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News and Events 2008
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Photo credit: H. Fearnbach,
NMML, NMFS permit 782-1719 |
Rare White Killer Whale Sighted by NOAA Scientists Aboard NOAA Ship OSCAR DYSON
With icy decks and a windy forecast, the NOAA Ship OSCAR DYSON departed Dutch Harbor, Alaska, on February 17, 2008, and headed west into the Bering Sea on a pollock acoustic survey.
The primary purpose of the cruise was to determine pollock distributions near Stellar sea lion haul-outs. Winter is a critical time for survival of the sea lions, and pollock is one of their primary food sources. Winter is a difficult time to conduct surveys in the Aleutian Islands due to stormy weather in the Bering Sea.
During this cruise, pods of killer whales were observed, including one pod with an unusual member. Unlike its dark black companions, there was one whale that did not look like the others--it was white! Read the full story and the NOAA press release for further details.
 NOAA Ship RONALD H. BROWN Heads Towards Antarctica for Southern Ocean Gas Exchange Experiment
In late February, more than 30 scientists embarked on a research cruise to the Southern Ocean, which surrounds Antarctica, where they will be battling nature’s elements to study how gases important to climate change move between the atmosphere and the ocean under high winds and seas.
The Southern Ocean Gas Exchange Experiment, a six-week cruise aboard the NOAA ship RONALD H. BROWN, is co-sponsored by NASA, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), and the National Science Foundation. Scientists will study the movement of gases such as carbon dioxide in an effort to improve the accuracy of climate models and predictions during the cruise, which departed Feb. 28 from Punta Arenas, Chile. Read the full NOAA News story... You can read the cruise blogs for updates on what is happening -- The Mess mentions the BROWN's Chief Steward, Richard Whitehead.
 NOAA WP-3D Orion Supports Winter Storm Reconnaissance Mission
NOAA's WP-3D Orion N42RF is providing support for Winter Storm Reconnaissance 2008 (WSR-08) February 1—March 15. The basic objective of WSR-08 is to obtain vertical profiles of key atmospheric parameters utilizing GPS dropsondes and transmission of these data to the National Centers for Environmental Prediction. The ultimate goal is to provide improvements to winter storm forecasts over the North Pacific Ocean. Read the NOAA News story for more information. You can also see a video of the flight made by KATU-TV in Portland, Oregon, (click on the video link to watch the movie)
 NOAA Divers Assist With Calibrating Net Sensors
On January 10 and 23, ALBATROSS IV divers Master Steve Wagner, 1st Officer Donn Pratt, ENS Chris Skapin and ENS Chad Meckley assisted Biological Scientific Technicians Sean Lucey and Jonathan Duquette, from the Northeast Fisheries Science Center, in calibrating HENRY B. BIGELOW's new four seam trawl net sensors. The science team endured sub-freezing air temperatures while the dive team endured 35 degree water temperatures to conduct the sensor calibrations. These efforts continue so ALBATROSS IV can pass the torch to HENRY B. BIGELOW, ensuring the continuation of the NE Fisheries Bottom Trawl Survey. This survey has been conducted since 1962, making it the longest continuous fisheries survey on record. The survey’s dataset allows the continued viability and management of the nation’s Northeast fisheries.
 NOAA Aircraft Conducts Southeast Right Whale Survey
NOAA's Twin Otter aircraft, N46, began a four-month Southeast Right Whale Survey project on December 1, and expects to fly an average of 70-80 hours per month. The primary purpose of the survey is to provide real-time sighting information to commercial shipping interests in an effort to reduce collisions between ships and Northern Right Whales. Additional project efforts include animal identification through photography, and aerial support with radio telemetry for entangled whale rescue efforts.
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