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Day 10: 4.29.2006
Day 10: 4.29.2006 Last Day of Work
Navassa Island in Summary
by Chief Scientist Greg Piniak
As with any first trip to a new research area, I approached the Navassa cruise with great anticipation and a touch of trepidation. It's exciting to go to new places and learn new things, particularly in a remote and rarely visited area like Navassa. We had a very ambitious research agenda. Before the trip, there were many unknowns, including:
- what the physical location would be like to work in
- what the potentially difficult weather and sea conditions would be like
- what the interactions with the Haitian fishermen would be like
- how the fishermen's gear deployments might affect our research objectives
- an unusually high number of new collaborators-- about half the science party had never been to sea with us before.
However, the trip was very positive on virtually every level. Everybody on the team worked extremely hard and did a fantastic job. The weather was very cooperative and we were able to conduct research on all sides of the island.
Some highlights:
Brian and Christine were able to run their own sampling programs for fish and conch. (Photo of Brian Degan and Christine Addison sampling barracuda for the ciguatera research group by J. Vander Pluym)
Amy and Jean had great interactions with the Haitian fishermen ( Photo of Jean Wiener with Haitian fishermen by A. Uhrin). Although there was only one boat of fishermen for them to interview, fewer fishermen meant fewer gear deployments. Fishing gear, such as buoys, were navigational hazards. With fewer of these in the water, the ship was better able to maneuver for multibeam bathymetry surveys. Therefore, Mike Stecher and Dan Boles were able to produce some incredible multibeam data.
We also had enough time to accommodate the research interests of several colleagues, including:
- stable isotope sampling
- ciguatera samplingó see photograph of silk snapper caught by Brian Degan during night fishing operations
- drop-camera surveys to ground-truth habitat maps and satellite imagery.
We were able to take advantage of unexpected opportunities, such as documenting a shipwreck off the southeast corner of the island. We accomplished every research item we had scheduled, with one exception-- equipment failure prevented us from investigating potential deep-sea coral habitat to the southwest of the island ( coral photographs taken by A. Poray during habitat survey diving operations at 100 feet).
Our surveys should be extensive enough to allow us to detect changes over time, but there is still a significant amount of new work to do in the area on future missions. All of our habitat dives were along the deep shelf (90-110'); a large amount of deeper habitat remains to be explored via tech diving or remote surveys with a drop camera or remotely operated vehicle (ROV).
The National Wildlife Refuge extends to a 12-mile radius from Navassa island. The extremely deep water beyond the shelf is virtually unstudied and may well contain significant resources (pelagic fish, deep sea coral, etc.) that are unimpacted by human activities. Although we established a temperature logger network, the physical environment (waves, currents, nutrient levels, etc.) is still not well-described. ( photo of fin flips taken by P. Whitfield)
Scientists in the Spotlight
Dive Team D: Greg Piniak, John Marr, and Ruth Kelty
Photo of the team doing a fish and habitat survey transect, by A. Poray
Greg Piniak was the Chief Scientist of this research cruise. This means he not only worked out operational details but also contributed to the scientific design of the habitat and fish surveys. Greg is a Research Ecologist at CCFHR in Beaufort, NC and focuses on multiple coral reef ecology projects. Greg was one of his dive team’s habitat photographers. This allowed him to get close to the data he will be analyzing later. He has been extremely impressed with how well this diverse group works together and couldn’t be happier with the water clarity of Navassa as well as the excellent weather we have experienced during the cruise. ( Photo of Greg on small vessel heading out to dive operation)
John Marr is the Director of the Caribbean Marine Research Center (CMRC) of the Perry Institute for Marine Science, one of six National Undersea Research Centers. CMRC is a remote research station on Lee Stocking Island in the Bahamas. A wide variety of pioneering research is conducted there. While at the station, John met Greg Piniak and learned about some of the projects CCFHR researchers were doing. John was invited to join the Navassa cruise and has enhanced the experience for all. ( photo of John Marr on small vessel heading out to a dive, by A. Uhrin)
John was one of the dive team’s habitat photographers. His highlight of this experience is working with a great set of individuals on such a unique project. He says he has devoted his career to different aspects of marine science because: “The work is fun and full of discovery about people, places, and nature.” (photo of John on SCUBA, by A. Uhrin)
Ruth Kelty is an ecologist at the NCCOS headquarters in Silver Spring, MD. She is participating in the NOAA Leadership Competency Development Program (LCDP) along with her other duties of integrating research across scientific disciplines (federal, academic, and industrial) for coastal decision-makers. Ruth feels that she is helping to create a culture in which management decisions are made based on an understanding of the impacts of those decisions on affected components of the ecosystem, including human beings. (Photo of Ruth Kelty in a hardhat unloading a small vessel, by J. Vander Pluym)
Ruth has been her team’s fish surveyor. She has enjoyed interacting with the ship's crew and scientists, and especially the conversations about each person’s path that led them to the Nancy Foster. (Photo of Ruth Kelty on SCUBA, by J. Marr).
Dive Team E: Jean Wiener and Will Foust . These multitalented two were able to assist with many different operations.
Jean Weiner, a native of Haiti, has dedicated his life to this field in order to help Haitians conserve their resources. He is the:
- Director/Founder of the NGO (non-governmental organization) Fondation pour la Protection de la Biodiversité Marine (FOPROBIM) based in Port-au-Prince
- Director/Founder of EnviroSynergy, a NGO based in Bethesda, MD
- head of a NOAA outreach program focused on the prevention and mitigation of derelict fishing gear and marine pollution with Haitian fishermen
- head of an education program within the Haitian community about sea turtles
- Jean is also continuing his graduate work investigating the presence of a rock-boring sea urchin found in Haiti but not yet documented around Navassa Island or Jamaica.
On the cruise he was an interpreter with the local fishermen and worked with Amy Uhrin to locate fishing traps around the island. He has also contributed to diving operations throughout the cruise. ( Photos of Jean are: 1- in gear all set-up before deploying for a dive, by A. Uhrin and 2- ready for a dive, by J. Vander Pluym)
Will Foust works at the NOAA Marine Operations Center of the Pacific in Seattle, WA. His work as a Diving Medical Officer and an active duty Lieutenant Commander in the United States Public Health Service (PHS) rotates him to different NOAA vessels as each mission requires his expertise. He received his dive medicine training at the U.S. Navy Diving Center in Panama City, FL. When Greg Piniak’s request for a dive medic came to the NOAA MOC, Will volunteered right away for the opportunity to experience such a unique area. He is happy with his decision as the diving has been excellent! Will enjoys his job because it allows him to combine his medical career, SCUBA diving, and exploring the oceans all in one career. (Photo of Will ready to go in the water, by P. Whitfield)
NOAA Ship Nancy Foster: Crew in the Spotlight
Tim Olsen, Chief Engineer
Tim has been the Chief Engineer on the Nancy Foster since she was converted from a Navy torpedo tester to the current oceanographic research vessel. Prior to working for NOAA, he sailed in the US Army's navy for 20 years and retired from the Army. He then worked as a mission critical facilities manager for 3 years. Tim was NOAA MOC Atlantic Employee of the Year in 2005. Not surprisingly, his favorite place is outdoors. Photo of Tim fishing for ciguatera sample collections, by J. Vander Pluym.
Tim especially enjoys working with the various scientific crews who do research aboard the Nancy Foster and supporting them by fabricating any and all special tools or equipment they need to perform their mission.
Photo of Tim snorkeling during a crew snorkeling break, by M. Stecher.
James Verlaque, Commanding Officer NOAA Corps
James spent the first ten years of his life between Madrid and the Mediterranean beaches of Spain. After moving to Delaware, he began his life on the water working on charter fishing boats that targeted tuna and billfish. He graduated from the University of Delaware with a double major in math and physics and was recruited by NOAA Corps. Almost 20 years later, James has ascended the ranks of the Corps, completed a masters degree in Public Administration, and completed the NOAA Leadership Competency Development Program (LCDP). This provided James with a well-rounded approach to leadership by combining the operational and managerial sides. He worked under his mentor, Vice-Admiral Conrad C. Lautenbacher, Jr., in the Program Coordination Office as a liaison for the Office of Marine and Aviation Operations.
He has served in many different posts during his 19.5 years of service, including:
- Commanding Officer of the NOAA Ship Rude, a hydrographic vessel
- Office of Labor Relations
- Atlantic Hydrographic Branch
- Commanding Officer of the Nancy Foster.
He takes pride in the versatility of the Nancy Foster. Last year, $2 million in renovations were completed under his command. Although he misses his family when he is away, he prefers at-sea assignments. As a commissioned officer in NOAA Corps, James feels that he has gotten three things no other job could have given him, “the vision, the experience, and the resources to make an effective leader.” Photo of James on the Nancy Foster with the Dominican Republic behind him, by J. Vander Pluym