Salmon field work ends with winter dives

Yesterday David Howitt and his crack team completed the retrieval of the last couple Vemco receivers that were being used to track adult salmon in our collaborative fish research with UW and NOAA/NWFSC.  Here is David’s field report, along with some great photos:

  • Boat operator and two divers depart from Roche 1100, return Roche 15:30 – 4 1/2 hours
  • 2 Dives, 2 retrievals, pretty straight forward with finding near shore anchor block early in dive at Succia. Sentinel found drifting line, went down to 60 feet and were lucky
  • Will deliver pier blocks, Vemcos and tanks to Val tomorrow
  • found one weight belt at Succia, lost one knife.
  • Succia Vermco SN# 100913
  • Sentinel Vemco barnacle encrusted
  • Pouring hot tea into gloves really helped
Dive stats:
#1 Sucia,  11:57 minutes,     41.56’,          46 degrees in water.
#2 Sentinel,  12 minutes,          62.25’,          45 degrees in water.
Note the water temperature!  Bravo to David and his tough team for finishing the field work in the depths of winter!!
Divers atop the rock outcrop which served as shore anchor for the Sucia receiver.

Divers atop the rock outcrop which served as shore anchor for the Sucia receiver.

 

Encrusted receiver and float atop dive tanks

Encrusted receiver and float atop dive tanks

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Map showing all the receivers retrieved (in magenta) at the end of our San Juan Island salmon tracking study.  Only one receiver remains -- at Lime Kiln.

Map showing all the receivers retrieved (in magenta) at the end of our San Juan Island salmon tracking study. Only one receiver remains — at Lime Kiln.

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