CRUISE REPORT

Spring 2014 SEAMAP Plankton Survey

Cruise 1401

RV Blazing Seven

Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries Fisheries Research Laboratory

195 Ludwig Annex Grand Isle, LA 70358

Chief Scientist Chloe’ Dean

SURVEY PERIOD: 05/02/2014 – 05/09/2014 AREA OF OPERATION: Gulf of Mexico (latitudes 28.29°-29.02°, longitudes 88.30°-92.32°, depths 11-1650m) INTRODUCTION The Southeast Area Monitoring and Assessment Program (SEAMAP) plankton surveys are conducted biannually to provide information on the occurrence, abundance, and geographical distribution of the eggs, larvae, and juveniles of spring spawning fish, particularly Atlantic bluefin tuna as well as fall spawning fish, particularly king and Spanish mackerel, lutjanids and sciaenids. Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries (LDWF), along with other SEAMAP partners, select sampling stations from a list provided by the Gulf States Marine Fisheries Commission (GSMFC) and sample in conjunction with the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) SEAMAP Spring and Fall plankton surveys. OBJECTIVES

1. To provide information on the occurrence, abundance, and geographical distribution of eggs, larvae, and juvenile fishes and invertebrates by participating in the SEAMAP Spring and Fall plankton surveys.

2. To increase understanding of the environment associated with pelagic eggs, larvae, and juvenile fishes and invertebrates by collecting environmental data, water column profiles, and chlorophyll measurements with each plankton collection.

3. To collect detailed observations (i.e. identification, number, volume, bell diameter) of net-caught jellyfish and ctenophores to assess these communities in relationship to plankton catches.

4. To collect volumetric measurements of net caught Sargassum spp. to assess species living in and around Sargassum spp. habitats.

METHODS Plankton sampling was conducted at each station using 60cm, 0.335mm-mesh bongo and 1m x 2m, 0.950mm-mesh neuston nets. Oblique bongo tows were conducted beginning at the surface to near-bottom depths (with a maximum depth of 200 meters) and then back to the surface. A mechanical flowmeter secured off-center in each bongo frame was used to record the volume of water filtered. The neuston gear was towed for 10 minutes with the frame half-submerged at a depth of 0.5 meters. Jellyfish and ctenophores present in bongo and neuston samples were removed from the sample, rinsed, identified, counted, measured (bell diameter in mm), and discarded. Sargassum spp. were also removed from the collection, rinsed, volume recorded and released. Samples collected by the right bongo were initially preserved in 10% formalin and then transferred to 95% ethanol after 36 hours. The left bongo samples and neuston samples were initially preserved in 95% ethanol and then transferred to fresh 95% ethanol after 24 hours. These samples were transferred at sea and then transported back to the LDWF Fisheries Research Laboratory (FRL) for preparation and shipment. Sample workup and data processing was conducted in accordance with the NMFS SEAMAP Operations Manual guidelines. Samples were then delivered to the NMFS Pascagoula, MS lab. NMFS archived the left bongo samples at the SEAMAP Invertebrate Plankton Archiving Center (SIPAC) and shipped the right bongo and neuston samples to the Polish Sorting and Identification Center.

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Environmental data were collected in conjunction with each plankton station. A full water column profile was recorded with a Seabird CTD (SBE 9plus or SBE 19plus). Water parameters measured included temperature, dissolved oxygen, salinity, and conductivity. In the event a DO reading fell below 2.0 Mg/L, the DO was verified with a YSI. Water was collected at the surface, mid, and maximum water depths with a Seabird SBE32 water sampler rosette and then filtered onboard for later spectroscopic analysis for chlorophyll concentration at the LDWF FRL. Data were coded according to the NMFS SEAMAP Operations Manual guidelines and entered into the LDWF SEAMAP data entry system. Data were then submitted to the Gulf States Marine Fisheries Commission. SURVEY DESIGN A Gulf wide systematic grid with sampling stations approximately 30 nautical miles apart is used for this survey. The 30 minute fixed grid was chosen as the most efficient design to sample the Gulf of Mexico to obtain a stock-wide sampling universe for stock assessment indices. LDWF participates in the SEAMAP plankton survey during the summer and fall each year. NMFS provides GSMFC a list of sampling stations, who in turn, work with state SEAMAP partners to select stations that each state can complete. NMFS vessels sample remaining stations. All data go to GSMFC for management and storage. These data are available to the scientific community upon request. RESULTS Spring Plankton Survey May: 05/02/14 – 05/09/14 Vessel: RV Blazing Seven Fourteen plankton stations were sampled by LDWF between latitudes 28.29°-29.02° and longitudes 88.30°-92.32°, with depths between 11-1650m. (Figure 1, Table 1). Seventy-five plankton jars were transferred to the NMFS Pascagoula, MS lab on 11 June 2014 (Table 2). All chlorophyll samples were analyzed by spectroscopy in the LDWF FRL. DEVIATIONS After sampling site B186, the primary winch broke, therefore not allowing us to continue sampling. The winch was used for deploying bongo nets and the CTD. We proceeded to the dock in Port Fourchon for repairs. Once repaired, we departed on 05/07/14 to sample the remaining sites. Scheduling and time restraints due to winch repairs prevented sampling of station B189. Therefore, 14 out of the targeted 15 stations were sampled. NMFS was immediately notified. A personnel switch occurred between the return to dock and the next departure (Robert Boothe was replaced with Jennifer Atilano). SURVEY PARTICIPANTS Vessel: RV Blazing Seven Chloe Dean Chief Scientist FRL, Grand Isle, LA Suzy Delaune Shift Leader FRL, Grand Isle, LA Courtney Zambory Biologist FRL, Grand Isle, LA Robert Boothe (5/02/14-05/03/14) Biologist FRL, Grand Isle, LA Jennifer Atilano (5/07/14-05/09/14) Biologist FRL, Grand Isle, LA

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ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS Thank you to all LDWF staff. Many thanks to Courtney Zambory for creating project maps as well as to our management staff Andrew Gima, Brian Hardcastle, Andy Fischer and Myron Fischer. We also appreciate our dedicated SEAMAP partners and the assistance of the plankton team at NMFS.

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Figure 1. SEAMAP plankton survey stations, Spring 2014, Cruise number 1401

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Table 1. SEAMAP plankton survey station details, Spring 2014, Cruise number 1401

PASC. #

DATE GMT START TIME

LAT LONG

DEPTH (m)

SALINITY TEMPERATURE DO PLANKTON TOW

STA. # MM/DD/YYYY SUR MID MAX SUR MID MAX SUR MID MAX

B251 88001 5/2/2014 1833 28 30.33 88 30.08 1650.0 36.15 36.39 36.07 22.84 20.26 15.85 6.74 6.24 3.92 B/N B184 88002 5/3/2014 0047 28 29.60 89 00.03 866.0 34.05 36.40 35.93 21.43 19.45 14.92 7.03 4.87 3.86 B/N B186 88003 5/3/2014 0547 28 29.90 89 29.74 421.0 31.58 36.25 35.61 21.26 17.20 12.89 6.79 4.02 3.77 B/N B192 88004 5/7/2014 0319 28 54.24 90 33.08 16.2 28.23 29.29 33.42 24.63 23.41 20.74 8.09 7.57 2.33 B/N B193 88005 5/7/2014 0648 28 47.06 90 53.09 17.2 23.02 31.25 32.97 24.39 22.39 21.51 6.68 6.93 4.79 B/N B197 88006 5/7/2014 1148 28 59.73 91 30.10 11.8 19.75 20.13 30.23 23.15 23.20 22.32 7.63 7.79 4.02 B/N B200 88007 5/7/2014 1608 28 59.96 91 59.59 20.7 27.48 29.60 34.06 23.65 22.70 21.91 7.01 6.67 2.37 B/N B204 88008 5/7/2014 2043 28 59.74 92 32.14 25.6 28.22 33.78 34.67 24.27 21.81 21.44 5.55 6.62 5.28 B/N B201 88009 5/8/2014 0448 28 30.13 91 59.92 50.6 35.36 36.36 36.34 22.36 21.53 20.40 6.68 7.04 6.83 B/N B196 88010 5/8/2014 0926 28 29.83 91 29.85 45.1 33.37 35.99 36.24 23.02 22.01 20.94 6.60 6.92 6.11 B/N B194 88011 5/8/2014 1400 28 30.04 91 00.03 34.5 31.79 35.35 35.99 23.00 21.43 20.60 6.54 5.85 5.27 B/N B191 88012 5/8/2014 1825 28 29.77 90 30.22 37.5 29.10 35.68 36.17 23.09 21.27 20.54 7.55 6.21 5.03 B/N B189 88013 5/8/2014 2354 28 29.54 90 01.40 87.2 30.23 36.23 36.37 23.91 20.14 19.11 7.73 5.07 4.50 B/N

B188 88014 5/9/2014 0441 29 00.09 90 00.04 22.9 24.50 30.39 34.40 24.53 21.41 21.00 9.83 5.76 3.07 B/N

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Table 2. Summary of plankton samples (total 75) collected during the Spring SEAMAP plankton survey, 2014, cruise number 1401 SEAMAP Sta. # Pascagoula Sta. # Date Latitude Longitude Gear Init. Preservative Sample Number B251 88001 5/02/2014 28º 30.32 88º 30.12 Bongo Left 95 % ETOH 47551 B251 88001 5/02/2014 28º 30.32 88º 30.12 Bongo Right 10% Form 47552 B251 88001 5/02/2014 28º 29.96 88º 30.10 Neuston 95 % ETOH 47553 B184 88002 5/03/2014 28º 30.18 89º 01.45 Bongo Left 95 % ETOH 47554 B184 88002 5/03/2014 28º 30.18 89º 01.45 Bongo Right 10% Form 47555 B184 88002 5/03/2014 28º 30.57 89º 01.85 Neuston 95 % ETOH 47556 B186 88003 5/03/2014 28º 29.83 89º 29.95 Bongo Left 95 % ETOH 47557 B186 88003 5/03/2014 28º 29.83 89º 29.95 Bongo Right 10% Form 47558 B186 88003 5/03/2014 28º 30.09 89º 30.19 Neuston 95 % ETOH 47559 B192 88004 5/07/2014 28º 54.74 90º 33.21 Bongo Left 95 % ETOH 47560 B192 88004 5/07/2014 28º 54.74 90º 33.21 Bongo Right 10% Form 47561 B192 88004 5/07/2014 28º 53.05 90º 32.99 Neuston 95 % ETOH 47562 B193 88005 5/07/2014 28º 47.61 90º 53.34 Bongo Left 95 % ETOH 47563 B193 88005 5/07/2014 28º 47.61 90º 53.34 Bongo Right 10% Form 47564 B193 88005 5/07/2014 28º 47.50 90º 53.69 Neuston 95 % ETOH 47565 B197 88006 5/07/2014 29º 00.32 91º 30.25 Bongo Left 95 % ETOH 47566 B197 88006 5/07/2014 29º 00.32 91º 30.25 Bongo Right 10% Form 47567 B197 88006 5/07/2014 29º 00.47 91º 30.09 Neuston 95 % ETOH 47568 B200 88007 5/07/2014 29º 00.54 91º 59.32 Bongo Left 95 % ETOH 47569 B200 88007 5/07/2014 29º 00.54 91º 59.32 Bongo Right 10% Form 47570 B200 88007 5/07/2014 29º 00.47 91º 59.18 Neuston 95 % ETOH 47571 B204 88008 5/07/2014 29º 00.16 92º 33.04 Bongo Left 95 % ETOH 47572 B204 88008 5/07/2014 29º 00.16 92º 33.04 Bongo Right 10% Form 47573 B204 88008 5/07/2014 29º 00.13 92º 32.92 Neuston 95 % ETOH 47574 B201 88009 5/08/2014 28º 30.61 92º 00.33 Bongo Left 95 % ETOH 47575 B201 88009 5/08/2014 28º 30.61 92º 00.33 Bongo Right 10% Form 47576 B201 88009 5/08/2014 28º 30.95 92º 00.35 Neuston 95 % ETOH 47577 B196 88010 5/08/2014 28º 30.58 91º 30.16 Bongo Left 95 % ETOH 47578 B196 88010 5/08/2014 28º 30.58 91º 30.16 Bongo Right 10% Form 47579 B196 88010 5/08/2014 28º 30.68 91º 29.93 Neuston 95 % ETOH 47580 B194 88011 5/08/2014 28º 30.23 91º 00.14 Bongo Left 95 % ETOH 47581 B194 88011 5/08/2014 28º 30.23 91º 00.14 Bongo Right 10% Form 47582 B194 88011 5/08/2014 28º 30.06 91º 00.16 Neuston 95 % ETOH 47583 B191 88012 5/08/2014 28º 31.06 90º 31.06 Bongo Left 95 % ETOH 47584 B191 88012 5/08/2014 28º 31.06 90º 31.06 Bongo Right 10% Form 47585 B191 88012 5/08/2014 28º 30.93 90º 31.40 Neuston 95 % ETOH 47586 B189 88013 5/08/2014 28º 29.71 90º 01.78 Bongo Left 95 % ETOH 47587 B189 88013 5/08/2014 28º 29.71 90º 01.78 Bongo Right 10% Form 47588 B189 88013 5/08/2014 28º 29.85 90º 02.07 Neuston 95 % ETOH 47589 B188 88014 5/09/2014 29º 02.37 90º 00.28 Bongo Left 95 % ETOH 47590 B188 88014 5/09/2014 29º 02.37 90º 00.28 Bongo Right 10% Form 47591 B188 88014 5/09/2014 29º 02.72 90º 00.02 Neuston 95 % ETOH 47592

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