California Cooperative Oceanic Fisheries Investigations

• CalCOFI 1001NM: 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: 23 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: 27 Apr - 17 May 2010 on NOAA R/V Miller Freeman. Departs San Diego, Offloads Port Hueneme.
  
• CalCOFI 1008NM: 30 Jul - 17 Aug 2010 on SIO R/V New Horizon. Loading days 27 - 29 Jul 2010.
  
• CalCOFI 1010NM: 28 Oct - 16 Nov 2010 on SIO R/V New Horizon. Loading days 25-27 Oct 2010.

All scientists and cruise participants going to sea on SIO RV New Horizon must submit these forms:

• Physical Ability to Work at Sea (submitted for every cruise)
  
• Drug, Alcohol & Sexual Harassment Aboard Ship Policy (submitted once per year, good for all SIO vessels)
  
• (Optional) Medical History - recommended if you have a condition that requires regular medication

SIO New Horizon: Current Schedule
The 170-foot oceanographic research vessel New Horizon, owned by UCSD, is a working platform for oceanographic cruises by Scripps Institution of Oceanography.

• New Horizon Handbook - Welcome Aboard and general information about the vessel.
• Scientific Equipment - The equipment available for cruise
• Deck plans - deck, lab and berthing layout
• Communications: VHF voice, HF radio voice and TELEX, cell telephone voice and FAX, INMARSAT voice, data and FAX.
  • In-port San Diego: phone number: (858) 534-1648
  • At Sea: INMARSAT phone number: 011-872-1501554; INMARSAT fax: 011-872--81-1501554
  • INMARSAT area code is 872 when ship is in Pacific; other codes are 871, 873, or 874 for east Atlantic, west Atlantic, Indian Ocean.
    
  • Photos from New Horizon web page

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 1010NM: 21 Oct - 7 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 staff 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 (some experience at sea or seasickness awareness);
• good health;
• scientific interest and 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.

CRUISE DATES: January 12 - February 6, 2010. Loading 7 - 11 Jan.
PROJECT: CalCOFI Survey, Fisheries Resources Division.
Prepared: December 14, 2009 F/SWC1:AEH (pdf version).

ITINERARY: Leg I: Depart San Diego, California at 0800 on January 12, 2010. Prior to occupying the first CalCOFI station, we will calibrate the Simrad EK-60 sounder in San Diego Bay. Once calibrating technicians are put ashore at Nimitz Marine Facility, we will proceed to the first CalCOFI station 93.3/26.7 (position 32° 57.4'N/117° 18.3'W) and begin a pattern up to and including line 83.3 (see attached cruise track). The New Horizon will transfer personnel in Ventura, Ca.

 Leg II: After the personnel transfer, the New Horizon will continue the cruise pattern to include line 70.0.  We will transfer personnel in Monterey, Ca.

Leg III: After the personnel transfer, the New Horizon will proceed to station 67.1/47.7(position 36° 47.9'N/121° 50.8'W) and continue the pattern to complete work offshore on line 60.0(see attached cruise track). The vessel will return to San Diego, California on February 6, 2010.

SVP DRIFTER DEPLOYMENT

  1004MF CalCOFI

SPECIFIC DEPLOYMENT LOCATIONS (13 drifters total, deployed at 7 stations)

sta 86.7 40.0 - 2 drifters; #93561 and #93562; ~100 m separation

sta 86.7 45.0 - 2 drifters; #93563 and #93564; ~100 m separation

sta 86.7 50.0 - 2 drifters; #93565 and #93566; ~100 m separation

sta 86.7 55.0 - 2 drifters; #93567 and #93568; ~100 m separation

sta 83.3 60.0 - 1 drifter; #93569

sta 83.3 55.0 - 2 drifters; #93570 and #93571; ~100 m separation
sta 83.3 51.0 - 2 drifters; #93572 and #93573; ~100 m separation

 

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