Cruises

0204JD CalCOFI Cruise Scientific Report 28 Mar - 3 Apr 2002

CalCOFI cruise 0204JD has so far seen exceptionally smooth seas and only a minor technical problems. Apart from our fluorometer, all systems are working well as we complete the second line of our regular six line pattern. We measured oxygen concentrations greater than 8 ml/L in the green waters just off Del Mar and now we are seeing what appears to be a persistent negative temperature anomaly averaging between one half to a full degree Celsius. Most unusual, perhaps were our observations of red pelagic crabs

off Dana Point; usually these are associated with warm water masses advected from the south, as happens during El Nino.
National Marine Fisheries sardine and anchovy egg counts are low, in contrast to recent years and when compared to counts done a week earlier on the NOAA ship R/V McArthur. Their efforts were concentrated on the areas between our present track pattern.
This spring's CalCOFI cruise has been especially productive thanks to the great efforts of our new CalCOFI tech, Karie Holterman. Her double time efforts in the radiation van will hopefully answer a few basic questions we are asking ourselves about our efforts to estimate primary production accurately.
Our bird observers report that despite good weather and visibility they have seen low numbers of birds. However this is not unexpected this far offshore and beyond the shelf. Daily there have been a scattering of Leaches Storm-Petrels, the high count for a day being about 14. Closer to shore we had a few Pink-footed Shearwaters, but no Sooties, a few Northern Fulmars feeding on a seal carcass floating in the water and a couple Pomarine Jaegers. A few Black-footed Albatross have begun to follow the ship, but the numbers are not high. On Apr 1st there were at least 6 individuals in the wake and flying about the ship. It was also the first day that we encountered some small flocks of Red Phalaropes and observed distant flocks of shorebirds heading north (possibly Dowitchers and Black-Bellied Plovers). A couple migrant land birds have been about the ship, Fox Sparrow, Western Meadowlark and AudubonÌs Warbler. A small number of marine mammal sightings thus far: several small groups of Common Dolphin, 1 small group of Pacific White-sides, a few DallÌs Porpoise and a pod of 4-5 finback whales among the omnipresent vellela. Other sightings of interest include a small group (6-7) of BairdÌs Beaked-Whales and an ocean sunfish (mola mola) feeding on the jellyfish Vellela that was as thick as shag carpeting around the ship at times. But now that we left Vellela in our wake we are hoping the future of our discoveries is bright as we continue our way up the coast.
Our thanks go out to the captain and crew for working hard to keep us on schedule and to the cooks for serving up some delightful wahoo in imaginative ways. The food is truly ono (the best).

David Wolgast, IOD/SIO

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