This is a satellite picture taken of the area of the Pacific, north of the Hawaiian Islands where this study is taking place. We traveled north, 615 nm along the 158W longitude line, performing CTD casts every 15 nm until we reached the 33N latitude line. Each of the casts descended to 500m (1670 ft). Near the 31N latitude line, we encountered the Winter Front, characterized by a peak in the concentration of chlorophyll (indicating a high abundance of phytoplankton) and a water temperature of 21 degrees Celsius. This oceanographic feature forms only in the winter where as the Subtropical Front is a year around phenomena. Unfortunately in this picture, the Subtropical Front is hidden by a dense layer of clouds. The front is depicted by a black line that peaks under the clouds near the words "Subtropical Front". The Subtropical Front is also characterized by a high abundance of chlorophyll (Phytoplankton), but the water temperature drops to 17 degrees Celsius while traveling south to north through it. Between these two fronts is the site of the swordfish fishing grounds. The intention of this study is to gather data on the effects of El Nino on these fronts and the swordfish population that relies on them. Thanks to the NOAA Hawai'i CoastWatch guys for sending us their satellite data. Please visit the NOAA Hawai'i CoastWatch site!