California Cooperative Oceanic Fisheries Investigations

• CalCOFI 1010NH: 28 Oct - 15 Nov 2010 on SIO R/V New Horizon.  Loading days 25-27 Oct 2010.

• CalCOFI 1001NH: 12 Jan - 6 Feb 2010 on SIO R/V New Horizon.  Departs San Diego, returns to San Diego.  Loading days: 7-11 Jan 2010.
• CalCOFI 1004MF Leg 1: 26 Mar - 10 Apr 2010 on NOAA R/V Miller Freeman.  Departs San Diego, Offloads Port Hueneme
  
• CalCOFI 1004MF Leg 2: 11 Apr - 23 Apr 2010 on NOAA R/V Miller Freeman.  Departs San Francisco, Offloads San Diego
  
• CalCOFI 1004MF Leg 3: 26 Apr - 17 May 2010 on NOAA R/V Miller Freeman.  Departs San Diego, Offloads Port Hueneme
• CalCOFI 1008NH: 30 Jul - 18 Aug 2010 on SIO R/V New Horizon.  Loading days 27 - 29 Jul 2010.

Scientific operations on CalCOFI cruises are performed around the clock 7 days a week. Scientists, technicians, and volunteers usually work 12hr shifts scheduled from noon to midnight or midnight to noon. Although transit times between stations can vary and are heavily influenced by sea state, transits between stations 20NM (nautical miles; eg. 93.50 to 93.55) apart take 2hrs; transits between stations 40NM apart (eg. 93.60 to 93.70) take 4hrs. The time to complete work on a station varies as well but a typical station takes ~2.5hrs. Longer stations are: primary productivity stations (~3hrs, daily at noon); basin stations (~3hrs, 2 per cruise); 3500m deep CTD casts (~5hrs, 2 per cruise); Oozeki trawl stations (~3.5hrs, ~12 per cruise); DIC stations (~3hrs, 9 per cruise).

Each standard CalCOFI station usually includes the following:

• A Seabird 9/11plus CTD/Rosette consisting of 24 10-liter hydrographic bottles is lowered to 500 meters (depth permitting) measuring physical parameters (temperature, salinity, oxygen, fluorescence, transmittance, NO3 and PAR); bottles are closed at discrete depths isolating seawater for analysis of: oxygen concentration, salinity, nutrients, chlorophyll and phytoplankton.
• A CalBOBL (CalCOFI Bongo) standard oblique plankton tow with 300 meters of wire out, depth permitting, using paired 505 um mesh nets with 71 cm diameter openings. The technical requirements for this tow are: Descent rate of 50 meters per minute. All tows with ascending wire angles lower than 38 degrees or higher than 51 degrees in the final 100 meters of wire will be repeated. Additionally, a 45 degrees wire angle should be closely maintained during the ascent and descent of the net frame. The Bongo frame is fitted with a self-contained OPC (Optical Particle Counter) mounted inside the port side opening.
• A Manta net (neuston) tow, using a 505 um mesh net on a frame with a mouth area of 0.1333 m^2. The Manta net is towed at surface, sampling 8cm below the air-sea interface, for 15mins at ~1.5kts.
• A Pairovet (vertical) plankton tow is performed at all stations inshore of, and including station 70. The Pairovet net fishes from 70 meters to the surface (depth permitting) using paired 25 cm diameter 150 um mesh nets. The technical requirements for Pairovet tows are: Descent rate of 70 meters per minute, ascent rate of 70 meters per minute. All tows with wire angles exceeding 15 degrees during the ascent will be repeated.
• A PRPOOS (Planktonic Rate Processes in Oligotrophic Ocean Systems) vertical net tow is performed at all stations on line 90.0 and 80.0 as well as stations out to and including station 70.0 on lines 86.7 and 83.3. These stations are occupied as part of the LTER(Long Term Ecological Reserve) project. The mesh of the PRPOOS net is 202 um and the tow is a vertical cast up from 210 meters.

Opportunities to volunteer on CalCOFI Cruises in 2010

• CalCOFI 1010NH: 28 Oct - 15 Nov 2010 on SIO R/V New Horizon. Departs San Diego, returns to San Diego.

Interested in participating in an oceanographic cruise? CalCOFI cruises are staffed by personnel from the three supporting agencies: NMFS/NOAA, IOD/SIO, & CDF&G. Volunteers are often recruited to help deploy equipment, collect data, and draw and analyze samples.

General criterias are:

• sea-worthiness (experience at sea, recreational is acceptable);
• good health;
• scientific background;
• ability to follow detailed instructions carefully;
• ability to work safely on an oceanographic cruise.
• availability - most cruises are 16 - 18 days; some winter & spring cruises are longer.
  
• ability to work a 12hr watch (noon to midnight or midnight to noon)

Additional information is available in the CalCOFI Handbook. If you are interested in participating, please send a resume and a brief description of your seagoing experience and interests to This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it at Scripps Institution of Oceanography.

SVP DRIFTER DEPLOYMENT

ICESS Lagrangian Drifter, Near-Shore Ocean Circulation Research Real-Time Drifter Tracking.

Click this link to see drifter data from recent CalCOFI deployments.

CRUISE:  1004MF CalCOFI

Figure 1 – Stations for drifter deployment (since July 2009) identified with surrounding red rectangles and numerical indication of quantity (1 or 2 drifters).

• Bongo or CalBOBL Net - two circles, 0.71 m in diameter, with a central yoke which connects to the towing cable. The nets are 3 m in length, a 1.5 m cylindrical portion joined to 1.5 m conical portion tapering to a detachable cod end. At least one (starboard net), the principal ichthyoplankton sample net, is made from 0.505 mm square mesh nylon. The sample from the port side net is used for other purposes; the mesh size is either 0.505 mm or 0.333 mm depending on requirements. The cod end of each net is constructed of 0.333 mm mesh. The ratio of mesh aperture area to mouth area is 4.8:1 for the 0.505 mesh net. Plankton samples are obtained by retrieving the sampler at an oblique angle. A 22 kg weight is attached to the bottom of yoke frame. While the survey ship is making 1-2 knots, a fixed amount of towing cable is paid out, the net  is held at depth for 30 seconds and then retrieved at a constant rate (20 m/min). Ship speed is adjusted to maintain the towing cable at a constant angle to the vertical ( 45 degrees +/- 3 degrees). During each plankton tow 300 m of towing cable is paid out; thus the vertical depth sampled is approximately 210 m. In shallow areas the amount of towing cable paid out is adjusted so that the net fished to approximately 15 m off the bottom.
• Pairovet or CalVET - 0.25 m in diameter pair; the nets are 1.5 m in length, a 0.8 m cylindrical portion joined to 0.6 m conical portion tapering to a 0.1 m cod end.
  
  • 1980 - 1982: net was 0.333 mm square mesh nylon;
  • 1983 - 1985: net was 0.150 mm square mesh nylon.

• MANTA -The twin winged continuous-flow surface tow, is used for samples on the ocean surface minimizing wake disturbance from the ship. The MANTA Net is an improved design from the Neuston Net and is capable of continuous-flow collection of organisms at the ocean surface. The frame is  supported at the ocean surface by a pair of aquaplanes projecting at right angles from the paravanes. The net is towed by a wire yoke with one short bridle and one long bridle in order to angle the net from the ship. The net is nylon, nominally .505 mm square mesh with a .333mm codend.

1. CAL1MOBL - standard CALCOFI plankton sampler from 1951 through 1978.  1-meter in diameter, net (approximately 4 m) was attached.
2. MOCNESS - is used for specialized tows for zooplankton. The MOCNESS or Multiple Opening/Closing Net and Environmental Sensing System is based on the Tucker Trawl principle and is manufactured by Biological Environmental Sampling Systems (B.E.S.S.). M1 is a 1 meter^2 frame with 10 nets. M2 is a 10 meter^2 frame with six nets.