3 May 2001
L.M. Gould
 
 

Fellow GLOBECIANS,

Our sampling at process site 1 is proceeding fairly well despite marginal sea conditions. Winds have been out
of the west or northwest at 25-30 knots for much of our station occupation. Seas have remained at about 15 feet
with occasional 12's and occasional 20's. There have been some gear casualties. One of the strobe battery cases
on the MOC 10 was torn off yesterday and the rest of the strobe system was removed for today's tow. As it happens,
the battery bracket snapped off. We are consoling ourselves with the observation that the strobe systems are working
as well now as they ever did, which is to say, not at all. We haven't completely given up on them; maybe we can make
up a Frankenstein strobe out of the parts from the MOC 1 and MOC 10 systems.

We have now completed 2 successful MOC 10 tows and, using the tried and true eyeballing the catch technique, here
is how the animals parse out with depth: (night tows)

1000-500 m: Cyanomacurus piriei (rattail or grenadier fish), Pasiphaea scotiae, Gymnoscopelus braueri (myctophid), Gnathophausia, Bathylagus antarcticus, Euphausia triacantha, Thysanoessa macrura, Gigantocypris mulleri, Gennadas.

500-200 m: Periphylla, Electrona, Gymnoscopelus, Bathylagus (deep-sea smelt)

200-100 m: Gymnoscopelus, Electrona, Euphausia triacantha. This depth stratum had highest fish numbers.
E triacantha numbered about 50.

100-50 m: Salpa thompsoni, Euphausia triacantha, T. macrura

50 - 0 m: Periphylla, beaucoups salps, amphipods

We have had good luck with live animal captures. E. superba furcilia are very abundant and our physiological measurements
are going well.

We will be moving onto the shelf tomorrow night late and will spend 2 d sampling there before moving to Process station 2.
We have divided process station 1 into a shelf site and a deep sampling site. Meng's ADCP survey grid gave us a nice
baseline of bathymetry, backscatter data, and circulation within process station 1.

Hope all is well with y'all on the Palmer.

Hasta luego, Jose