered final data which have been evaluated using CalCOFI data quality control procedures. Methods for data collection and processing are summarized in CalCOFI Data Reports introduction. To see the introduction or methods used on specific cruises, refer to the Data Report PDF page. Preliminary data from recent cruises for which the data processing is not complete are often made available. We ask that these preliminary data not be published or redistributed.

Vol 57 2016

CalCOFI Reports Vol. 57, 2016 (click link for complete volume pdf)

I. Reports and Reviews

• State of the California Current 2015-16: Comparisons with the 1997–98 El Niño. Sam McClatchie, Ralf Goericke, Andrew Leising, Toby D. Auth, Eric Bjorkstedt, Roxanne R. Robertson, Richard D. Brodeur, Xiuning Du, Elizabeth A. Daly, Cheryl A. Morgan, Francisco P. Chavez, Amanda J. Debich, John Hildebrand, John Field, Keith Sakuma, Michael G. Jacox, Mati Kahru, Raphael Kudela, Clarissa Anderson, Bertha E. Lavaniegos, Jose Gomez-Valdes, S. Patricia A. Jimenez-Rosenberg, Ryan McCabe, Sharon R. Melin, Mark D. Ohman, Linsey M. Sala, Bill Peterson, Jennifer Fisher, Isaac D. Schroeder, Steven J. Bograd, Elliot L. Hazen, Stephanie R. Schneider, Richard T. Golightly, Robert M. Suryan, Amanda J. Gladics, Stephanie Loredo, Jessica M. Porquez, Andrew R. Thompson, Edward D. Weber, William Watson, Vera Trainer, Pete Warzybok, Russell Bradley, and Jaime Jahncke

II. Scientific Contributions

• Gopher Rockfish (Sebastes carnatus) Life History in South-Central California. Natasha L. Meyers-Cherry, Royden Nakamura, Benjamin I. Ruttenberg, and Dean E. Wendt
• Seasonal and Ontogenetic Movements of Lingcod (Ophiodon elongatus) in Central California, with Implications for Marine Protected Area Management. Ashley Greenley, Kristen Green, and Richard M. Starr
• Biogeography of the Trawl-Caught Fishes of California and an Examination of the Point Conception Faunal Break. John S. Stephens, Jr., Daniel J. Pondella II, John Steinbeck, Jay Carroll, and Milton Love
• Stability of Trace Elements in Otoliths of Juvenile Pacific Sardine Sardinops sagax. Barbara J. Javor and Emmanis Dorval
• Bio-Economic Assessment of a Green Crab Fishery in Baja California South, Mexico. Ernesto A. Chávez
• Seasonal Variability of Pelagic Amphipods off Baja California during La Niña 2011 and Comparison with a “Neutral Year” (2005). Lady Liliana Espinosa-Leal and Bertha E. Lavaniegos
• Joint Likelihood Function Based on Multinomial and Normal Distributions for Analyzing the Phenotypic Growth Variability of Geoduck Clam Panopea Globosa. Marlene Anaid Luquin-Covarrubias, Enrique Morales-Bojórquez, Sergio Scarry González-Peláez, and Daniel Bernardo Lluch-Cota
• Anomalous Epipelagic Micronekton Assemblage Patterns in the Neritic Waters of the California Current in Spring 2015 During a Period of Extreme Ocean Conditions. Keith M. Sakuma, John C. Field, Nathan J. Mantua, Stephen Ralston, Baldo B. Marinovic, and Cynthia N. Carrion

Instructions to Authors

Recent Trends

Recent California Current Ecosystem Data Reports from CalCOFI and Affiliates

• State of the California Current: Live Supplement Link
• 2016 Reports:
  • State Of The California Current 2015–16: Comparisons With The 1997–98 El Niño. Sam McClatchie, Ralf Goericke, Andrew Leising, Toby D. Auth, Eric Bjorkstedt, Roxanne R. Robertson, Richard D. Brodeur, Xiuning Du, Elizabeth A. Daly, Cheryl A. Morgan, Francisco P. Chavez, Amanda J. Debich, John Hildebrand, John Field, Keith Sakuma, Michael G. Jacox, Mati Kahru, Raphael Kudela, Clarissa Anderson, Bertha E. Lavaniegos, Jose Gomez-Valdes, S. Patricia A. Jiménez-Rosenberg, Ryan Mccabe, Sharon R. Melin, Mark D. Ohman, Linsey M. Sala, Bill Peterson, Jennifer Fisher, Isaac D. Schroeder, Steven J. Bograd, Elliott L. Hazen, Stephanie R. Schneider, Richard T. Golightly, Robert M. Suryan, Amanda J. Gladics, Stephanie Loredo, Jessica M. Porquez, Andrew R. Thompson, Edward D. Weber, William Watson, Vera Trainer, Pete Warzybok, Russell Bradley, Jaime Jahncke (from CalCOFI Reports Vol 57 2016)

Read more: Recent Trends

El Niño and La Niña

The graphic below is a reproduction from an article in which researchers at SIO are corroborating these predictions with observations. 

El Niño is an abnormal warming phase in the Pacific Ocean Sea Surface Temperature (SST), while the abnormal cooling is known as La Niña - these shifts are part of the El Niño Southern Oscillation or ENSO.  The current ENSO phase is often quantized by a deviation from normally observed SST using the Oceanic Niño Index or ONI. While El Niño and its counterpart cooling phase La Niña are still being researched, the seasonal effects are becoming well understood with long term data sets.

Using the table below from NOAA's Climate Prediction Center in conjunction with the CalCOFI database - can offer information on how the environment has reacted in response to the different phases and intensities of the ENSO. 

Read more: El Niño and La Niña