Author: mlmlblog

Ask a Shark Researcher

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By Diane Wyse, Physical Oceanography Lab

In the spirit of sharing exciting new student research during Shark Week, we caught up with MLML and Pacific Shark Research Center graduate student Paul Clerkin.  During the spring semester of his first year at MLML he took a two-month cruise aboard a commercial fishing vessel in the Indian Ocean for his thesis research.   During that time, Paul collected sharks that came in as bycatch of the planned fishing activities – sharks that would otherwise have been thrown back overboard because they are not among the targeted species of commercial value.  Clerkin explains that the sharks that he collected were all DOA, that very few survive under the weight of fifty tons of fish.   As part of his bycatch-only collection practices, any sharks that were still alive when the fish and sharks were sorted were promptly sent back overboard to increase their chances of survival.  Below are highlights from our interview with Paul on his latest fieldwork expedition.

Paul identifying sharks from a haul in the factory of the ship.

How long was the cruise?

I spent two months at sea, and then five weeks at Mauritius.  During that time I processed and prepared samples to ship back to MLML. Overall I spent about 100 days out of the US. I remember because I had to get my visa renewed while I was there.

How many specimens did you bring back?

We brought in around 400 to the island, and around 350 made the trip back to MLML. It was just about a ton. On top of that I have hundreds of vertebrae and spines and around 800 tissue samples.

When you collected, was it usually a consistent number per day or catch, or did the numbers vary with time and location?

The catch amounts varied greatly, some mornings I’d wake up and have no sharks to work with, during which time I’d work on data processing, and other days I’d wake up and have 16+ hours of work sitting for me on the deck.  Using bottom roller gear brought in many more sharks.

What will you do with the specimens?  Are they all to be used on your thesis project, or are some saved for other projects?

The specimens will be used both for my thesis research and will be available for future research projects. We’re looking to get a lot of use out of the data. The list of possible projects and papers is pretty long.

Paul working on deck with a false catshark. Paul comments on the critter: "This species isn’t new but it is considered to be rare. I was extremely excited the first time we found one. As we caught more false catsharks over the trip I started to suspect these sharks are not as rare as previously thought. I think they just live in remote locations relatively unexplored by science. Although it is not a new species I gathered data and information on this shark that was previously unknown and will increase our understanding of this strange animal."

Was this your longest cruise to date?

Yes, my longest cruise before this was out of AK for 90 days, but halfway through we came back to land for one day, then went back out again. After the first two weeks all the days blend together anyway.

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Life After MLML: Research from the Galapagos

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By: Paul Tompkins

MLML Phycology Lab

PhD Candidate
Leibniz Center for Tropical Marine Ecology (ZMT)

 

Research cruise, Queen Mabel, with a view
Photo by: Paul Tompkins

After my master's thesis was accepted in the fall of 2011, I began applying for PhD positions.  I was accepted at the University of Bremen's Center for Tropical Marine Ecology.  My current advisor, Dr. Matthias Wolff, leads the resource management working group within the department of ecological modelling.  He has spent many years studying the highly productive waters along the Pacific Coast of South America, and is currently leading a project in the Galapagos archipelago.  The goal of this work is to understand how upwelling influences the tropic structure of the islands, and to use this understanding to inform fisheries management in the face of climate variability.   My role in this project is to describe the biogeography of macroalgae around the Galapagos archipelago, and determine the functional role of these primary producers in the Galapagos marine tropic web.  Of particular interest is the influence of upwelling on algal species distributions, community structure, and productivity.

View from my desk at BioMar  Photo by: Paul Tompkins

I have now been in living in Puerto Ayora for two months.  During my first week here, I was living on the R/V Queen Mabel, with collaborators both from ZMT and the Charles Darwin Foundation (CDF), and surveying the Islands of Darwin, Wolf, Pinta, and the East coast of Isabella. To estimate the percent coverage of macroalgae, I used sampling protocols were similar to those used by the CDF’s ecological monitoring project.  At each site, a 50 meter transect was laid parallel to the shoreline at depths of 15 and 6 meters. Every five meters along transects, a 0.25m2 gridded quadrat with 80 intersection points was placed on the seafloor, and the primary substrate was recorded.

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6 am: Not Just For Sleeping Anymore

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By Alex Neu, CSUMB/UROC research assistant

Sunrise at Sunset Cliffs
Sunrise at Sunset Cliffs, San Diego

Like most kids growing up, I envisioned a scientist as someone sitting behind a microscope or  pouring colorful liquids into a flask to make some kind of potion. During my internship I have seen a variety of work researchers do every day and that stereotype certainly does not do them justice. An average day might include sitting behind a computer doing a literature review, taking water samples in the lab, extracting enzymes from specimens and going to a meeting based entirely on statistical analyses. These tasks have all been incredible learning experiences, but recently I got a taste of my new favorite activity in research: going into the field.

Seagull and coffee mug
We weren't the only ones in need of a pick-me-up for a 6 am collection

Our first day of collecting crustose coralline algae (CCA) began promptly at 6 am at Sunset Cliffs in San Diego. Since CCA are common in the intertidal pools at Sunset Cliffs, we had to be sure to collect on a lower low tide, and it just so happens that this week those low tides were much earlier than would have been preferred. Caffeinated beverages in hand, our small team trekked to the shore and discussed distinctive features of the species we were looking for. Many species of CCA look similar and multiple species can inhabit the same small cobble. We split up and waded through the low tide, searching beds of sea grass and small rock crevices for any stones with a distinctive layer of calcified red algae. After about an hour we had found enough samples to run our experiment and we headed back to the lab to take a closer look at the CCA.

The following day found us out in the brisk morning air of Sunset Cliffs once again, this time searching for an articulated species of coralline algae .We found ourselves once again searching the warm water of the seagrass beds to collect healthy samples with a delicate touch. As the sun rose over the cliffs we started on our way back to the lab with the treasures of the day to begin our experiment. Being a part of an experiment from the very beginning and knowing exactly where each of your samples comes from makes a project just a little more special and is something you can be a little more proud of when it’s run its course.

Faster, Higher, Smarter

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2012 MLML Games a "Smashing Success"

By Diane Wyse, Physical Oceanography Lab

Photos by Gabriela Navas and Catherine Drake, Invertebrate Zoology and Molecular Ecology Lab

With the world’s attention turned to London for the next two weeks, we think it’s high time to share our version of friendly "athletic" competition – the MLML Lab Olympics!

At the end of the spring semester, Moss Landing student body officers hosted the sixth annual event.  Highlights of this year’s Lab Olympics include a sprint relay, pie-eating contest, trivia, and Ultimate Marine Scientist Challenge relay complete with blindfolded dive slate assembly and a Macrocystis kelp slide.

Assistant Dive Safety Officer and Phyckers team member Scott Gabara crushes the "Shark" Attack competition at dive slate assembly. The challenge tests competitors' grace under pressure in blackout dive conditions. Competitors also learn to appreciate the merits of well-fitting attire.
Danger Zone team member Michelle exhibits good sportsmanship in support of fellow Danger Zoner Catherine during the shoot-n-slide leg of the relay.
Staff team competitor Rhett shows off his unique slide technique.
Competitors sprint to the finish in the anchor leg of the relay.

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Life’s a Beach

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By Catherine Drake and Michelle Marraffini, Invertebrate Zoology and Molecular Ecology Lab

Photos by: Diane Wyse, Physical Oceanography Lab

Blogger volunteer with young women in science
MLML bloggers Michelle, Diane, and Catherine volunteer with Young Women In Science

Summer is here on the Central Coast and MLML students as well as a few MBARI interns took some time off to play hooky for a cause.    We volunteered with the Monterey Bay Aquarium's Young Women in Science (YWS) program to help middle school girls in this summer camp monitor the beach for sand crabs and learn how to boogie board.    The camp's aim is help empower young girls interested in science to be guardians of the ocean.   Many of these girls have never been swimming in the ocean before and fellow bloggers Diane, Catherine, and myself showed the girls the joys of splashing in the surf.

Lifeguards explaining some water safety ideas before we head into the water
Lifeguards explaining some water safety ideas before we head into the water
YWS Catherine
Catherine catching a wave with the girls of YWS

We spent half of the day using the scientific method and sampling along a transect to look for sand crabs.  The campers were encouraged to form hypotheses about where the crabs were living and use results to think about larger food webs and ecosystem processes.   After lunch and a safety lesson on currents and waves from the lifeguards, girls rushed towards the ocean with boogie boards in tow ready to conquer this new frontier.  We ran in after them and helped them learn to catch a wave and dive under ones that were too big.   This was the first time being in the ocean for many of these young ladies, and they were so brave as they dominated the large waves.  When it was time to go, many of the girls had enjoyed their time in the water so much that they insisted on catching one final wave.  It was inspirational to see the girls having so much fun making observations about sand crabs and trying to catch every wave they could.  We had a great time volunteering for this essential program, and can’t wait to help out again!

YWS Michelle
Michelle riding a wave and showing the girls of YWS how much fun boogie boarding is
YWS catherine kelp
Never a dull day for a Marine Biologist in Monterey Bay, Catherine models some giant kelp, Macrocystis pyrifera, while boogie boarding

 

A Summer on the Central Coast: My Marine Science Internship at MBARI

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By Diane Wyse, Physical Oceanography Lab

This summer I am working as an intern at MLML’s neighboring marine science and engineering institution, the Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute. Through generous support of the Friends of Moss Landing and the Gashler family, I am working on the Drew Gashler Internship with Dr Jim Bellingham in the Long-Range Autonomous Underwater Vehicle (LRAUV) lab.

Daphne, an LRAUV, is prepared for deployment from the MLML Small Boats dock. (Photo: Diane Wyse)

The primary focus for my internship project is analyzing data from a laser sensor (the Laser In Situ Scattering and Transmissometry, or LISST) that detects the particle sizes of plankton via forward scattering on 32 channels. The objective is to test whether differing combinations of the 32 channels can be used as surrogates for chlorophyll and fluorescence, as it relates to my interests in phytoplankton bloom dynamics. Additionally, Dr Bellingham and I are investigating whether we can identify species of zooplankton the AUV encounters in Monterey Bay based on specific combinations of the LISST channel particle size distributions.

En route to deploy LRAUV Daphne on a Moss Landing summer day. (Photo: Dongsik Chang)

Though I am working in the LRAUV lab, the LISST sensor is actually mounted on the Dorado upper-water-column autonomous underwater vehicle (AUV), which is larger and performs shorter missions than the LRAUVs. The Dorado AUVs perform missions over a couple days, while the LRAUVs can be deployed to collect data for nearly a month! The missions vary in duration and purpose, and it is really exciting to have both of these types of AUVs available for data collection and processing. One of the cool features of the Dorado vehicle is the gulper sampling system, which through a sampling algorithm designed by MBARI Senior Research Specialist Dr Yanwu Zhang, samples 1.8L of water autonomously when the desired combination of oceanographic conditions are detected by the vehicle. Imagine being able to fill ten 2L soda bottles with water samples for lab analysis without donning pounds of neoprene! Ok, as a research diver who appreciates the importance and value of blue-water sampling, I would jump at that opportunity, however the Dorado’s sampling technique is also very exciting. The sensor suite and algorithm for gulper sampling on the Dorado vehicle allows us to combine continuously recorded oceanographic data for temperature, salinity, depth, nitrate, LISST, and more with the water samples that are then analyzed for plankton species identification and abundances in the lab at MBARI.

The internship has been, and continues to be a fantastic learning experience and a great opportunity to apply the oceanographic data analysis and research skills I have developed at MLML over the past two semesters. My internship experience at MBARI has been full of amazing marine science, engineering, exploration, and outreach opportunities, which I look forward to sharing in the weeks to come!

Friends of MLML Host Screening of “Otter 501”

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By Catherine Drake, Invertebrate Zoology Lab

One great aspect of being a student at Moss Landing Marine Labs is Friends of MLML, an organization designed to inform the public about MLML through tours and events, as well as help students with their research by providing scholarships. Friends of MLML put on events every other month that are free to the public. Last night was one such event: the screening of the film “Otter 501” presented by Sea Studios Foundation.

This film revolved around a stranded otter pup, Otter 501, and the young woman who found the pup, Katie Pofahl. The film depicts Otter 501’s journey toward rehabilitation at the Monterey Bay Aquarium. Although her training on how to hunt was initially slow, Otter 501 learned the tricks to diving and finding prey from her adoptive otter mother, Toola. The film then shows Otter 501’s subsequent release into Elkhorn Slough, located about a mile north of MLML.

Following the movie, those who came to the event had a Q&A with Katie, who was also the narrator of the film. When asked if there were any updates on Otter 501’s whereabouts, Katie and fellow researchers present in the audience happily reported that she was spotted that very day in the Slough, interacting with a male!

For more information on events hosted by Friends of MLML, visit their Events page.

For more information about "Otter 501" visit their Facebook page.

The Early Bird Gets the Fish in this Case (and a Great Tide-Pooling Experience)

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By Catherine Drake, Invertebrate Zoology Lab

In early June, I went camping with my family in Southern California at El Moro Campground, a part of Crystal Cove State Park. While there one day, I was excited to learn that there was going to be a -1.8 foot tide at 6 am. So, the next morning, my mom and I woke up bright and early and made our way to Corona del Mar Beach.

Corona del Mar Beach at a -1.8 foot tide early one June morning. Photo by Catherine Drake.

The last time I visited Corona del Mar Beach, which is a relatively unknown tide-pooling location, was about two years ago. I noticed that in this two-year span, this particular rocky intertidal ecosystem changed drastically: the mussel beds expanded, less surfgrass canopied the habitat, and both crustose coralline and red algae filled the void. Ochre sea stars, once abundant on the northern part of the beach, are now flourishing about 100 yards south for better access to the mussel beds.

A flourishing mussel bed (Mytilus sp.) in the rocky intertidal.  Photo by Catherine Drake.
A shore crab (Pachygrapsus sp.) eats a limpet as it moves through the intertidal. Photo by Catherine Drake.
A uniquely neon green anemone (Anthopleura sp.). Photo by Catherine Drake.

This was by far my favorite tide-pooling experience. I spotted organisms I had never seen in the rocky intertidal before, such as a Hopkin's rose nudibranch (Okenia rosacea). I also was witness to feeding behaviors I had not previously seen, such as a crab eating a limpet as it traversed the rocks, and an egret moving within a tide pool with such delicacy to find its prey, an oblivious fish.

Egret
An egret prevails in its hunt for breakfast. Photo by Catherine Drake.

Happy Fourth of July From Moss Landing Marine Labs!

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by Angela Szesciorka, Vertebrate Ecology Lab

 

 

Moss Landing Marine Laboratories wishes you a happy Fourth of July! We hope you have a fun-filed day of (over)eating, celebrating, and spending time with friends and family. While you are enjoying your day of fun, check out some of nature’s most patriotic sea creatures below!

Red

Affectionately known as red bull, this 14-limbed amphipod crustacean (Acanthonotozoma inflatum) is found mostly in the Atlantic Ocean feeding on Bryozoa, a phylum of aquatic colonial invertebrate animals. Photo by Alexander Semenov.

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That’s Not a Seashell!

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By Michelle Marraffini

Invertebrate Zoology and Molecular Ecology

Massive dock from Japan that washed ashore in Oregon. Photo by Oregon State Parks and Recreation Department.

At 66 feet long, 19 feet wide, and 7 feet tall, the massive dock that washed ashore on Oregon's Agate Beach is larger then anything I have ever found on the beach.   This dock is one of the first large pieces of debris to make it across the Pacific ocean from Japan after the earthquake and tsunami in March of 2011.   According to news reports, the debris came from the northern Japanese city of Misawa, arrived almost nine months earlier than officials originally thought.

Hitchhikers from Japan made it alive and well despite the almost 5000 mile journey.
Photo by Oregon State Parks and Recreation Department

But this dock did not arrive alone.   Many organisms hitched a ride on this dock for the almost 5,000 mile journey across the ocean.   Floating docks and other harbor structures provide habitat for many invertebrates and algae.   The movement of these organisms to the Pacific Northwest, many of which are not native to this coast, may pose a threat to the diversity of native species that live there.   To prevent these possible problems, scientists and managers took samples of organisms that arrived on the dock then scrapped the remaining organisms, buried them deep in the sand up the beach, and then used blow torches to dock to remove all remnants and reproductive material of the organisms.

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