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Dry Tortugas 2008 Cruise, day nine: August 02, 2008
| Today’s notes | Featured scientists & crew | Today’s science |
Today we continue to dive new sites selected from the multibeam and split beam acoustic sonar data that was collected during our survey activities. These sites, on the western edge of the banks, are new to us, so divers must be very observant of their maximum depth. The complexity of some sites means divers must be careful to keep their site marker off the coral. Site markers often are sent to the surface with a lift bag, either to avoid coral entanglement, or to keep the marker from getting stuck in complex reef.
As with every night during this mission, we are also continuing night multibeam operations and fish hydroacoustic surveys.
Keep reading to view a slide show of some fish species we have seen thus far.
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Meet the Crew and Scientists
LT Matthew Wingate
Wingate
(Credit: Lauren
Chhay)
Brock
(Credit: Lauren
Chhay)
AB Jeremy Brock
AB Jeremy Brock joined NOAA and the NANCY FOSTER crew in February of this year. His primary duties are to stand the bridge watch twice a day, to assist with equipment maintenance and aesthetic maintenance, and to operate the J–frame, the marquee winch, and the knuckle boom. He also assists with line tending and as a coxswain for small boat operations. Jeremy’s typical day begins with the 8 a.m. to 12 p.m. bridge watch, where he acts as lookout and conducts safety rounds. In the afternoon, he is on call. While on call he has assisted with CTD casts, operating the knuckle boom, tending lines, and acting as coxswain. He stands a second bridge watch from 8 pm to midnight.
Greg Piniak
(Credit: Lauren
Chhay)
Greg has been with NOAA and the CCFHR for four and a half years. His career focus is coral reef ecology. This includes monitoring and working to understand human impacts on coral reef ecosystems. His primary duty has been as a photographer for his dive team. Greg has also been involved in a quality control pilot study, comparing split beam data with a QTC View (Quester Tangent) benthic classification system. On the first day of the cruise, Greg and two other divers swam beneath the ship, where Greg showed the divers how to install the transducer. His typical day begins with the 7:30 a.m. dive meeting and continues with two dives each day. Prior to dives, he is prepares his camera gear, and after the dives he downloads the data. As part of the data processing, Greg will also be involved in post–mission analysis of the benthic photo data.
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Focus on the Science
Fish Species Observed
We have observed many types of fish during this mission. Today’s science feature will highlight some species we have seen.
