CRUISE REPORT

 

 

   Cruise Number: MF02-6

 

FOCI Number: 3MF02

 

 

 

Ship:  NOAA Ship Miller Freeman

 

Area of Operations: Bering Sea, Unimak Pass

 

 

Itinerary:

 

     Date depart/port: May 12, 2002/Dutch Harbor, AK

 

     Date arrive/port: May 21, 2002/Dutch Harbor, AK

 

 

Participating organizations:

 

     NOAA ‑ Alaska Fisheries Science Center (AFSC)

 

       

Chief Scientist:

 

Morgan S. Busby                                 M/USA                                                NOAA/AFSC

(206) 526 - 4113                                                         

Morgan.Busby@noaa.gov

                    

                                

Personnel:

 

Blood, Deborah                                    F/USA                                                 NOAA/AFSC

Busby, Morgan                                     M/USA                                                NOAA/AFSC

Deliyanides, Christina                            F/USA                                                 NOAA/AFSC

Matarese, Ann                                      F/USA                                                 NOAA/AFSC

Mier, Kathy                                          F/USA                                                 NOAA/AFSC

Picquelle, Susan                                    F/USA                                                 NOAA/AFSC

 

 

Cruise Objectives:

 

The primary objective of this cruise was to examine community structure and transport of fish larvae and plankton on the continental shelf, slope, and deep water areas of the southeastern Bering Sea and Unimak Pass.  Hydrographic, nutrient, and microzooplankton samples were also collected. 

 

Summary of Operations:

 

Operation                                                                   Tally

 

CalVET                                                                        10

CTD casts with Niskin bottles (CTDB)                         19

20 cm Bongo (20Bon)                                                  83

60 cm Bongo (60Bon)                                                  82

Seabird SeaCAT CTD (CAT)                                      92

Neuston (Neu)                                                             84

 

 

                    

Samples Collected:

                    

Seabird SeaCAT CTD (CAT)	92
Extracted chlorophyll (Chlor)	104
Larval walleye pollock for otolith analysis (L-oto)	2165
Microzooplankton preserved in formalin (MZ)	104
Nutrient samples collected from CTD casts (Nut)	104
Samples of fish larvae other than walleye pollock, saved in ethanol for otolith analysis (OFL-ETOH)	69
Quantitative tows preserved in formalin (QtowF)	262
Rough counts of walleye pollock juveniles (RcountJ)	1
Rough counts of walleye pollock larvae (RcountL)	80

 

 

Summary of Cruise:

 

Days Lost to Equipment Failure - 0.10 (Port hydro winch cable)

Days Lost to weather - 0.10 (about 2 hours/1 station)

 

 

Recommendations:

 

None

 

Narrative:

 

After departure from Dutch Harbor at 1500 hrs on May 12, Miller Freeman arrived at the first station (54E 00.54' N, 166E 35.42' W) at approximately 1550 hrs (Figure 1, Table 1)*.  Neuston and 60 cm with 20 cm bongo tows were conducted followed by a CTD cast with Niskin bottles.  Stations were spaced at approximately 15 nautical mile (nm) intervals until 1130 hrs on May 13 when we began a line of 7 stations spaced at approximately 2.5 nm intervals in Unimak Pass.   This line of stations was completed at 0145 hrs on May 14.    At approximately 0200 hrs a station immediately north of the Unimak Pass line was cancelled due to inclement weather.  Sampling at stations spaced at approximately 15 nm intervals resumed at Station 16 (0715 hrs on May 14).   At approximately 1630 hrs on May 16 it was discovered that a leaky valve on the port hydro winch control had allowed the drum to rotate during transit causing severe tangling of the cable.  As a result, a station was skipped for repairs to proceed.  This station (63) was occupied later in the cruise.  On May 19, we determined that we were well ahead of the original sampling schedule and added 6 stations (73, 74, 77, 78, 79, 80).   Operations at the final station (81) were concluded at 0400 hrs on May 21 and we began the steam to Dutch Harbor.   

 

 

Acknowledgments:

 

The scientific party would like to acknowledge the hard work and support of the officers and crew members in all departments of Miller Freeman.  All performed their duties in a very professional manner and should be commended for a job well done. 

 

 

Attachments:

 

Table 1 Cruise Summary MF02‑06

 

Figure 1 Station map