WELCOME ABOARD!

1. WELCOME ABOARD! The Ecosystems Surveys Branch would like to welcome to our cruise program. This CD is designed for your information and covers typical cruise operations, shipboard life, commonly encountered species and our data collection systems. Click anywhere on this slide to advance to the main menu. 7/2/2014

2. Main Menu Click on a Heading to advance to that section: • Survey History & Research Methods • Video Presentation • Cruise Types • Vessels and Their Operations ?? • Volunteer Information • Our Computer System: FSCS • Useful Websites END SHOW

3. History of the Northeast Fisheries Science Center (NEFSC) Surveys The Woods Hole Lab The nation's first fisheries laboratory was established at Woods Hole in 1871 by the U.S. Fish Commission, the forerunner of today's NOAA National Marine Fisheries Service, under the leadership of Spencer Fullerton Baird. This laboratory is today the headquarters and main laboratory of the Northeast Fisheries Science Center (NEFSC). The Ecosystems Survey Branch, who are responsible for the majority of the center’s cruises, are based at the lab. The lab today. The lab in the 1930s. Return to Main Menu Next Slide

4. History of NEFSC Surveys (Continued) Early Surveys and Research Vessels From 1871, surveys of marine life in local waters have been conducted out of Woods Hole. In 1880, the lab’s first research vessel, RV Fish Hawk, was purchased by the U.S. Fish Commission beginning a long standing tradition of research vessels that is continued today by the FSV Henry B. Bigelow. RV Fish Hawk Sorting the catch on an early survey Return to Main Menu Next Slide

5. History of NEFSC Surveys (Continued) Surveys Today and Into the Future – Where do you as a volunteer fit in? The Ecosystems Surveys Branch conducts surveys that provide consistent, unbiased estimates of relative abundance for many finfish and shellfish species in the Northeast region.The Bottom Trawl surveys have been conducted since 1963 and serve as the basis for some of the longest time series of standardized fishery-independent indices of relative abundance in the world. The scallop and clam surveys began in the late 1970s and the fisheries acoustic surveys in 1998. Our main survey platform, the FSV Henry B. Bigelow, is the second of NOAA’s four new acoustically quiet fisheries research vessels and incorporates a state-of-the-art fish handling system, see story for more info. As a volunteer on a survey, you will serve as fully-fledged member of a survey's scientific party. The Ecosystems Surveys Branch places great value on the participation of volunteers and they are integral to the conduct of our surveys and data collection processes. Welcome aboard. FSV Henry B. Bigelow Return to Main Menu Next Slide

6. Research Methods on a NEFSC Survey • Stratified Random Design: • Station locations are randomly selected within geographic strata. • Strata were determined by depth and region. • NEFSC Survey Objectives • Monitor trends in abundance, biomass and recruitment • Monitor the geographic distribution of species • Monitor ecosystem changes • Monitor trends in biological parameters (growth, mortality and maturation rates) of the stocks • Collect environmental data • (What is the statistical population we are trying to sample?) More information and past cruise results can be found on the Ecosystem Survey Branch web site at http://www.nefsc.noaa.gov/esb/ Return To Main Menu

7. Video Presentation The following video was taken on a Spring Bottom Trawl Survey aboard the our retired survey vessel, the Albatross IV. It will give a good overview of what you can expect aboard one of our cruises. This video is for use with this CD only. Any other use of the video, including the reproduction, modification, distribution, transmission, republication, display, or performance, is strictly prohibited without the prior written permission of the Northeast Fisheries Science Center. The video does not reflect any official policy or position of NOAA or the Northeast Fisheries Science Center. Requires Windows Media Player Click here to play! Credit for the video: David Chevrier, NEFSC/NOAA Return to Main Menu

8. Cruise Types • Bottom Trawl Surveys (Spring & Fall) • Sea Scallop Surveys (Summer) • Surf Clam and Ocean Quahog Surveys • (Summer) • Atlantic Herring Acoustic Surveys (Fall) Return to Main Menu

9. Bottom Trawl Surveys Bottom Trawl Surveys are based on a stratified random sampling Design, in which, stations are picked randomly within predefined strata based on depth. Stations are visited in a cruise track that optimizes travel time based on weather, distance between stations and a variety of other factors. The cruise track is dynamic and determined on a daily basis by the chief scientist. Next Slide Return to Cruise Types

10. Bottom Trawl Surveys (Continued) Spring surveys are run from late February to May. Fall surveys operate from September to November. The area surveyed is divided into regions, which are typically sampled in five legs. Leg 1 – Cape-Hatteras/Mid-Atlantic Leg 2 – Southern New England/Georges Bank Leg 3 – Georges Bank/Gulf of Maine Leg 4 – Gulf of Maine These locations can be affected by weather, mechanical Breakdown or other factors! In these cases, the regions typically covered on a given leg will likely be altered. Next Slide Return to Cruise Types

11. Bottom Trawl Surveys (Continued) Bottom trawl surveys on the Bigelow use a 4-seam net, towed for 20 minutes at three knots in a direction typically toward the next station. This gives a distance covered of approximately one nautical mile. Next Slide Return to Cruise Types

12. Bottom Trawl Surveys (Continued) Setting and retrieving of the net is done by the vessel’s fishermen. Once the net is on deck, the catch is dropped into the checker. Next Slide Return to Cruise Types

13. Bottom Trawl Surveys (Continued) The scientific crew sorts the catch into buckets and baskets by species. Volunteers are not expected to know all species. Common species are easily learned by volunteers as the cruise progresses. Next Slide Return to Cruise Types

14. Bottom Trawl Surveys (Continued) The watch chief or other knowledgeable staff will assist in separating and identifying species. For volunteers, a presentation has been prepared covering some of the most commonly caught species, viewing this presentation before sailing will greatly enhance a volunteers experience at sea. View the top species caught during various bottom trawl surveys. The fish identification workshop is often run prior to sailing and tries to identify typical species that will be encountered on the upcoming leg of a bottom trawl survey. View Typical Fish Identification Workshop Next Slide Return to Cruise Types

15. Bottom Trawl Surveys (Continued) Baskets and buckets are weighed into the Fisheries Scientific Computer System (FSCS) by the watch chief and moved to sampling locations by conveyor belt. Next Slide Return to Cruise Types

16. Bottom Trawl Surveys (Continued) Once a basket or bucket has been weighed, it is moved by conveyor to individual sampling locations for measuring and further workup. This is where volunteers begin to interact with FSCS, our electronic data collection system, and will spend much of their time. If this is your first time aboard our surveys, you will begin as a recorder entering information into FSCS. Next Slide Return to Cruise Types

17. Bottom Trawl Surveys (Continued) Bottom trawl surveys involve more fish dissection and examination than other types of cruises and, therefore, volunteers will see more blood and bodily organs. Next Slide Return to Cruise Types

18. Bottom Trawl Surveys (Continued) Many fish are examined internally to determine their sex, maturity and stomach contents. Fish mortality is common, but provides valuable data used to manage the species. Next Slide Return to Cruise Types

19. Bottom Trawl Surveys (Continued) After completing a station, a general wash down of equipment and work areas is done. On the steam back to port, all lab areas used by the scientific crew must be thoroughly cleaned. Expect to be involved with some intensive cleaning of two/three weeks worth of fish gunk. Please note: participants sailing on the last leg of a survey (generally leg 4) on the Bigelow can expect to be cleaning for at least six hours. Next Slide Return to Cruise Types

20. Bottom Trawl Surveys (Continued) For volunteers sailing on bottom trawl surveys, a presentation has been prepared to give an overview of operations in the Bigelow fish lab. You are welcome to view it ahead of sailing, though do not feel you have to memorize all its contents. Staff will go over operations before and during the trip. Continue to view the presentation. Continue to Presentation Return to Cruise Types

21. BigelowFish Processing Center Click the link below to continue to each part of the Fish Processing Center • Outside Conveyor System & Checker Guide for New Sailors and Volunteers • Sorting • Working Up The Catch Return to Cruise Types

22. Outside Conveyor System & Checker Next Slide Return to Menu

23. Gear up! Hard hats and life jackets are required at all times when working out on deck. Use the starboard side door to go outside. Wait for the crane to be secured or the signal from your watch chief/ship’s crew before turning on the water system and moving to the checker. Outside Checker & Conveyor System (Continued) PRE-TOW SETUP Off On Next Slide Return to Menu

24. The Watering System helps the catch to smoothly move from the checker, up Conveyor 2 and onto Conveyor 4. The two valves need to be turned on after the catch is dumped into the checker. Another valve for the checker itself can be adjusted during the sort by the person working the checker as it is directly below where they stand. Outside Checker & Conveyor System (Continued) THE WATERING SYSTEM The Checker Conveyor 4 Conveyor 2 Water System Next Slide Return to Menu

25. Outside Checker & Conveyor System (Continued) 2) Above the conveyor belt - helps the fish to come off the belt. 3) Below conveyor belt cleans the belt as it goes around. 3) Below conveyor belt cleans the belt as it goes around. THE WATERING SYSTEM The valve for water for the conveyor belts is located on the forward, outboard side of the checker. • Checker – allows the fish to move freely in the checker and through the door. The valve for water to the checker is directly accessible to the person feeding fish onto the conveyor. Next Slide Return to Menu

26. Once the catch has been dumped and the crane has been secured, it is safe to start. Outside Checker & Conveyor System (Continued) MOVING THE CATCH INSIDE Next Slide Return to Menu

27. The door is controlled by a lever at the base of the checker. Push away from you to open the door and pull towards you to close. Leave the door slightly opened when setting up before the catch. Outside Checker & Conveyor System (Continued) THE DOOR CONTROL SYSTEM Open Close Next Slide Return to Menu

28. The wooden rake is used to move the fish toward the door and onto the conveyor. Wait till the conveyor starts before putting fish on it. Control the amount of fish per section with the rake or by opening and closing the door. 8-10 fish per section works well. If too many fish are in one section, move them down to the next section. Outside Checker & Conveyor System (Continued) MOVING THE CATCH INSIDE Next Slide Return to Menu

29. Outside Checker & Conveyor System (Continued) FISH CHECKS • Fish get caught in various locations around the checker and conveyors. • Removable trays collect fish that are washed off the conveyor and must be checked. • Before returning inside the lab, ensure the water has been turned off and the hydraulic door is closed. Return to Menu

30. Sorting Next Slide Return to Menu

31. Sorting (Continued) THE SORT Sorting the catch is a critical part of our operation at sea. Volunteers will spend a lot of time sorting off the conveyor system during their cruise. • Some important tips: • Before the sorting conveyor starts, you should ensure you are at a comfortable height and have sufficient pails, buckets and baskets around you (make sure these are turned over). • Once the conveyor starts and during the sort, sorters communicate with other to decide who will sort which species. • If you are unsure of a species ID during the sort, the watch chief and other experienced sorters can help you with its identification. • You do not need to sort every species yourself, start off slow with only a couple of species. One of the important points is if you pick up a fish put it into a container, it is OK to let fish go past. • The watch chief and the last sorter on the line will communicate to ensure the sorting conveyor is running at optimal speed. Next Slide Return to Menu

32. Sorting (Continued) SORTING LOCATIONS AND THEIR TYPICAL RESPONSIBILITIES Large/Abundant Species Large/Abundant Species or Small Species Small Species Starboard Side 6 4 2 Sorting Conveyor Weigh Station Checker 7 5 3 1 Port Side Small Species Large/Abundant Species Large/Abundant Species Small Species/Usually occupied by WC Next Slide Return to Menu

33. Sorting (Continued) ABUNDANT SPECIES AND TRASH Trash (habitat), shrimp or any abundant species can be left on the conveyor to dump into a basket at the end. Next Slide Return to Menu

34. Sorting (Continued) SENDING BUCKETS/BASKETS TO THE WEIGH STATION Step 2: Give the basket a shove to roll it onto the conveyor. Step 1: Raise the bar • Tip: • When finished sorting, group the baskets, buckets and pails together on the conveyor (no. 8) to make the watch chief’s job easier. Step 3: Notify the watch chief to start conveyor to the weigh station. Return to Menu

35. Working Up The Catch Once baskets have been weighed in and the sort has finished, the catch is worked up at three sampling locations. Cutters and recorders work in teams of two at each station. The following slides guide you (with animations) through the typical work flow once a basket is weighed. Simply click your mouse to continue through each slide. Next Slide Return to Menu

36. conveyor 10 large scale basket • After a basket has been weighed on the large scale and lifted with the lift.. • ..push it onto conveyor 10.

37. forward reverse sampling locations forward reverse conveyor 10 2 1 3 Use the control box at sampling location 1 to turn on conveyor 10.. • ..to move baskets forward toward the sampling locations. start: stop: conveyor 10 12

38. sampling locations 2 1 3 Dump fish from the basket into the trough at the sampling location you are working at Adjust the height of the sampling locations using the joystick below the table at the left end of the length board

39. Note that the length board at each station is mounted on the small scale (30kg capacity). • Tare the scale by removing all items from the length board, and pressing the tare button on the scale display. • Measure fish on length board as usual. • Without moving the fish press record to enter the fish’s weight.

40. To complete other portions of the workup, note the locations of: • knives, forceps, etc • label printers • These cabinets are watertight when latched and should be kept closed when not in use to protect the label printers!!!

41. 3 • After working up a fish discard it down the chute at that station • Be careful not to clog the chute at sampling location 3 which is smaller than the other two! • Large fish do not fit down that chute! (110cm white hake)

42. 2 1 3 • The chutes lead to conveyor 12, beneath conveyor 10, which brings fish aft and dumps them into the water-sluice which carries them overboard. • To make room for full baskets and so the cutters know how many fish remain for workup, empty baskets can be pushed off of conveyor 10 onto the floor to be washed later. Return to Menu

43. Top Species for Bottom Trawl Surveys The following slides identify the top occurring species for Bottom Trawl Surveys. You are welcome to scan through the slides and read about certain distinguishing characteristics that help identify one species from others. You may also wish to visit the following site for information about many of the commercially important species studied by the NEFSC. This site discusses the distribution and abundance of certain species, but does not cover identification traits. To visit click here: http://www.nefsc.noaa.gov/sos Return to Bottom Trawl Surveys Next Slide

44. SMOOTH DOGFISH Mustelus canis The smooth dogfish has no spines in front of the dorsal fins, with the 2nd dorsal fin being only slightly smaller than the first. Teeth in both jaws are fused into plates used for crushing. Caudal fin with distinct notch near tip. No distinct patterns on body – uniform grayish white. Anal fin present. The smooth dogfish is viviparous. Commonly encountered in Mid-Atlantic. Return to Menu Next Slide

45. SPINY DOGFISH Squalus acanthias The spiny dogfish is easily distinguished from other sharks by the two long sharp spines preceding the dorsal fins, the lack of an anal fin, small, vertically flattened cutting teeth, and various white spots on a gray body. The spiny dogfish is often encountered in huge numbers! Return to Menu Next Slide

46. WINTER SKATE Leucoraja ocellata Highly variable spotting patterns but typically spots are brown and circular (no bars or other markings). Identical to little skate, but a larger version. Can be told apart by either size (adults get >60cm) or sexual maturity at size. Females < 60cm will not have rough patch next to cloaca, males < 60 cm will not have claspers extending beyond pelvic fin. As adults they will usually have 1 or more large ocelli (dark spot surrounded by white) on each wing. Mature male winter skate shown below. Commonly encountered in Gulf of Maine/Georges Bank and throughout Mid-Atlantic. Return to Menu Next Slide

47. LITTLE SKATE Leucoraja erinacea Highly variable spotting patterns but typically spots are brown and circular (no bars or other markings). Identical to winter skate, but a smaller version. Can be told apart by examining size vs. sexual maturity. Females have rough patches next to cloaca when > 35cm. Males have claspers that extend beyond pelvic fin when > 35 cm. When smaller than 35 cm, little and winter skate cannot be told apart while at sea. Little skate have a Maximum size of 60 cm, so if what you catch is greater than that it is most certainly a winter skate. Commonly encountered in the Gulf of Maine/Georges Bank and throughout the Mid-Atlantic. Return to Menu Next Slide

48. ATLANTIC HERRING Clupea harengus The Atlantic herring has a brilliant purple-blue back, when the scales are removed (which happens easily with most herrings, as they have very delicate scales). Atlantic herring are most often confused with blueback herring, although for first time observers, herrings, in general, can be very confusing as they all have very similar appearances. Atlantic herring can be recognized by the absence of sharp scutes on the belly. Although scutes are present on the belly, they will not catch your glove if you rub toward the head. Return to Menu Next Slide

49. SILVER HAKE Merluccius bilinearis The silver hake, as the name suggests, is a brilliant silver color when the scales are present. The silver hake is distinguished from other species by having a lower jaw slightly longer than the upper, the lack of a long filament on the first dorsal fin, and a large mouth with sharp teeth. Return to Menu Next Slide

50. ATLANTIC COD Gadus morhua The Atlantic cod is one of our most important commercial species. It is distinguished from other fishes by having three dorsal fins and two anal fins. Cod also have a distinct chin barbel on the tip of the lower jaw. Cod are distinguished from other fishes of the same family by the white lateral line, the lower jaw shorter than the upper, and a large mouth with large, sharp teeth. Cod are usually brownish in color, but that can vary from a greenish brown to almost red. Cod can get quite large, up to 200 lbs. Return to Menu Next Slide