A Voyage Through the Arctic Post #5

R/V Oscar Dyson leaving Dutch Harbor. Credit: Paul Hillman/NOAA Fisheries.

On the morning of September 1, 2024, I boarded the two-and-a-half-hour flight with Aleutian Airways from Anchorage to Unalaska. Much of the Ecosystems and Fisheries Oceanography Coordinated Investigations (EcoFOCI) science crew, too, were amongst the flight and would board the renowned NOAA research vessel Oscar Dyson the following day to embark on the EcoFOCI Fall Mooring cruise. EcoFOCIis a joint research program between the Alaska Fisheries Science Center and the Pacific Marine Environmental Laboratory. This cruise supports many NOAA programs that look at changes in Alaska's ecosystems.

The annual Fall Mooring cruise lasts approximately three weeks in the eastern Bering Sea and the northern Gulf of Alaska. Its primary goal is to deploy and recover biophysical moorings, like the Peggy surface mooring (NOAA PMEL EcoFOCI), and to support collecting and understanding physical oceanographic and biological ecosystem data in these waters.

This cruise's work is crucial for understanding ecosystem dynamics. It involves recovering and deploying biophysical moorings, passive acoustic moorings, and CTD and bongo net measurements. This mission is not just a journey but a vital step toward unraveling the mysteries of our marine ecosystems.

• Biophysical moorings, with their unique ability to provide year-round measurements of the Bering Sea's state, play a pivotal role in bridging the gaps in knowledge between ship-based observations. Their role is significant and crucial in laying the groundwork for understanding the mechanisms that drive the Bering Sea's productivity.

• The CTD instrument, a device for recording conductivity-temperature-depth, is a crucial tool in our scientific arsenal. It collects seawater (chemical and physical) properties within the water column from which it is deployed. The CTD data is then plotted to show (if any) depth anomalies, providing us with a deeper understanding of the ocean's properties.

• Small mesh net surveys are vital to our mission. They aim to collect samples of zooplankton and fish larvae. As the base of the marine food chain, zooplankton are crucial to monitor because any decline in their abundance will have significant consequences. Similarly, fish larvae samples are essential because they allow the opportunity to learn more about early life stages, about which little is known. This will help us better understand and protect our marine ecosystem.
• Acoustic moorings are underwater instruments that record sounds in the ocean deriving from many sources, such as vocally active mammals and marine traffic. The data helps us better understand the presence of various types of mammals and how marine traffic has changed over time.
  

An acoustic mooring being deployed. Credit: Mabel Baldwin-Schaeffer/NOAA Fisheries.The CTD instrument. Credit: Mabel Baldwin-Schaeffer/NOAA Fisheries.Nets stored for next sample. Credit: Mabel Baldwin-Schaeffer/NOAA Fisheries.

That is the cruise's mission in a nutshell. However, I would like to use this space to discuss the life of Oscar Dyson, for whom the first in its class of modern NOAA research vessels bore his name and spirit.

A photo of Oscar Dyson displayed in the research vessel's galley. Credit: NOAA Fisheries.

Oscar helped build airstrips with the Army Corps of Engineers when World War II began and later found himself on Amaknak Island, an island subjected to the bombing of the Japanese. Once the war ceased, he became an active fisherman and a pioneer on the water. He started as a salmon and halibut fisherman and eventually fished for other local species, such as crab. At the time, there was not a federal law in place to limit fishing and many boats would stack their boats with as many pots as they could hold. Safety was not an consideration. Dyson, himself, had a large boat and he recognized that fishing practices of the time were not sustainable.

Oscar Dyson and Seldon Nelson on Fish Boat Peggy Jo in July 1966. Credit: Kodiak Maritime Museum

Oscar served on the Alaska Board of Fisheries and the North Pacific Fishery Management Council and was driven by his desire to improve the sustainability of Alaskan fisheries. He played a crucial role in developing the Sustainable Fisheries Act, which recognizes the importance of healthy fishing practices. His contributions also extended to implementing the federal government's marine jurisdiction (200-mile offshore limit).

Retrieving buoy named Peggy. Peggy records water temperatures and other physical and biological data year round from the surface to the bottom of the ocean. Credit: Mabel Baldwin-Schaeffer/NOAA Fisheries.

More than just a pioneer in Alaskan fisheries, Oscar was a family man and inspired younger generations to follow in his footsteps. His legacy lives on, not only in the sustainable practices he championed but also in the lives he touched. His passing in 1995 marked the end of an era, but his words, "If I had to do it all over again, I think I would do the same things. It's been a good life for me," continue to resonate with those who share his passion for the sea. His influence is not confined to the past but continues to shape the present and future of marine science and conservation. His work has influenced the development of sustainable fishing practices, the establishment of marine conservation policies, and the education and inspiration of future generations of marine scientists and conservationists. His legacy is a testament to the lasting impact one person can have on the future of our oceans.

Mabel Baldwin-Schaeffer stands beside buoy Peggy on the back deck of R/V Oscar Dyson. Credit: Mabel Baldwin-Schaeffer/NOAA Fisheries.Mabel Baldwin-Schaeffer amidst the EcoFOCI Fall Moorings Team on the R/V Oscar Dyson. Credit: Mabel Baldwin-Schaeffer/NOAA Fisheries.

Please stay tuned for a following Dyson blog post while on the research vessel.

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