Day 4

All in a Day's Work
       aboard the R/V Falkor

Lynn and Kelsey

The benefit of scheduling = both quantitative and qualitative accomplishments! The day started early with preparing the muster (area on boat designated for our longline fishing) for processing fish samples. As the fisheries team began this task, the CTD team began to prepare to cast the equipment to begin day four's transect. Dr. Wetz's team of students were prepared and given the opportunity to handle the lines for the CTD equipment and even helped to guide it back to the deck. Watch the video (to be loaded soon!) here to show just how impressive this feat was.

Raising the CTD from the last cast

In the afternoon, we decided to have our science at sea seminar early in order to accomplish more fishing at the next artificial reef. Immediately after the talk the CTD crew headed out to enjoy a lecture given by Dr. Matthew Ajemian on artificial reefs. The crew was interested to hear about this research and asked several engaging questions.

 At 4:00pm the fisheries team was given approval by the Captain to begin fishing at artificial reef site MI-712. After 4 drops at various locations the operation was done. We quickly paused for a quick bite and afterwards met back to resume the clean up process. Once all was clean we meet in the library to review the day and plan for the next.

Day 3

CTD casts on his birthday
    aboard the R/V Falkor

Dr. Wetz and Ming Xue

With clear skies at 4am the day began with a CTD cast at the start of the first transect. Throughout the morning the ship headed landward and at 3 additional sites the CTD was deployed and successfully gathered data to be analyzed in the lab. Lynn also got the opportunity to handle the lines on deck with direction from the crew. By 11:30 over fifteen samples were successfully drawn and the operation completed.

ROV

Shortly after 2pm the team was ready to start the ROV dives. As the crew was ready to send the ROV into the water a rainstorm brought gusty winds and deployment was delayed. After waiting on the rain to cease and some technical difficulties with communication between the ROV and the ship the dive was cancelled. The other option to make the best of the inclement weather was to gather data from our longline surveys. The team was not scared to fish in the storm (no lightning!) and they got on their rain gear, gathered the equipment, and headed to the muster area to begin sampling. Eighteen fish were caught including a very large gray snapper, a gray trigger fish, and several sizes of red snappers. With the exception of two fish that were tagged and released the others will be processed tomorrow morning.

Dr. Michael Wetz

In the evening we began our science at sea talks for crew and scientists. At 7:30pm immediately following dinner we meet in the library for the first talk of the series presented by Megan Robillard, who spoke about many of the other research projects going on in the Fisheries and Ocean Health Lab. The crew however had a surprise in store for one of our scientists and much to his surprise after everyone gathered, the cake was lit in the hallway and brought into the library as the Happy Birthday chorus resonated. This is the first birthday Dr. Wetz has had at sea and as he thanked the crew he noted how this would be a very memorable one for him, so happy birthday Dr. Michael Wetz!

Day 2

A taste of what's to come!
           aboard the R/V Falkor

Today we started with an ambitious schedule making it to BA-A-28 by 7:30am. Our marine techs, Nathan and Jimbo mapped MI-616 and BA-A-28 creating images for ROV operations.  During the map processing Dr. Wetz and crew performed a CTD test run in the morning.


Shortly after lunch we began our first long-line sampling, where scientists drop a line with 10 hooks to the bottom to sample fishes using the artificial reef structures.  On the second drop we began catching fish. We pulled up a sharpnose shark, almaco jack, and several red snappers. Each fish was measured and weighed and later further processed by taking their gonads, otoliths ("ear bones" to estimate age), fin clips for genetic analyses, and muscle plugs for stable isotope analyses by the fisheries team while the ROV was deployed.

As the ROV made its way to the first reef on BA-A-28 the science control room burst with excitement from both crew and scientists. The video captured was not only in high definition but also in 3D and this vertical rig was abundant in both sport and reef fish. Megan Robillard quickly began identifying and logging the best footage they now have for this project. After surveying the first reef the ROV headed over to the second structure which was a rig laying horizontal on the sea floor. Although visibility was good fewer fish were reported at this structure than the first one. Jimbo, the marine tech, was still very excited though. He even said when he returned home to the UK he would buy a 3D television so he could relive the experience!


After a late lunch and break the team geared up again to resume fishing. After six more casts at BA-A-28 we caught 15 more red snapper and one rock hind. Several of the larger snapper experienced barotrauma as shown in the picture. When you release these fish it is important to vent them (release the pressure in the fish's swim bladder) to increase their survival after release.  The fisheries team is also studying the best ways to do this. The fishing ended at 7:00 and after dinner we returned to process the fish samples and clean up. It was a long but successful day and after discussing plans for tomorrow the CTD team will be ready by 4am to begin work on their first transect sampling water at 5 locations going from offshore to inshore.

Day 1

Safety First!
          aboard the R/V Falkor

Chas Downey

The voyage began at 10:30 am today as we left the Port of Corpus Christi and headed to Port Aransas, Texas to begin fueling. For this 272 foot research vessel it is no small task to dock this size vessel however our captain Heiko Voltz is one impressive navigator making this difficult task look easy. Before our voyage however, this morning started with a safety training class followed by a fire drill. Our safety training was taught by one of our bridge officers, Thiago Da Silva and student Chas Downey volunteered to wear the immersion suit for demonstration. What a sport! Following the meeting, alarms sounded and quickly life vests were distributed along with the immersion suits for protection.

By 7:14pm (congrats Judd- who estimated this time within seconds this morning) we headed out past the jetties off Port Aransas, Texas on the way toward the farthest artificial reef sites (MI-616 and BA-A-28). The hard work starts tomorrow and everyone is eager to get dirty. Check out more pictures on our Facebook page.