About this Cruise

This month-long cruise aboard the NOAA Ship Oscar Elton Sette brings together six diverse teams to survey fish populations using non-catch methods. Traditionally, fish populations have been assessed by catching fish, visiting fish markets and interviewing fishermen. Chief Scientist Scott Ferguson hopes to support Guam and the CNMI in monitoring their natural resources using non-extractive methods. The ship will also use multibeam sonar to map areas that are important fishery resources hopefully to include Galvez Bank, offshore slopes near Rota, and the banks of Farallon de Medinilla.

The survey methods include BotCams and BRUVs, two systems that put baited cameras on the bottom, and a TOAD which is a camera towed near the seafloor . An Autonomous Underwater Vehicle will travel on its own via computer programming and bring back photographs and video. Additionally, acoustic methods will be used to survey fish in the water column.

This expedition brings together scientists from NOAA’s Pacific Islands Fisheries Science Center and Northwest Fisheries Science Center, as well as the University of Hawaii’s Joint Institute for Marine and Atmospheric Research, the University of Guam Marine Lab, and Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution.







Saturday, February 27, 2010

New BRUV Video Clip

We have been at the dock in Saipan for 3 days so I have taken a bit of a vacation: hiking, swimming, snorkeling. We leave for Farallon de Mendinilla in an hour so, more science soon. In the meantime here is a great new video clip from the BRUV team.

12 comments:

Linda Tatreau, blogging as Shark Feet said...

Oh, that's why there wasn't any blog for awhile. Nice to know that you're really having fun. Nice video, it's funny to see the fish going near the camera.
Ritzmar-5

Hi Ritz,
I had planned on writing while in Saipan, but you know how it is when you’re on vacation. I love that BRUV video―there are so many fish in such a short time.

Linda Tatreau, blogging as Shark Feet said...

Hi Ms. Tatreau
it really looks like you guys are having fun. So far it shows that you guys did a lot of researching. What happens if you guys were to find something know one even knows about? what will you guys do about it and i mean like anything outrageous?
VINCE-6

Hi Vince,
The research on this trip has been non-stop. We are gathering a lot of data and I am learning a lot. Should we discover something unknown, we would get just as excited as you would expect. When we were using the sonar to make the map of Galvez Bank, we thought we had found a sunken ship. We got very excited. Everyone loves the new and the unknown. We towed a camera over the spot and it seems to be a coral encrusted mound, not a sunken ship. We’ll keep looking!

Linda Tatreau, blogging as Shark Feet said...

Hey Ms. Tatreau! Wow you have been gone too long that 3rd Period misse you! So how are you liking your boat trip? Is it better than the ones you have went on before? Are the Bots similiar to the ones you have saw? And have you reached where you are suppose to be at? Well see you soon!
Mark-3

Hi Mark,
I miss all of you too, but I sure am glad I got the opportunity to come on this trip. This expedition is not better than the others; it is different and just as fun. I love being out on the ocean where research is happening. The “Bots” you ask about are probably the BotCams which are cameras placed on the bottom with a bait bag to attract fish. This is the first time I have seen BotCams used. We got better video using the BRUVs. I hope you were able to watch the video clips I put on this blog.

Linda Tatreau, blogging as Shark Feet said...

Hii Ms. Tatreau,
I love the video. It's soo pretty. I wish I could've been in the water with all those fish. Well, I'll comment on the one below this now. Byee.
I'm back. Haha. I just wanted to see the video first before I got to reading. Well, I've never been to or seen pictures of Rota either. So I'll join Ritzmar when he decides to go :) You guys work at such late times. Now I understand why. Erica spends a lot of time on those pictures. Could you tell her I said she's doing a good job? Also, tell everyone on the boat they're doing great. Just being out there making it happen is AWESOME. missyou.*
Chelsea Rae-5

Hi Chelsea,
All of us on the ship wanted to be in the water with all those fish. The more video we saw, the more we wanted to get wet. This ship has rigid rules about swimming―we can’t. Some expeditions are designed for scuba divers, but all divers must undergo training and be approved by NOAA and use NOAA gear. Yes, it’s long hours for the science team and the ship’s crew―the work goes on around the clock. I have a new shift―I work noon to 8:00. I blog in the morning, work my shift and sleep at night. Lucky me.

Linda Tatreau, blogging as Shark Feet said...

Hello Ms. Tatreau,
How are you? I know your having a good time. I think that video was pretty cool. You're lucky you got to see a barracuda! That's one of the fish I want to see. What location are you at now and where's your next destination? Oh and I don't know if anybody asked this yet, but is the depth limited to 250 meters? Or can you go deeper?
Stephen-6

Hi Steve,
The big fish in the second video that looks somewhat like a barracuda, is a jobfish. The first video has the funny barracuda. Barracuda are fairly common on Guam. If you snorkel much, you will eventually see them. We are currently off the island of Farallon de Mendinilla. We will be here for several days using the multibeam sonar to map the seafloor.

Linda Tatreau, blogging as Shark Feet said...

Hi Ms. Tatreau
the trip looks like its going along good.
Can't wait to see all the pictures you got. Well, be safe and have a nice trip... I saw the video on those fishes eating the bait, but exactly what kinds of fishes are those and how deep was that video taken..
VINCE-6

Hi Vince,
The trip is going great. We might wish for calmer seas to make the sonar perform better, but no complaints. The video was taken at a depth of 60 meters. The most common fish in the video is the 7-line snapper. The biggest fish is a jobfish. The others are red snappers (Lujanus bohar), surgeonfishes and jack trevallies.

Linda Tatreau, blogging as Shark Feet said...

Hi Ms.Tatreau!
I hope your trip is going great! This is a pretty awesome video, but what makes the location you chose to put the BRUV in this video an ideal spot? Is it because it is filled with diverse types of sea life? Also, have you made any important discoveries?
Jen-2

Hi Jen,
The BRUV team uses the maps we made of the seafloor to decide where to put the cameras. They want an area with coral because that’s where the fish live. They also want to avoid steep slopes because they don’t want the framework of the BRUV to get stuck. We posted some of the video with the most fish. Not every video is quite so spectacular. Although nothing we’ve learned on this trip will knock your socks off, everything has been important as it increases our knowledge of the oceans around us and the status of our fish populations.

Linda Tatreau, blogging as Shark Feet said...

Wow.Hey there Ms.Tatreau!!:D
This is such an amazing video! With all those fish. How deep was this? Hope you come back soon. We miss you very much!!
Charmane -6

Hi Char,
I agree, that is an amazing video. Of course, we picked the best ones to put on the blog. That was 60 meters or about 190 feet deep. I miss you too but I sure like being at sea.

Linda Tatreau, blogging as Shark Feet said...

Hello Ms. Tatreau,
I was looking at some of the pictures and i see you and some other crews cutting bait. I would like to know what kind of bait is that and if it attracts all the fishes or only certain?
Thank you!
Lani-6

Hi Lani,
The baitfishes were Pacific saury, also known as Mackerel Pike or sanma. They are an oily fish and make good, chopped bait. Carnivorous fishes arrive very soon after the cameras are dropped. Herbivorous fishes are attracted too. They don’t eat the bait, but probably come to check out the commotion.

Linda Tatreau, blogging as Shark Feet said...

Hi Ms. Tatreau!
I liked this video because all the fish attacked the bait like there was no tomorrow! I was curious about one fish though. At 17sec., a white fish is seen. To me, it looks like a ghost. Any idea what it is?
Amber-3

Hi Amber,
I’m glad you found your first comment posted. The fish in question is a jack trevally. The first one in the video scares away all the little snappers and then a second one swims through. You can learn more about trevallies in Micronesian Reef Fishes by Rob Myers in the classroom or go to http://www.guamdawr.org/learningcenter/colorbook/

Linda Tatreau, blogging as Shark Feet said...

Hi Ms. Tatreau!
I was wondering how deep did was the camera during this video?
Love,
Jo-5

Hi Jo,
The video was taken at a depth of about 190 feet. We used this video for the blog because there were so many fish and they arrived so fast after the bait hit the bottom.

Linda Tatreau, blogging as Shark Feet said...

Hi MRS. Tatreau,
Looks like you and the rest of the people on this trip are having fun.
The fish in the video look really cool. and i like the beginning how the device you were using just landed.1st period is still the same. Only half of us are actually awake. Hope you come back soon.
We miss you so much.
Tim-1

Hi Tim,
The frame work holding the cameras and bait hits the bottom with a thud. I didn’t realize it landed so hard until I saw the video. Tell everyone to wake up. I’ll be back on the 15th.