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Mission Log: Week 2 August 10 - 13, 2004
This week we were weathered out 2 days but we made up for lost time on the first day of diving by collecting 23 lionfish. Although the overall abundance and density of lionfish is quite variable we observed and collected lionfish from all 5 sites we visited this week (see map). A total of 33 lionfish were collected this week (1 alive). They varied in length from 5 to 45 cm long (2 to 18 in), these lengths are probably indicative of a range of lionfish ages. But this is still to be determined. The NURC/NOAA dive teams and crew this week switched around a bit within the different tasks and teams as designated below.
Dive team 1(lionfish observer group) Christine
Addison, Glen Taylor/Tom Potts, Paula Whitfield
Dive team 2(hunter/gatherer group) Doug Kesling,
Jay Styron, Tom Potts
Safety Diver: Doug Kesling and Glen Taylor took turns as
safety diver
RV Cape Fear Crew: Captain Chuck Ruch, Michael Rodaway and
Gerry Compeau
Day 1, Tuesday August 10 2004: After being blown out on Monday we headed out on Tuesday morning to dive two separate hardbottom locations that were approximately 50 miles southeast of Masonboro Inlet in 130 ft of water (HB1 and HB2). Visibility was exceptional at both of these dive sites and both the visual observer team and the hunter/gatherer team spotted lionfish at both locations. On this one day alone 23 lionfish were collected in day 1 alone. This was a single day record for the most lionfish collected.
Day 2, Wednesday August 11 2004: On day 2 we started the day diving in a location that is approximately 60 miles southeast of Masonboro Inlet. This site was our farthest location so far and was in approximately 130 ft of water (HB3). Due to the location we placed a temperature sensor to monitor winter bottom water temperatures. Even though we expected to see more lionfish only 1 was collected from this particular location.
The second dive of the day we traveled closer to shore about 7 miles but ended up in deeper water (138 ft) at this site we observed the smallest lionfish any of us has seen off North Carolina (HB4). It was approximately 2 inches long Glen Taylor, Christine Addison and Paula Whitfield were able to bring it up alive and the lionfish will be displayed at the NOAA Beaufort Laboratory Aquarium. The hunter/gatherer team Tom Potts and Jay Styron collected 6 lionfish at this location as well.
Juveniles such as this one are not a common site off North Carolina but they have been present every fall for the last 3 years off the coast of Long Island NY. They may be difficult to see in the hardbottom and wreck habitats.
Day 3, Thursday August 12 2004: On day 3 the remnants
of Bonnie were bearing down on us, so we were able to hit 1 more hardbottom
site before heading into shore (HB5).
At this particular location 2 more lionfish were collected. This makes
a total of 33 lionfish collected at 5 very different hardbottom locations
during week 2
Divers decompressing on surface supplied oxygen (NURC photo - Doug Kesling) |
Jay Styron decompressing after an arduous dive
collecting lionfish (NURC photo - Doug Kesling) |