NOAA/NMFS Developments

NOAA Ocean Climate StUdyBegins in Equatorial Pacific

The National Oceanic and Atmo­spheric Administration (NOAA) hasbegun the first major study of howPacific Ocean waters reflect changes inglobal climate. The Equatorial PacificOcean Climate Studies (EPOCS) seeksto determine the driving forces behindlarge variations in sea surface temper­ature, and how these variations arelinked to climatic changes, accordingto Richard A. Frank, Administrator ofNOAA.

The study is a highly focused, multi­year program of experimentation andresearch, the Commerce Departmentagency official said, which it is hopedwill provide useful new insights intohow the "climate machine" works. Atthe heart of the climate machine-andthe research-is the relationship be­tween the ocean and atmosphere; akind of geophysical marriage ofopposites. The atmosphere is the flam­bouyant, active partner, with a shortmemory. The ocean is the stablepartner, long of memory, given tohoarding energy which is squanderedby the atmosphere.

One of the more energetic andvariable parts of the climate machine isthe equatorial Pacific, a huge and in­fluential source of stored heat, and anenormous engine for the redistributionand release of that heat into the tropicalatmosphere. This energetic part emitstantalizingly strong climatic signals,according to Joseph O. Fletcher,EPOCS director and deputy director ofNOAA's Environmental ResearchLaboratories in Boulder, Colo.

"It seems clear that, on a year-to-yearbasis, the spatial distribution of heat re­leased into the atmosphere appears to

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be associated with large sea-surfacetemperature anomalies in the easterntropical Pacific", he explained. "Theseanomalies-that is, warmer or coolerdeviations from the long-term averagesea-surface temperature-are quitelarge, amounting to several degreesCelsius over thousands of miles andperhaps 20 degrees of latitude.Changes on that scale could influencethe global atmosphere and, in any case,are reflecting global scale atmospheric

Peterson Heads NMFSNE Regional Office

Allen E. Peterson, Jr., 39, has beenselected as Director, Northeast Re­gion, National Marine Fisheries Ser­vice, pending Civil Service approval,Terry L. Leitzell, National Oceanicand Atmospheric Administration'sAssistant Administrator for Fisheries,has announced.

"Allen Peterson has had lengthyfisheries experience in the Massachu­setts State Government, presentlyserves as its Director of MarineFisheries, and is Chairman of the NewEngland Fishery Management Coun­cil," said Leitzel!. "His experience inlegislative matters, liaison with indus­try, and a good background in marinefisheries will enhance our activities inNew England."

Robert Hanks, Deputy RegionalDirector, will serve as Acting Directoruntil Peterson joins the Department ofCommerce agency.

In his new position, Peterson willsucceed William Gordon who recently

changes."The study is focusing on these

temperature anomalies, on theprocesses that cause them, and on theprocesses they trigger in theatmosphere; all in an area stretchingfrom about long.1500W eastward tothe coast of South America, andabout 15° latitude north and south ofthe Equator.

In parallel with the field experiment,NOAA scientists are conductingintensive studies of the existing mass ofdata already available on the equa­torial Pacific and its overlying atmo­sphere. A third element in the study is aprogram of numerical modelling andanalysis. The scientists will incorporatenew data from the field experiment andother sources into existing ocean­atmosphere numerical models, with aneye to learning how the sea-surfacetemperature anomalies connect withatmospheric processes occurring onthe time scales of climate.

was appointed Director, Office ofResource Conservation and Manage­ment in the Service's headquarters inWashington, D.C.

Peterson, a native of Worcester,Mass., is a graduate of the Universityof Massachusetts, Amherst, where hereceived his B.S. degree in WildlifeManagement in 1962, and his M.S.degree in Wildlife and FisheriesBiology in 1964. He joined the Massa­chusetts Department of Fisheries,Wildlife, and Recreational Vehicles in1964 as an Assistant Fish and GameBiologist and has held progressivelyresponsible positions in the Depart­ment.

He is married to the former JoanFischer, Huntington, N.Y. They live inSandwich, Mass., with their twochildren.

Grocery Chain AdoptsSeafood DOC Inspection

A voluntary inspection programconducted by the National Marine

Marine Fisheries Review

Fisheries Service aimed at assuringquality fresh seafood products hasbeen adopted by the largest retailerowned supermarket cooperative in theUnited States.

Wakefem Food Corporation I, Eliz­abeth, N.J., with 186 Shop-Ritestores in Connecticut, Massachu­setts, New York, New Jersey, Dela­ware, and Pennsylvania, will be thefirst supermarket chain permitted toplace a Department of Commerce In­spection mark on its full variety offresh fish and shellfish. The roundmark attests that the "Packed UnderFederal Inspection" product has beenfound to be safe, wholesome, and ofgood quality at the time it was packedor received by Wakefern for distribu­tion at its 93-acre distribution facility.

Those products that meet the DOCGrade A standards also will beal; themark. DOC seafood inspectors willmonitor the product in the stores toassure quality maintenance.

Shop-Rite stores serve some 7Y2million people each year. Annual salesof fresh seafood products by the Shop­Rite stores have grown from approxi-

IMention of trade names or commercial firmsdoes not imply endorsement by the NationalMarine Fisheries Service, NOAA.

mately 200,000 pounds a year in 1973to over 3 million pounds representingfrom $5 to $6 million in retail sales in1978.

NOAA Creates NewOceanography Office

The National Ocean Survey (NOS)has established the Office of Ocean­ography to assist NOAA and theDepartment of Commerce to respondeffectively to the many and diverseocean and coastal initiatives over thenext decade. Wesley V. Hull ofRockville, Md., was named ActingDirector.

The new office assumes the respon­sibility for all the oceanographic andocean dumping projects working inclose coordination with the NOSOffice of Marine Surveys and Maps.The Office collects and evaluatesoceanographic and marine naviga­tion data and performs analyses ofphysical phenomena pertaining to thesea and the Great Lakes, includingtides, water levels, currents, thedynamics and physical properties ofseawater, and shoreline and bottomconfiguration, as they affect wavesand currents.

The Office also conducts compre­hensive engineering surveys, estua­rine investigations and studies of theGreat Lakes and their outflow rivers,Lake Champlain, portions of theHudson River, New York State BargeCanal, and Minnesota-Ontario borderlakes. It directs the establishment andoperation of the network of tide andwater level stations, conducts tidalsurveys for mapping seaward bound­aries, and compiles and providesoceanographic data and tide andcurrent predictions for use in marinenavigation, civil engineering, and forsolutions of environmental problems.

Hull, of the NOAA Corps, wasformerly chief of the OceanographicDivision, NOS Marine Surveys andMaps. His assignments have includedphotogrammetry and hydrography,and he has served aboard the NOAAships Pioneer, Lester Jones, Ocean­ographer, Bowie, and Mt. Mitchel/.having commanded the latter two.

Hull received a B.S. degree in CivilEngineering from Oklahoma StateUniversity and a M.S. degree fromCornell. Immediately following gradu­ation, he joined the CommissionedCorps of the U. S. Coast and GeodeticSurvey, the predecessor of the NOAACorps.

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National Marine Mammal Laboratory Established

A research laboratory designedto serve as the center for nationalstudy of marine mammals has beenestablished in Seattle, Wash., by theNational Oceanic and AtmosphericAdministration (NOAA).

The new facility was created inresponse to growing national andinternational concern for the wel­fare of marine mammals, and topermit research necessary for theirconservation.

The National Marine MammalLaboratory will take the lead inaddressing marine mammal prob-

Mar·June /979

lems of national significance, aswell as fulfilling America's commit­ments under international marinemammal agreements. NOAA scien­tists there will provide a pool oftechnical expertise to help in plan­ning and carrying out research onlocal or regional marine mammalproblems.

Establishment of the laboratoryin Seattle recognizes the city'slongstanding role as a center ofFederal marine mammal researchin the United States. With the pas­sage of the Marine Mammal Pro-

tection Act of 1972, the MarineMammal Division of NOAA'sNorthwest and Alaska FisheriesCenter in Seattle assumed respons­ibility for most of the Departmentof Commerce's research programson whales, seals, and sea lions.

The new laboratory will continueto be administered by the North­west and Alaska Fisheries Centerand will participate in the Center'sBering Sea Ecosystem Project,evaluating interactions amongmarine mammals, fish, and othermajor elements.

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SABLEFISH TAGGING STUDIES PRODUCE RESULTS

While results based on so few re­coveries cannot be conclusive, theydo indicate that some sablefish in thestudy area travel considerable distances

In June and July, 1978, the North­west and Alaska Fisheries Center ofthe National Marine Fisheries Ser­vice, OAA, tagged sablefish, Ano­plopoma fimhria, in the coastalwaters of southeastern Alaska. Thesefish were tagged so scientists couldstudy their distribution and migra­tory movements along the coasts ofsoutheastern Alaska, British Colum­bia, Washington, Oregon, and Cali­fornia.

The study depends heavily on thecooperation of both domestic andforeign fishermen for the return oftags (Fig. I) giving information onthe sablefish and their capture. Ninetag returns in the first 9 months haveprovided some interesting prelimin­ary results.

These returns come from threegroups of sablefish, 707 fish in all,which were tagged and released atthree different sites (Fig. 2). The firstgroup, 217 fish, was released west ofCape Addington. One fish from thisrelease was recovered by trap 28 dayslater south of Hippa Island, B.C.,after a southerly migration of 136miles. Another was caught west ofCape Scott, Vancouver Island, B.c.,by a Japanese longliner after amovement of 332 miles in 7 J days.

The second release of 174 fishoccurred off Cape Ommaney. Onefish was recovered locally after 27days and another was captured southof Yakutat Bay, Alaska, by a Japan­ese longliner after a northwesterlymigration of 216 miles in 100 days.

The remaining 3 J6 fish were taggednear Cape Cross. There were fiverecoveries from this group. Threewere recovered locally after 13, 15,and 40 days offreedom and distancestraveled of about 4, 7, and 40 miles,respectively. These fish were capturedby a U.S. longJine vessel, the Urania.Two additional tagged fish weretaken by the aforementioned Japan­ese longliner fishing the Yakutat Bayarea after being free 75 and 85 daysduring which they migrated 174 and110 miles, respectively.

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56'

54'

but others move very little. Theseresults suggest that there may be apositive relationship between thelength of time a tagged sablefish is free

Figure I.-Tagged sablefish are sought by scientists withthe NMFS Northwest and Alaska Fisheries Center, 2725Montlake Blvd. East, Seattle, WA 98112. Position of thetag is shown, along with scale sampling area and forklength measurement.

Wesf of Cope Seolt, S.c. ~ ...R)(sou/heos' ond off 'he mop)

Figure 2. -Sites where tagged sablefish were released andsubsequently recovered during 1978. The lines show thedirection. but not necessarily the path of migration of thecaptured and tagged sablefish. A circled "T' representstagging sites a nd a ci rcled "R" ind icates the recovery sites.

Marine Fisheries Rel'ieu'

and the distance traveled. While thismay be the case, the results of previoussablefish tagging studies have failed todemonstrate such a relationship. Moretag returns are expected from the 1978releases and these, combined with acontinuation of the tagging programthis year, should provide considerablymore insight on the migrationalbehavior of sablefish in Alaska waters.

Sea Grant LaunchesInternational Effort

The National Oceanic and Atmo­spheric Administration (NOAA) hasannounced a program of internationalcooperation in marine research with anumber of developing nations to aidtheir efforts and to promote exchangeof information on oceanic and coastalresources. Under the program, fundedby $913,400 in grants from NOAA,seven U.S. academic institutions as­sociated with the agency's Sea GrantCollege Program will undertake co­operative marine programs with count­erparts in Chile, Costa Rica, Malaysia,Mexico, Israel, and Colombia.

Primary emphasis will be on educa­tion and training, Ned A. Ostenso,Director of the Commerce Depart­ment's National Sea Grant CollegeProgram, said. Research and advisoryservice functions will also be included.The program was authorized by legis­lation in 1976, and is coordinated withthe U.S. Department of State.

The University of Deleware SeaGrant College Program received a 2­year, $303,500 grant for a cooperativemarine studies program with theUniversity of Costa Rica; while a$199,900, 2-year grant was awardedthe University of Miami to support amarine resources and environmentalsciences training program in coopera­tion with several educational institutionsin Colombia, and coordinated with theColombian Oceanographic Commission.

The Sea Grant Program at theVirginia Institute of Marine Science(VIMS) is using a $131,400 grant totrain personnel in Israel in wavemeasurement and modeling techniquesand to improve Israeli marine advisoryservices in wave information and

May-June /979

coastal zone planning. The VIMSproject is for a 2-year period.

The University of Rhode Island SeaGrant College Program has received$95,000 for a I-year project in Malaysiawith the University of Malaya and theUniversity Pertinian Malaysia. Thisproject will develop academic programsin fisheries management, coastal zonemanagement, and related fields, planfuture research projects, and outline astructure for a local marine extensionservice.

The Oregon State University SeaGrant College Program is assistingLatin American nations in the develop­ment of appropriate levels of compe­tence in marine resource conservationwith its $90,000, I-year grant. Chiefparticipating institution in LatinAmerica is Catholic University ofValparaiso in Chile.

An award of $72,000 to the NewYork Sea Grant Institute is streng­thening marine science capabilities inChile. The 2-year project, carried outwith the University of Concepcion,concentrates primarily on trainingfaculty members of the Department ofMarine Biology and Oceanography incoastal zone management techniques.

The Louisiana State University SeaGrant College Program has beengranted $21,600 for a I-year project inMexico. Among the tasks there areidentification and quantification ofthe ecological associations betweenTerminos Lagoon at Campeche andthe fisheries.

New CZ Advisory GroupMembers Are Selected

Seven new members have beenappointed by Commerce SecretaryJuanita M. Kreps to serve on theNational Coastal Zone ManagementAdvisory Committee.

The new appointees are JosephBodovitz, a consultant from MillValley, Calif., and formerly executivedirector of the California CoastalCommission; Ogden Doremus, anenvironmental attorney from Meter,Ga.; Patrick W. Kelly, head of theAmerican Petroleum Institute'sCoastal Zone Management Task

Force, from Dallas; Steven A.McMillan, vice president of Earle,McMillan, and Niemayer, from BayMinette, Ala.; Michele Perault, coastalcoordinator for the Sierra Club, fromBerkeley, Calif.; Shirley H. Taylor,chairwoman of the Sierra Club TaskForce on Coastal Zone Management,from Tallahassee, Fla.; and HenryWheatley, president of Ocean Environ­ments, Inc.. from St. Thomas, VirginIslands.

They will join the four other mem­bers of the Advisory Committee, whichwas established by the Coastal ZoneManagement Act of 1972 to the policyrecommendations to the Secretary ofCommerce on such matters as pro­posed legislation, Federal regulations,and the administration of the coastalzone management program.

Caribbean Monk SealDeclared Endangered

The Caribbean monk seal, indis­criminately killed for hides and oilsince early Spanish exploration of thewestern hemisphere, has been listedas an endangered species by theNational Oceanic and AtmosphericAdministration's National MarineFisheries Service.

Scientists with the CommerceDepartment agency fear the animalmay already be extinct since surveysand studies have failed to locate anyof the mammals in its former habitatin the Gulf of Mexico and CaribbeanSea.

Under the Endangered Species Actof 1973, an endangered species is onethat is in danger of becoming extinctthroughout all or a significant part ofits range and is protected from anycontact by man.

Karl W. Kenyon, a noted marinemammalogist, conducted an extensiveaerial survey of the Caribbean monkseal's former habitat in the Gulf ofMexico and Caribbean Sea in 1973and failed to locate any of the seals.This survey and a study by NM FSscientist Dale W. Rice provided thebasis for the assumption that thespecies is extinct.

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