Townsend Cromwell
TC-99-04 Lobster Tagging
TC-99-04 Lobster TaggingMarch 24-April 21, 1999
April 8, 1999 April 6 was apparently the final day of the terrific weather we had been experiencing for the previous 4 days. As I'm writing this, the ship is rolling 25 degrees in 7 to 8 foot seas and it's pouring rain outside. The people working the deck today are going to get a work out (right). We presently have set/retrieved 1,854 lobster traps and have tagged 959 spiny lobsters. In addition, we have caught 470 slipper lobsters, most of which were released. In addition, we have collected numerous specimens for a Hawaiian Monk Seal Nutrition study that's taking place. So far it has been a successful cruise.
We are now working over a reef off of Necker Island (left). Necker is uninhabited except for countless sea birds. The island consists entirely of lava and is the last remaining part of an island that once may have rivaled the size of the Big Island of Hawaii. The actual island is located at the north end of a bank that stretches roughly 40 NM in a NW-SE direction. At one time, the area of the reef was a volcanic island, built up by countless lava flows. Eventually the lava stopped flowing and through time, the shear weight of the island caused it to sink back into the Earth's crust. Erosion also played a hand in reducing the original island. However, sunlight loving corals grew around the shores of the island, and as the island sank and eroded, the corals grew on top of previous generations and over the beaches as they slowly descended. Over time, what results is a large reef with some small area of the original island remaining. Necker Island is the remnant of a volcanic cone that once must have been high above sea level. Eventually, Necker Island will erode away leaving only the reef. If the corals grow close to the surface, sand shoals may develop into small
islands. Tern Island of French Frigate Shoals and the islands of Laysan and Lisianski are these types of islands. Necker Island is 0.7 NM long and 0.2 NM wide. It has four peaks, the highest of which is Summit Hill (277 feet) located near the center. Annexation Hill (249 feet) is located on the west end (to the left in the pictures) and is separated from the rest of the island by a low saddle. Landing on the island is hazardous as the island is very steep sided and surf and surge can be strong. Evidence of early Hawaiian habitation on Necker consists of numerous stone idols and images found on the island in the late 1800's and early 1900's. Exploration of the island produced the discovery of 8 hollows in the upper bluffs which held signs of human occupancy, though only one of these, (where most of the artifacts were found), showed any signs of continuos occupancy. In all, it is estimated that no more than 24 people could have lived in the grottos.
- For related information about lobster research, visit the Honolulu Laboratory's Kewalo Research Facility Lobster Research web pages.