Highlights From TC-01-07 Lobster Research Cruise (6/11/01-7/10/01)
About Student Connection Previous Cruises FAQs Current Cruise Plan(PDF) Next Cruise Plan(PDF) Cruise Schedule Ship Information NOAA Fisheries Honolulu Laboratory For More Information Privacy Policy Mooring Line Archival Tag Data
Aloha from the Townsend Cromwell!
We have just finished two days of trapping at Gardner
Pinnacles. For those of you who are not familiar with the Northwest Hawaiian Islands, Gardner Pinnacles lies 117
miles west of French Frigate Shoals and is the least visited island.
The only
visible part of Gardner Pinnacles is pictured here. The highest point extends 170 feet out of the ocean and is 200 yards
long.
Gardner Pinnacles is not usually planned on our lobster assessment survey and we were curious
as to what we would find. We trapped at several different depths from 20 fathoms to over 300 fathoms! Although our
lobster count was low, we did encounter the Ridgeback lobster (Scyllarides haanii). This lobster resembles the slipper
but is larger, lighter in color and equipped with ridges along the carapace. In addition we trapped the Locust lobster
(Scyllarrus
aurora), which is also related to the Slipper lobster. At maturity this lobster reaches lengths of under
six inches.
In addition to lobsters, we encountered shrimp, several new crabs including the Decorator crab (Paramola japonica) and the Lyre crab
(Lyreidus tridentatus), the spiny dogfish (Squalus mitskurii) (also known as a the green eyed shark), and a white tip
reef shark (Trienodon obesus). The White tip was rather large to be stuck in a trap, but somehow he found his way into
the trap.
Our catch rates were low for both days. We look forward to an overnight
transit to Necker Island where we will spend two weeks trapping lobster. If the predictions are right, we should see more
Spiny lobsters at Necker Island. We'll keep you posted!
Submitted by:
Karen D'Avino, Teacher-at-Sea
%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%
Aloha from the Townsend Cromwell!
As promised we will begin exploring lobsters!
The Northwest Hawaiian Islands are home to the Spiny Lobster (Panilurus marginatus), the Slipper Lobster ( Scyllarides squammosus), Sculpted or Chinese Slipper Lobster, (Parribacus antarcticus), and the Ridgeback Slipper Lobster, (Scyllarides haanii). All of these have been found through our journey. Some are more abundant than others.
At one time, the most abundant of the lobster was the Spiny Lobster. In 1989 the Spiny Lobster
population crashed and in it's place 
rose the Slipper Lobster. The photo from the wet
lab on the Townsend Cromwell shows one Spiny Lobster
among an army of
Slippers. In fact, Slipper lobsters nearly doubled their numbers in Maro Reef since last year.
Part of our job is to measure each lobster we catch. They are measured along the carapace, the
width of the tail and the length of the pleopod. This picture shows Kim Campbell,
one of our scientists measuring the carapace of a
Slipper Lobster with a
caliper. In addition, this picture was taken during one of our highest catch rates at Maro Reef. The measurements tell us
a number of things.
The pleopod is the sexual organ of male and female lobsters. On some females the pleopods
hold berries. Measuring these three points helps us determine important information about each lobster measured. We
should be able to determine at what age or size females can begin reproduction. This is important to the future of the
Northwest Hawaiian Island lobster population. We can also determine what size lobster tail belongs to what size lobster.
This enables the National Marine Fisheries Service to regulate lobster fishing in Hawaii when needed.
Catching lobsters is done by baiting cages
with mackerel. Here some of the scientists (Kim Campbell, Emilie Weed, Russell Moffitt, and Zack Grant) are in the lab
getting ready to cut bait for the first time. Notice the excitement! This
will change. Cutting bait is not interesting or exciting but is essential in trapping lobsters.
Once the bait is set the traps are released. We set traps in the evening and return to get them
the next morning. 
We don't always pull up lobster. This is a picture of Emilie Weed with a small octopus that got caught in a trap. We have also pulled
five different species of crab including the Seven Eleven Crab (Carpilius macultus), the Hawaiian Swimming Crab
(Charybdis hawaienins) the Convex Crab (Carpilius convexus), the Sleepy Sponge Crab (Dromia dormia), the Smooth Box Crab
(Calappa calappa), and numerous hermit crabs.
Stay tuned to find out what else has been creeping it's way into the traps on the Townsend Cromwell!
Submitted by Karen D'Avino, Teacher-at-Sea
/`\,/`\,/`\,/`\,/`\,/`\,/`\,/`\,/`\,/`\,/`\,/`\,/`\,/`\,/`\,/`\,/`\,/`\,/`\,/`\,
/`\,/`\,/`\,/`\,/`\,/`\,/`\,/`\,/`\,/`\,/`\,/`\,/`\,/`\,/`\,/`\,/`\,/`
Aloha from the Townsend Cromwell!
We are aboard this
vessel doing research on the lobster population in the Northwest Hawaiian Islands. Our function, day in and day out is to
catch and release lobster at various locations in the island chain. Why study lobster? What do we need to know? Are they
friendly? Do they have hidden talents? What do they eat? You'll find out the answers to these and other exciting and
interesting questions, but first....Tern Island.
Our first stop was Tern Island dropping off
scientists and supplies. Tern Island is home to all eighteen species of birds found in the Northwest Hawaiian Islands.
Nesting there are Terns, Fairy Terns, Albatross, Laysan Albatross, Black-footed Boobies, Masked Boobies, and the Great
Frigate Bird to name only a few. Pictured here is the Laysan Albatross adult and
fledgling.
Tern Island, also known as French Frigate Shoals is also home to a diminishing number of curious and beautiful Hawaiian Monk Seals. The seal population although increasing in number in some areas is decreasing on French Frigate Shoals. The causes are one of the studies being conducted.
We can't mention Tern Island without mentioning the magnificent Green Sea Turtle. Over 90 % of
Hawaiian Green Sea Turtles nest at
two islands in French Frigate Shoals. The
"Honu" as it's called in Hawaiian, are recovering from 150 years of harvesting. Although it is not done anymore,
harvesting turtles seriously decreased their numbers. The photograph here shows a
marked male turtle. Males have long tails while females have short, stubby ones.
Next time we'll explore the Spiny Lobster, Slipper Lobster, Chinese Slipper and all kinds of sea creatures that have found their way in to the traps from the Cromwell. See lobster tagging photos, hear about exciting crabs, see the research from the Townsend Cromwell.
Submitted by: Karen D'Avino, Teacher-at-Sea
|
Web Author Content Owner |