2009 Cooperative Monkfish Survey |
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| Vessel Email Reports | F/V Endurance Leg 5 |
| Thursday, 30 April 2009 | Things have gotten a bit frustrating on the Endurance since last message. They have not been able to find enough fish for another depletion experiment. After numerous attempts in known monkfish habitat and at sites of depletions from previous years, they have now returned to the area that they and the Mary K had success a few days ago. Hopefully they will be able to get one more experiment done before heading home. I predict they will hit the fish just about the time everyone is exhausted form looking. |
| Wednesday, 29 April 2009 | The crew on the Endurance has spent the last day working on a depletion experiment with the rockhopper net. Things were going well until the tide turned and the catches jumped rather than dropped. It seems the current is affecting the actual placement of the net or is causing the fish to move. They will go back to working with the cookie net in the hopes of improving the outcome. More tomorrow, Rob |
| Tuesday, 28 April 2009 | Just had a chat with Alicia on the Endurance. They spent all of yesterday searching for a depletion site and just when they were about to give up and get some rest, they finally found the fish. This was at midnight and they had to work until 7 am to finish the experiment. They are now getting some well earned rest and will start another experiment this afternoon. Hopefully they will still be in the fish. Everyone keep your fingers crossed. Rob |
| Monday, 27 April 2009 | The
Endurance left New Bedford about 11am last Thursday and headed for southeast
Georges. After a bumpy ride out the weather settled down and they began
picking away at the last 8 stations of the survey. They had a rough time
with a few tear-ups in the deep strata but managed to get all the stations
done by early Sunday. Check out some interesting catch data below!
They attempted one depletion experiment after the survey tows were done, but did not find fish. They will continue working their way west looking for enough fish to work on. They have been in touch with the Mary K and will likely end up in their general area (sw of the lightship) before long. Station, Strata-tow, kg, number, notes 410, strata 13, depletion attempt -
no monks |
| Saturday, 25 April 2009 | SENT
BY BOATRACS BOAT-TO-EMAIL SERVICE
FROM:ENDURANCE |
| Vessel Email Reports | F/V Endurance Leg 4 |
| Sunday, 29 March 2009 | The
Endurance returned to port about 4pm Sunday. The weather was deteriorating
on Georges and the forecast looks bad for a couple of days. They completed
10 tows while they were out there (including one re-tow). Here is the
specific information:
Station, Strata-Tow, KG, Number, Notes |
| Thursday, 26March 2009 | After a few days delay due to weather, the Endurance left New Bedford on Leg 4 of the Cooperative Monkfish Survey today at 11am. They will begin working just east of the Great South Channel on the southwest part of Georges. |
| Vessel Email Reports | F/V Endurance Leg 3 |
| Tuesday, 17 March 2009 | The
Endurance is finishing up work in strata 23 and 24, the northern most
portion of the Great South Channel. The have completed 5 tows with a hang
mixed in since their last message. They expect to work there way home,
through strata 9, and arrive in New Bedford tomorrow afternoon.
Stations since last update: Station, Strata-tow, Kg, Number, Notes |
| Monday, 16 March 2009 | The
Endurance crew has been very busy since we spoke on Friday - they have
completed 18 stations since that time. The weather is good and everyone
is having an enjoyable trip. They are moving into an area (strata 23/24)
where Armando hopes to see enough monks for a depletion experiment or
two. We'll keep our fingers crossed for them.
Stations since last report: Station, Strata-tow, Kg, Number, Notes |
| Friday, 13 March 2009 | The
seas settled down yesterday afternoon and the Endurance crew was back
at work about 3pm. Since that time they have completed five stations.
They are presently working in Franklin Basin just north of Georges and
Cultivator shoals. The weather looks good for the next few days so I expect
they should continue to make significant progress. Hopefully they will
be up on Georges before too long. Stations since last report:
Station, Strata-tow, kg, number, notes |
| Thursday, 12 March 2009 | Yesterdays
lovely weather has caught up with the Endurance. They completed one tow
after yesterdays message and things went down hill soon after. They have
been jogging around 28-4 ever since and hope to begin working again later
tonight. The forecast is good for the next 4 or 5 days so they will have
the opportunity to catch up when things settle down. Be thankful you are
on land today rather than in the GOM!
Station, Strata-tow, kg, number |
| Wednesday, 11 March 2009 | From
Russ on the Endurance. They have been working in the Gulf of Maine since
early this morning. It is a bit windy but still manageable with 4 to 6
foot seas. They have completed 2 tows so far and should be setting out
the third about noon. Progress so far:
Station, Strata-tow, kg, number, notes |
| Vessel Email Reports | F/V Endurance Leg 2 |
| Wednesday, 3 March 2009 | The
Endurance left Cape Cod Bay at 2am Tuesday and headed for the Great South
Channel to resume the survey. Since that time they have completed 6 tows
(see below), with no monkfish catches They plan to do 3 or 4 more stations
before heading to the barn and expect to arrive in New Bedford mid to
late morning tomorrow.
We couldn't have hoped for a more successful cruise. They accomplished many station, even with a loss of time due to weather. And recovering our shrimp survey gear was a real boon - a very BIG cherry on the top. Everyone did a great job. Station, Strata-tow, kg, number, notes nearly ready to tow at 10-1 |
| Tuesday, 3 March 2009 | Things
have gotten exciting on the Endurance since the last message. They broke
off survey work late in the afternoon on Friday in the hopes of finding
a shrimp trawl, doors and all, that we left on the bottom off Cape Anne
some time ago. They located the gear on the sounder during the first pass.
On the second pass with the grapple they hit pay dirt and after only 2
hours, at about 9:30pm, all the gear was secure on board. They steamed
into Gloucester where all was boomed onto our flatbed Saturday morning.
The vessel departed Gloucester about 3pm and began survey work N of Gloucester. They completed 4 stations before having to head in due to weather (see below). As of yesterday they were anchored up off Provincetown in the lee of the Cape. The plan was to leave port after the wind turned to the NW and start working the Great South Channel stations SE of the Cape in hopes of getting some protection. The wind never really made it to the NW so they may still be on the hook. We'll hear more in a couple of hours. Station, Strata-Tow, KG, Number, Notes |
| Friday, 27 February 2009 | The
Endurance continues to work it's way north in the western Gulf of Maine.
They are now off Ipswich Bay and things are going well. Here is their
progress since yesterday:
Station, Strata-tow, Kg, Number, Notes Tow 341 at 27-3 is in the water. Once this tow is processed they will break off and spend a few hours trying to grapple up a shrimp net we left on a wreck some months ago. Keep your fingers crossed. |
| Thursday, 26 February 2009 | Things
are going well on the Endurance. They have completed 4 tows since the
last update and are setting up for the fifth. They are working the southern
portion of the Gulf of Maine and will soon be in Mass Bay heading north
offshore of Cape Anne. Everyone is doing well and the weather is holding.
Station, Strata-Tow, Kg, Number, Notes 331, 28-8, 17.1, 14 332, 28-6, 20.02, 12 333, 28-1, 121.46, 26, inclinometer 334, 23-3, 0, 0at 26-2 and switching to cookie sweep |
| Wednesday, 25 February 2009 | The
Endurance reached it's first tow at 4am today after leaving New Bedford
yesterday at 11 am. They hung a few minutes into the first tow and had
to haul back. There was no damage and they re-towed very near the original
site. The are now doing their fourth station (see list below). The weather
is good and the new crews (both scientific and ship) are getting the routine
down. Station, Strata-Tow, Kg, Number, Notes 328, 24-4, Hung-aborted 329, 24-7,1.46,3, retow of 328 330, 28-2, 53.34, 22, special sampling 331, 28-8, in water now |
| Tuesday, 24 February 2009 | F/V Endurance left New Bedford at 11am this morning for leg 2 of the 2009 survey. The Endurance will begin on stations east of the Cape and work their way back up into the GOM. |
| Vessel Email Reports | F/V Endurance Leg 1 |
| Wednesday, 18 February 2009 | All, Station Strata-Tow KG Number Notes They are heading to 27-2 and will keep working as long
as the weather holds. |
| Tuesday, 17 February 2009 | After
making some relatively minor repairs on Friday in Rockland Maine, the
F/V Endurance headed back out at 4:30 pm Saturday. They are making slow
but steady progress. They have been dealing with a lot of hard-bottom
and even more lobster gear. Most of the stations have had to be moved,
some a significant distance (see below). Even though, they are plowing
ahead and I am very pleased with their progress. Below is the list of
stations accomplished since they left on Saturday.
Station Strata-tow Kg Number Notes Rob |
| Thursday, 12 February 2009 | All, Just heard from Sean. Things continue to go well with calm seas and good weather. They are working close to shore way downeast and are preparing for some bad weather to move in later today. All equipment is holding together and the fisherman and scientists are in the groove. Here is their progress since yesterday: Station Strata-tow Kg Number Notes Thanks, Rob |
| Wednesday, 11 February 2009 | SENT
BY BOATRACS BOAT-TO-EMAIL SERVICE Anne, station
strata-tow kg number note Sean
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