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Winter Cruise - 2015 - Savannah

Project Title:	2015 Cooperative Winter Tagging Cruise	Project Status:	Submitted
Principal Investigator:	Reid W. Laney, SAFCO	Project Institution:	SAFCO
Project ID:	104618	Version #:	1
Date Submitted:	11/2/2014 2:59:00 AM	Created By:	Reid W. Laney
Date Last Modified:	11/2/2014 2:59:00 AM	URI Serial #:	None
Funding Agencies:	NOAA/NMFS - NONE - Funded STATE - NONE - Funded
Summary of Field Work:	Objective 1 – Capture, document, tag and release striped bass on the NC/VA wintering grounds. The R/V Savannah (National Science Foundation research vessel based in Skidaway, GA, and operated jointly by the Skidaway Institute of Oceanography) will be chartered for ten days during January-February of each winter (2014 and 2015) to conduct trawling operations 24/7 using gear provided by NMFS (Pascagoula Laboratory). The USFWSwill solicit and recruit Scientific Party members for the Cruise from partner agencies and institutions, and will provide all needed equipment and supplies. The USFWS, Maryland Fishery Resources Office, will supply staff and all internal anchor tags for striped bass. Trawls will be pulled for 10 to 30 minutes for consistency from the previous years, and to comply with NMFS permit conditions. Duration of the tow time will be dependent on the fullness of the trawl net – we want to minimize any stress or damage to fish caused by nets too full of catch. The GPS coordinates, speed, temperature (ºC), and salinity (ppt) will be recorded for each tow. Upon retrieval, the total catch will be sorted and enumerated by species; striped bass, Atlantic sturgeon, and other species to be tagged will be held in once-through flowing seawater tanks. Each striped bass captured will be measured (TL), tagged with a USFWS internal anchor tag, and released. Preliminary data from the 2010 Cruise indicated that vented fish survive as well or better than unvented fish (USFWS, unpublished data), so fish will be vented if necessary (tows deeper than 75 feet). During the Cruise period, up to ten trips will be conducted on approved charter sportfishing vessels from appropriate ports (Hatteras or Oregon Inlet, NC; Rudee Inlet, VA) to conduct hook and line capture operations. The USFWS (Laney) will secure all necessary authorizations and approvals for trawling in Virginia waters and conducting operations (trawling or sportfishing) in the EEZ. All striped bass captured by hook and line will be measured to the nearest mm and tagged with USFWS internal anchor tags provided by USFWS. Data recorded, in addition to the information on individual tagged fish, will include location (latitude/longitude), air and water temperature, time, depth and salinity, and vessel speed. Using trawl-caught fish and hook-and-line caught fish will enable a comparison of fishery-independent, versus fishery-dependent tagged cohorts. Data entry will be conducted by the Maryland Department of Natural Resources—Fisheries Service (releases) and the USFWS, Maryland Fish and Wildlife Conservation Office (recaptures). All data will be available to all partners. Objective 2 – Characterize the age structure of the stock on the winter grounds. Scale samples will be taken from a subsample of striped bass using the CWTC protocol (five fish from each 5 mm length group below 800 mm TL; all fish above 800 mm TL sampled). Age data will be entered by MDNR-FS and available to all partners. Objective 3 – Estimate fishing mortality (F) of the coastal migratory stock. Recapture data will be analyzed annually by the ASMFC Striped Bass Technical Committee, Striped Bass Tagging Subcommittee. Objective 4 – Map the distribution of striped bass and associated species during the winter. All striped bass, Atlantic sturgeon and other species capture localities as specified and/or desired by NCDMF and/or other partners will be entered into a GIS database and shapefiles created to enable mapping. Mapping may be done by any partner since the data will be accessible to all; however, assistance for Striped Bass mapping may be provided by the USFWS, Ecological Services Field Office, Raleigh, NC . Objective 5 -- Map the movements and migration of striped bass using recapture data. Striped bass recaptures will be reported to the toll-free number maintained by USFWS, Maryland Fishery Resources Office, Annapolis, MD. Data will be entered into the USFWS database and made available to all partners. Maps will be generated to show the location of all striped bass commercial and recreational recaptures which are reported. Objective 6 -- If possible employ acoustic tags in a subset of tagged striped bass to assess catch/release mortality of trawl-caught versus hook-and-line caught fish. Data on any striped bass acoustically-tagged during Cruise operations would be provided to all Cruise partners by Dr. Secor and his associates. Dr. Secor and associates would undertake all the necessary data analyses for his released tags, and the Rulifson lab will be responsible for the acoustic tag analyses released by his lab. Objective 7 – Capture, document, tag and release any Atlantic sturgeon encountered during the Cruise. Using the protocol reported in Laney et al. (2007), all Atlantic sturgeon encountered during Cruise trawling operations will be measured (nearest mm TL), sampled for tissue (tissue to be deposited in the NMFS sturgeon tissue repository in Charleston, SC), and implanted with USFWS PIT and t-bar tags. Objective 8 – Tag Atlantic sturgeon over 800 mm TL with acoustic tags. Any Atlantic sturgeon over 800 mm TL will be surgically implanted with an acoustic tag, in collaboration with Dr. Dewayne Fox and associates of Delaware State University. Dr. Fox and his former graduate student Matthew Breece conducted acoustic tagging of Atlantic sturgeon during the 2009 and 2010 Cruises. Fourteen Atlantic sturgeon were successfully implanted and all have subsequently been detected in various listening arrays (D. Fox and M. Breece, Delaware State University, personal communication and unpublished data. East Carolina University (Dr. Rulifson) was awarded a Sea Grant mini-grant in 2012 to supply additional acoustic tags; these tags were not deployed and are still available. Objective 9 – Document all alosine species encountered (alewife, American shad, blueback herring and hickory shad). All alosines captured during trawling operations will be enumerated, measured to the nearest mm TL, and retained (frozen) for further analysis in the laboratory at East Carolina University by Dr. Rulifson and associates. Locality data will be entered into GIS using ArcView for mapping to determine winter distribution and inferred habitat use. Objective 10 – Document and retain any species needed by NCDMF for aging to meet ASMFC and ACCSP targets. During all past Cruises, NCDMF staff serving as members of the Scientific Party have collected specimens of target species for aging to meet ASMFC and ACCSP annual sampling targets. Species previously collected include: Atlantic croaker (Micropogonius undulatus), kingfishes (Menticirrus spp.), spotted seatrout (Cynoscion nebulosus), summer flounder (Paralichthyes dentatus) and weakfish (Cynoscion regalis). Time permitting, specimens are measured to the nearest mm TL, and otoliths removed and retained for later processing. If time is limiting, then specimens are labeled, frozen, and transported back to ECU for post-cruise laboratory processing. Objective 11 – Completely characterize each trawl catch to document all striped bass associates. After each trawl station is completed, the entire catch will be sorted, enumerated (subsampling protocol will be followed for large catches). All elasmobranch species will be measured and gender recorded. All data will be recorded in Cruise data books provided by MDNR-FS. Objective 12 - Prepare final report of publishable quality for submission to fishery management agencies. Raw data, statistical analyses, and other findings will be made available to the ASMFC, MDFS, NCDMF, NCWRC, NMFS, and USFWS through a final report written in accordance with the CRFL Funding Data Delivery Specification document (see below). Objective 13: Atlantic menhaden will be captured and retained for later analysis by the NMFS, Beaufort Laboratory, Dr. Amy Schuler.
Summary of Facility Requirements:	Summary of facility needs: Trawl winch and suitable wire for towing; adequate deck space for working up catches; space for two 450-gallon capacity holding tanks and associated tagging table; ability to hook tanks into ambient seawater system and provide flow-through ambient seawater; ability to record environmental data associated with each tow--depth, surface salinity, sea surface temperature, air temperature, vessel speed and heading, air temperature; berthing space for up to 14 scientists; ability to support 24/7 operations; sufficient freezer space for samples.
Summary of other requirements and comments:

Type of Request:	Primary Ship Use	Request Status:	Submitted
Request ID:	1007406	Created By:	Reid W. Laney
Date Last Modified:	11/2/2014 2:59:00 AM	Date Submitted:	11/2/2014 2:59:00 AM

Year:	2015	Ship/Facility:	Savannah
Optimum Start Date:	1/8/2015	Dates to Avoid:	Any dates later than February 15 would likely not be acceptable due to departure of striped bass from wintering grounds off NC and VA.

Earliest Start Date:	1/8/2015	Multi-Ship Op:	No
Latest Start Date:	1/8/2015	Other Ship(s):


Operating Days Needed:	Science Days	Mob Days	De-Mob Days	Estimated Transit Days	Total Days
	10	0	0	4	14
Repeating Cruise? (within same year)	No	Interval:		# of Cruises:

Description of Repeating cruise requirements:
Justification/Explanation for ship choice, dates, conflicts, number of days & multi-ship operations:			We have already discussed this cruise with the R/V Savannah and that vessel is prepared to conduct this operation. We have in the past used the R/V Cape Hatteras for this work but that vessel is cost-prohibitive given our source of funding.

Short Description of Op Area for use in schedules:	Atlantic Ocean
Description of Op Area:	nearshore Atlantic Ocean between Cape Lookout, NC, and Cape Charles, VA
Op Area Size/Dia.:

	Lat/Long	Marsden Grid	Navy Op Area
Beginning	34.6054° N / 76.5363° W map 34° 36.324' N / 76° 32.178' W map	116 map	NA06 map
Ending	37.2675° N / 76.0142° W map 37° 16.05' N / 76° 0.852' W map	116 map	NA06 map
	Show Degrees Minutes

Foreign Clearance Required?	No	Coastal States:
Important Info on Foreign Research Clearances
Are you or any member in your science party bringing in any science equipment items which are regulated for export by the International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR) and/or the Export Administration Regulations (EAR)?	No	If yes, have you applied for the necessary permits through your export control office?	No
Questions about ITAR/EAR regulations?
Comments about foreign clearance requirements or description of any other special permitting requirements (e.g., MMPA, ESA, IHA, Marine Sanctuaries, etc.)

Requested Start Port	Intermediate Port(s)	Requested End Port
Savannah, GA, USA	Beaufort, NC, USA, Beaufort, NC, USA	Savannah, GA, USA
Explanation/justification for requested ports and dates of intermediate stops or to list additional port stops	Load trawl gear at R/V Savannah home port; transit to DUML, Beaufort, NC for remainder of loading; conduct tagging cruise for ten days, between Cape Lookout, NC, and Cape Charles, VA; return to Beaufort, NC, for initial demobilization, then to Savannah, GA for final demobilization.
Important Info on Working in Foreign Ports

Chief Scientist:		Reid W. Laney, SAFCO
# in Science Party	14	# of different science teams	2	# Marine Technicians to be provided by ship operator: (include in science party total)	1
Explanation of Science Party Requirements and Technician Requirements		A minimum of 12 and up to 14 scientists will comprise the Scientific Party. The Party will be divided into two Watch Teams working 6-12 and 12-6 shifts. We may add a Seabird and/or Marine Mammal observer. All personnel will need berths, three meals per day, and snacks.

Dynamic Positioning	ADCP	Multibeam	Seismic
Dredging/Coring/Large Dia. Trawl Wire	Stern A-frame	Fiber Optic (.681)	0.680 Coax Wire
SCUBA Diving	Radioisotope use - briefly describe	NO Radioisotope use/Natural level work	Other Operator Provided Inst. - Describe
0 PI-Provided Vans - briefly describe	MOCNESS

Explain Instrumentation or Capability
requirements that could affect choice
of ship in scheduling.

Ship should be able to monitor and record environmental variables associated with each tow: ship speed and heading; sea surface temperature; salinity; air temperature; depth.

Aircraft
Helicopter Ops (USCG)	Twin Otter	Unmanned Aerial Systems (UAS)
Autonomous Underwater Vehicle (AUV)
Other AUV	Sentry
Coring Facility
Jumbo Piston Coring	Large Gravity Core	MC800 multicorer w/ MISO camera/telemetry	OSU Coring Facility (MARSSAM)
Other Large Coring Facility	WHOI Long Core
Human Occupied Vehicle (HOV)
Alvin	Clelia (HBOI)	JSL I & II (HBOI)	Other HOV
Other Facility
MISO Facility - deep-sea imaging	Other Facility	Potential Fields Pool Equipment
Remotely Operated Vehicle (ROV)
Jason	Other ROV
Seismic Facility
Ocean Bottom Seismograph Instrument Center (OBSIC)	Ocean Bottom Seismograph Instrument Pool (OBSIP)	Ocean-Bottom Seismometer Program (UTIG)	Other Seismic/OBS Facility
PASSCAL	Portable MCS group	Portable MCS/SCS group	U.S. Geological Survey Ocean Bottom Seismometer Facility (USGS at WHOI)
Towed Underwater Vehicle
ARGO II	Hawaii MR1 (HMRG)	IMI12 (HMRG)	IMI120 (HMRG - formerly DSL 120A)
IMI30 (HMRG)	Other Towed Underwater Vehicle	Towfish
UNOLS Van Pool
AUV Lab Van #1	Clean Lab Van	Cold Lab Van	General Purpose Lab Van
Radioisotope Lab Van	Wet Lab Van
UNOLS Winch Pool
Mooring Spooler	Portable Winch	Turn Table

Explain Major Ancillary Facilities
Requirements and list description
and provider for "other" systems.

Associated Schedules

Ship Request History