Field Work with NOAA Scientists

Back in October, I think it was my second week of work, I had a great opportunity to go out in the field on a National Park Service boat with a couple of visiting NOAA scientists. I was able to help with the deployment of a Remotely Operated Vehicle (ROV). They were using the ROV with a camera attached to visually look for derelict fish traps on the bottom of the seafloor. Previously they used Side Scan Sonar instruments to determine the location of some of these fish traps so we were returning to these locations with the ROV. Derelict fish traps are traps that have either been lost by fisherman because of a storm moving them from the original location or purposely left behind by them instead of proper disposal. There may be a number of reasons as to why old fish traps are just sitting in the ocean, but what is important is to determine what these old, abandonded traps are actually doing down there. Some might still be fishing and catching fish which is called Ghost Fishing and has many detrimental environmental effects. This isn't my work, but it was very interesting to come along and learn about this particular research.