Day Six S/V Kaisei: Catching the First Myctophid

Sunday, 9 August 2009

Lat: 33° 33.7’ N Lon: 133°30’ W

The science team was unable to conduct the midnight manta trawl due to rough seas. After much needed rest, they gathered in the morning to discuss the fish collection protocol. Dr. Margy Gassel is interested in studying fish species from the myctophid family because they are common mid-water fish that migrate to the surface at night for feeding. This means they have a high probability of ingesting small plastic debris. Myctophids represent an important trophic connection between zooplankton and other pelagic fish including species that we consume.

Dr. Gassel’s initial interest in marine biology began in high school when

she was inspired by a documentary port

raying research on right whales (Eubalaena australis) in Patagonia by Dr. Roger Payne. Many years later, she decided to pursue this interest by participating in a sail study program aboard the R/V Regina Maris on the breeding grounds of humpback whales (Megaptera novaeanglea). Following that, Dr. Gassel studied humpback whales and other marine mammals while working as a naturalist on whale-watching boats in New England. After working as a registered nurse in women’s health and as a graphic designer, Dr. Gassel returned to school to study biology at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville. While there, she had the opportunity to conduct research with an international team of scientists on the R/V Polarstern in the Arctic Ocean. Dr. Gassel is also a shareholder in the cooperatively operated S/V Alvei. Dr. Gassel completed her doctorate at the University of California at Berkeley, Department of Integrative Biology, where she studied crustacean behavior and ecology in Hawaii.

Dr.Gassel currently works as a research scientist with the California Environmental Protection Agency, whose mission is to protect public and environmental health. Never losing her passion for protecting the oceanic environment, she accepted the invitation to sail as a member of the Project Kaisei science team.

All members of the S/V Kaisei crew have been using innovative strategies to capture marine debris. Our onboard engineer Norton Smith handcrafted another trawling device onboard S/V Kaisei.

http://www.whole-systems.org/

Using a flowmeter to measure the volume of water passing through the net, this trawl will be used to catch marine debris at a depth of approximately three meters. Appropriately titled the “Norton Trawl,” it will be used throughout the research route to collect additional samples and compare to surface collections.The midnight trawl produced the first myctophid sample, which was preserved in the lab freezer aboard Kaisei for future research at the California Environmental Protection Agency. In our night trawl samples we also found nine Pacific sauries, six flying fish, two comb jellies, and four sea slugs. In addition, the science team found two pre-production plastic pellets and numerous amounts of polymer particulates. The Project Kaisei team has been astounded by the large quantity of marine debris floating by the ship, and the crew has become inspired to scoop large pieces of marine debris with hand nets for future use in educational outreach.