Southwest Fisheries Science Center's David Demer showcases the operation of NOAA Fisheries Service's new Autonomous Underwater Vehicle (AUV). Travel with the AUV underwater and learn how the AUV will advance NOAA's abililty to support ecosystem-based fisheries management. Learn More here...
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The Solomon Islands leatherback turtle expedition begins at Sasakolo Beach on Santa Isabel Island. Team members explain the purpose of the research, meet local colleagues, and discuss the leatherback turtle conservation and monitoring initiative in the Solomon Islands.
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This year, the disruption of the seasonal upwelling process within Californian waters is having an adverse effect on marine life and few leatherbacks have been seen.
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From Point Conception to the Mexican border, government scientists and recreational fishermen work cooperatively to map rockfish habitat and identify species using passive acoustic methods and underwater video.
The team prepares to attach a satellite-linked transmitter to a leatherback turtle at Litoghahira Beach on Santa Isabel Island. Several of the leatherbacks nesting on this beach are unusually large, highlighting the importance of beach monitoring data.
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The Continuous Underway Fish Egg Sampler, or CUFES, is a machine that continuously pumps a sample of water from the top 3 meters of the ocean while the ship is moving. The water is filtered in order to trap all of the floating fish eggs which are then identified and logged into a data software program.
The team visits Baniata Village at Rendova Island. Beaches adjacent to this village once supported a large leatherback nesting population. Today, a community-based conservation and monitoring program is working to restore leatherbacks to these beaches.
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The team attaches a satellite-linked transmitter and a Passive Integrated Transponder (PIT tag) to a leatherback turtle at Litoghahira Beach on Santa Isabel Island. A Solomon Islands biologist expresses the benefits of collaboration with NOAA scientists.
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The NOAA Fisheries Survey Vessel(FSV) Oscar Dyson is very quiet while underway, allowing scientists to detect faint echoes from fish schools and other marine life, with little interference from ship noise.
A CTD is a device that measures the Conductivity, Temperature, and Depth of the water column. The CTD is lowered by a winch to 200 meters depth and sensors on the device that are linked to a computer on board create a profile of the water column. Water samples can be taken at different depths, triggered by the scientist on board.
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Leatherbacks are known to migrate to Monterey Bay from Indonesia to feed on jellyfish. The upwelling process that is part of the productive Californian coastal ecosystem provides ideal forage habitat for leatherbacks and other marine life.
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Footage from the ROV on 11/10/04 at Tanner Bank off of southern California of a school of small mola 30-40 cm in length. These fish were at 55 m depth at a water temperature of 13.4?C.
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Trawl nets are towed through the water behind the ship at predetermined stations in order to sample adult fish. The fish are categorized by species and length/weight measurements are also taken.
This video shows scientists and the fishing community working together to assess the rockfish stocks in the Southern California Bight using echosounders mounted on NOAA and sportfishing vessels, and cameras deployed from a remotely operated vehicle (ROV). http://swfsc.noaa.go v/textblock.aspx?id= 10460&parentmenuid=4 48
Researchers use a new method to attach miniature depth recorders and radio transmitter to leatherbacks using a suction cup and gain new insights into the behavior of these animals feeding on jellyfish undisturbed in their natural environment. http://swfsc.noaa.go v/textblock.aspx?id= 8896&parentmenuid=44 8
During the Coastwide Sardine Survey, specialists using high powered binoculars identified and counted all of the marine mammals and seabirds to come within 300 meters of the ship.
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Copper rockfish can be found from the northern Gulf of Alaska to central Baja California. Off southern California they are mostly found to depths of 90 meters.
![NOAA Fisheries Service\](http://img.youtube.com/vi/4NeCYdHCeIU/2.jpg "NOAA Fisheries Service\")
