Photo: Charlie Wright
Bird Observations
During transit between daytime stations, a bird observer records location and species of various sea birds. Other Underway Operations:
Primary Productivity Incubation
Primary productivity incubation experiment: at local apparent noon (LAN; ~11:30-12:20), each day of the cruise, a primary productivity incubation experiment is started with seawater samples collected from the CTD cast.…
Sonobuoy Deployment
Sonobuoys are deployed prior to arriving on station to detect marine mammal vocalizations.Marine Mammal acousticians deploy sonobuoys about 1 mile before arriving at each CalCOFI station in order to detect…
Secchi Disc
The Secchi disc is lowered vertically through the water column until it disappears from sight.Secchi disc measurements are used to determine the 1% light level and are performed on all…
Weather Observations
Weather observations are tabulated during station, to supplement data collected continuously by shipboard integrated measurement systems (MET/SCS).Weather observations are made at each station occupied during CalCOFI cruises, typically recorded by…
PRPOOS Net Tow
The PRPOOS Net is towed vertically through the water column to collect plankton samples from the euphotic zone. The PRPOOS (Planktonic Rate Processes in Oligotrophic Ocean Systems) Net, formerly known as…
Photo: Jim Wilkinson
Pairovet Net Tow
The Pairovet Net is towed vertically through the water column to collect fish egg samples from the upper euphotic zone.The Pairovet Net consists of paired 25 cm diameter 150 μm mesh nets.…
Manta Net Tow
The Manta Net is towed horizontally to collect plankton samples from the ocean surface.The Manta Net, an improved design of the Neuston Net, is a twin-winged continuous-flow surface tow. The net is designed…
Bongo (CalBOBL) Net Tow
The Bongo Net is towed obliquely through the water column to collect plankton samples from the euphotic zone. The Bongo Net, formerly "CalBOBL", consists of paired 505 μm mesh nets…
Photo: Kayleen Fulton
CTD-Rosette Cast
The CTD-Rosette is lowered through the water column, measuring physical parameters including temperature, salinity, oxygen, fluorescence, light transmittance, nitrate, and photosynthetically active radiation (PAR). Bottles are closed at target depths,…