U.S. Department of Commerce / NOAA	/ OAR /  PMEL  / OERD\  \ NMFS / AFSC / RACE/	FOCI
	Fisheries-Oceanography Coordinated Investigations

ATTENDING

Kevin Bailey, Annette Brown (rapporteur), Ned Cokelet, Janet Duffy-Anderson, Al Hermann, Anne Hollowed, Art Kendall, Allen Macklin, Jim Overland, Ron Reed, Beth Sinclair, Phyllis Stabeno

• FOCI researchers receive awards from IARC -- Phyllis Stabeno, Terry Whitledge, Jim Overland and Nick Bond have been funded by the International Arctic Research Center for calendar years 2000 and 2001.  Funds will be used to continue moorings with in situ nitrate sensors at sites 3 and 4 in the southeastern Bering Sea and to analyze retrospectively collected climate and satellite data pertaining to the Arctic and Bering Sea.

 
• RV Miller Freeman pre-field season meeting January 7, 2000 -- A pre-season meeting is scheduled for January 7, 2000, at 9:30 a.m. aboard the Miller Freeman . FOCI chief scientists and Field Operations Leaders (or their designates) should attend.  Please have cruise abstracts or draft cruise instructions ready to submit to Field Operation Leaders (Art Kendall and Phyllis Stabeno) one week before the meeting (December 30).

 
• EVOSTC Restoration Workshop --  The annual Restoration Workshop of the Exxon Valdez Oil Spill Trust Council will be held on January 18-19, 2000, in Anchorage.  The theme of this year's workshop is Applying Science to Human Needs: Starting the Transition to the Gulf Ecosystem Monitoring (GEM) Program.  Allen Macklin will address the plenary session.  He is working with FOCI scientists to develop a presentation that focuses on FOCI's Gulf of Alaska long-term monitoring, models, and their contribution to recruitment prediction.  For further information, see the EVOSTC web site at http://www.oilspill.state.ak.us.

• Personnel -- LT Carrie Hadden will be on maternity leave for the next two or three months.  Address all ship matters, including cruise instructions and reports to LTJG Kurt Zegowitz.   Kurt will be leaving FOCI in May; his replacement is due in August.

• FOCI internal communications -- Chief scientists are reminded that draft cruise instructions are due 90 days before the start of the cruise.  Submit draft cruise instructions to the Field Operations Leaders (Phyllis Stabeno and Art Kendall) and to Kurt Zegowitz.  General instructions for cruise preparation are available through the OPERATIONS section of the FOCI home page; specific instructions for chief scientists are at ../../operations/guidance/chiefscientist.html

• NOAA Ship Ron Brown-- Anticipate further minor changes in the Ron Brown schedule.

Recruitment of arrowtooth flounder (ATF) and halibut was high in the El NiÒo years 1977, 1983, and 1987.  Halibut and ATF are similar species in early life history.  Both are offshore, deep-water spawners with inshore nursery areas.  Survival of larvae depends in part on their successful transport from deep water to shallow nursery areas.  Analysis of survey data indicates that this transport is especially pronounced in the canyons of the continental slope such as Amatuli Trough and the Shelikof Strait sea valley.  During El NiÒo years, transport occurs earlier and may be more effective, given the enhanced recruitment of those year classes.  What promotes the flow of deep water onto the shelf during El NiÒo years?

The next FOCI PI meeting will be at 10 a.m. on Thursday, 13 January 2000, in the Cloud Chamber (3/2065). Please submit to Allen Macklin, no later than the day before the meeting, agenda items and fax-ready copies of figures or handouts that you intend to present at the next meeting. Alternately, presentation materials may be posted on the WWW or e-mailed to remote participants before the meeting.

Mail corrections and addenda to the FOCI Coordinator.