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Oregon II’s Primary mission is the support of the NOAA Pascagoula, MS Laboratory as a platform for scientific research in the Gulf of Mexico and beyond. The SEAMAP Summer Groundfish Cruise is an important part of the Pascagoula Lab’s annual collection of surveys. Oregon II spent 38 days at sea covering a region from Brownsville, TX to Destin, FL collecting data. Data collection consists of deploying a Conductivity, Temperature, and Depth (CTD) rosette that observes the water conditions that the organisms are living in, followed by a 30 minute bottom trawl. Shrimp and other groundfish are caught by dragging the net on the surface of the sea floor. The cycle is concluded by bringing the bottom trawl to the surface where the organisms are characterized and counted.
 From left to right: SCI Herron Wise, SCI Aspen Nero, SCI Andre Debose, SCI Adam Pollack, F Mike Conway steady the trawl net as it is emptied into baskets for further processing. |
 Trawl “doors” are suspended from an “outrigger” on Oregon II’s port side. The trawl is performed by allowing the doors to fall into the water as the ship maneuvers at a predetermined speed. The motion of the ship forces the doors to spread apart and open the mouth of the trawl net, allowing organisms and groundfish to collect in the rear of the net as the net is towed along the sea surface. |
 Trawl doors being hauled back to the surface. |
 Notice the faint green hue of the trawl net. |
 Doors breaking the water’s surface. |
 The doors will come together, thereby closing the net, as they are pulled higher out of the water. |
 Doors at the block. Once the net is hoisted aboard using a crane on the stern, the trawl is completed. Off to the next station! |
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• URL: http://www.moc.noaa.gov/ot/visitor/seamap2009/seamap_2009.html
• Updated: September 11, 2009
