California Reef Check Survey Dive

Week 2 of summer 2011 at Camp Emerald Bay has come to a close and the science center staff finally had a chance on their time off to continue surveying some transects laid out at a rocky reef not far from Parson's Landing. Significant swells and some stiff cross-currents kept us from doing as much as we would have liked, but a fun and safe diving experience was had by all.
Check out the video below of Cari moving through the kelp forest counting organisms along a transect line.

Summer 2011 has begun....

Director Dave Chan and his four summer interns are starting their first week of classes tomorrow with Dave teaching the BSA Aquarist and BSA Oceanographer while his interns are teaching three sections of Oceanography merit badge. With less than 400 campers at Emerald Bay this week, it should be a fairly light week and a good intro to the rest of the summer.

Here are a few of the resident leopard sharks in one of our touch tanks out on the science center porch.

Good Bye!

Friday, August 13th is my last day as Marine Science Director.

It has been a great 1.5 years and I'd like to thank all of the staff who have worked for me over that time.

The new director will be David Chan who will start in a few weeks.

Cheers,
Kevin Erickson

Hiring 4 Summer Staff

The PMSC is hiring 4 staff for the summer of 2010.

The four positions include:

2 Aquarist Interns

2 Marine Science Interns

If you are interested please email Kevin Erickson at KErickson@bsa-la.org for an application.

Applications are due March 12, 2010

Reef Check California - Nearshore Ecosystem Database

Looking for aquatic animal population data for California?

Try checking out Reef Check's nearshore ecosystem database website at: http://ned.reefcheck.org/

"Reef Check California is a network of informed and involved citizens, scientists and organizations that support the sustainable use and conservation of our nearshore marine resources. NED is your tool to input data from Reef Check California Surveys and view/query data collected at Reef Check California sites."

NOAA Approves Western and Central Pacific Bigeye Tuna Catch Limit

The following is from: http://www.noaanews.noaa.gov/stories2009/20091209_bigeyetuna.html

December 9, 2009

NOAA has established a catch limit for bigeye tuna (Thunnus obesus) in the U.S. pelagic longline fisheries in the western and central Pacific Ocean for each of the calendar years 2009, 2010, and 2011, having determined that the species’ Pacific Ocean population is subject to overfishing.

The rule, published Monday in the Federal Register, puts in place catch limits for longline fisheries, which target adult bigeye. Under this rule, the U.S. will reduce its longline catch of bigeye tuna from the 2004 baseline catch of 4,181 metric tons (mt) to 3,763 mt.

Once the 3,763 mt catch limit is reached in any of those years, retaining, shipping or landing bigeye tuna caught in the western and central Pacific Ocean will be prohibited for the remainder of the year, with limited exceptions. The catch limit will not apply to the longline fisheries of American Samoa, Guam or the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands.

Members of the Western and Central Pacific Fisheries Commission, the international body which manages highly migratory fish species like bigeye tuna, agreed to the catch limits in both their longline and purse seine fisheries at their meeting in December 2008.

Earlier this year, NOAA published a rule limiting fishing days by purse seine vessels and restricting tuna purse seine sets on floating objects known as fish aggregation devices, in an effort to reduce the catch of juvenile bigeye tuna.

NOAA understands and predicts changes in the Earth's environment, from the depths of the ocean to the surface of the sun, and conserves and manages our coastal and marine resources.

Reminder of California Spiny Lobster Fishing Regulations

Need a copy of the regulations? Download them here: www.dfg.ca.gov/marine/pdfs/oceanfish2009.pdf

2009-2010 California Ocean Fishing Regulation 29.90: Spiny Lobsters

(a) Open season: From the Saturday preceding the first Wednesday in October through the first Wednesday after the 15th of March (October 3, 2009 - March 17, 2010).

(b) Limit: Seven.

(c) Minimum size: Three and one-fourth (3 1/4) inches measured in a straight line on the mid-line of the back from the rear edge of the eye socket to the rear edge of the body shell. Any lobster may be brought to the surface of the water for the purpose of measuring, but no undersize lobster may be brought aboard any boat, placed in any type of receiver, kept on the person or retained in any person’s possession or under his direct control; all lobsters shall be measured immediately upon being brought to the surface of the water, and any undersize lobster shall be released immediately into the water.

(d) Report Card Required: Any person fishing for or taking spiny lobster shall have in their possession a non-transferable Spiny Lobster Report Card issued by the department and shall adhere to all reporting requirements for lobster defined in Sections 1.74 and 29.91, Title 14, CCR.

Important Reminder: Spiny Lobster Reporting Requirements

• Persons fishing for or taking spiny lobster must have a lobster report card.

• Prior to beginning lobster fishing activity, the cardholder must record the month, day, location and gear code on the first available line on the report card. When the cardholder moves to another location, switches gear, or finishes fishing for the day, he or she must immediately record on the card the number of lobster kept for that location using a particular gear type. New lines must be used when changing locations, days, or gear types.

• Unlike abalone report cards, an additional lobster report card may be purchased in the event an individual fills in all lines and returns the card.

2009-2010 California Ocean Fishing Regulation 29.91: Spiny Lobsters Report Card Requirements for Ocean Waters.

(a) Spiny Lobster Report Card Required. All individuals must have a Spiny Lobster Report Card in their possession while fishing for or taking lobster. In the case of a person diving from a boat, the report card may be kept in the boat, or in the case of a person diving from the shore, the report card may be kept within 500 yards from the point of entry. Individuals must complete and return the card pursuant to regulations in this Section and in Section 1.74.

(b) Prior to beginning fishing activity, the cardholder must record the month, day, location, and gear code on the first available line on the report card.

(c) When the cardholder moves to another location code, or finishes fishing for the day, he or she must immediately record on the card the number of lobster kept from that location.

(d) In the event an individual fills in all lines and returns a Spiny Lobster Report Card, an additional card may be purchased. See Section 1.74.

(e) The annual fee for the Spiny Lobster Report Card is specified in Section 701, Title 14, CCR.

REMINDER: California Fish and Game Code, Section 5508, states that “It is unlawful to possess on any boat or to bring ashore any fish upon which a size or weight limit is prescribed in such a condition that its size or weight cannot be determined. The commission may adopt regulations, under which fish other than whole fish may be brought ashore, which establish sizes or weights for cleaned or otherwise cut fish equivalent to sizes or weights for whole fish.” (see Section 27.65).