Secchi Disk
We use a weighted, white disk—or Secchi disk—to measure water clarity by dropping the disk in the water and recording how deep it goes before we can’t see it anymore.
Plankton Net
This little plankton net is one of the many nets used. The net is tossed in the water from the side of the boat to catch phytoplankton—tiny, drifting plants—that live near the surface.
Bucket
We pull up bucket-loads of water with our trusty bucket for all sorts of information. From the bucket we learn about the nutrients in the water, phytoplankton, toxins, and more!
Vertical Net
Another net! The vertical net is dipped down to the seafloor and brought straight back up to collect little zooplankton—wandering animals—like copepods.
CTD (Conductivity, Temperature, Depth)
We deploy a conductivity, temperature, and depth profiler (CTD) down through the water to the seafloor to measure multiple ocean parameters.
Bongo Net
The biggest net is our bongo net. We tow the bongo net—named for its shape—through the water to collect zooplankton, like krill.
Niskin Bottle
We use a Niskin bottle to collect deeper water that our bucket can’t reach.
Velella vellela, or “by the wind sailor” are often found at the ocean surface, ‘catching a ride' by the winds.
Neocalanus cristatus and Neocalanus plumchrus are large copepods that are more common offshore. These species are food for juvenile sablefish.
Pyrosomes are colonial tunicates that inhabit the region during warm ocean conditions.
The Ocean Observatories Initiative Oregon Shelf Surface Mooring (CE02|SHSM) sits in water 80 meters deep and collects data from above and below the sea surface, and in between, to gain better insight into the dynamic conditions of the sea water above the Continental Shelf. (https://www.oceanobservatories.org/)
The Ocean Observatories Initiative Oregon Inshore Surface Mooring (CE01ISSM) sits in water 25 meters deep and collects data from above and below the sea surface, and in between, to gain better insight into the dynamic conditions of shallow water, coastal environments. (https://www.oceanobservatories.org/)
This NOAA buoy sits 20 nautical miles offshore and continuously collects data on the wind speed and direction, and water temperature. All of the data collected are available online. (https://www.ndbc.noaa.gov/)
The Ocean Observatories Initiative Oregon Offshore Surface Mooring (CE04OSSM) sits in water 550 meters deep and collects data from above and below the sea surface, and in between, to gain better insight into the dynamic conditions of the sea water located along the Continental Slope. (https://www.oceanobservatories.org/)
Swimming krill.
Euphausia pacific is one of the dominant krill species off Newport. They are food for whales and some fish.
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Calanus marshallae is an important indicator of ocean conditions. This species inhabits cooler waters and stores fat to help survive the winter. These fats are important for other species that eat them. Here, you can see the large ‘oil sac’ running the length the body.
Copepod carrying eggs.
This copepod is called the Sea Sapphire (Sapphirina sp.). Only the males are iridescent like this, and we think that they use this flashy display to attract females. Photo credit: Kris Bauer
Dungeness crab release larvae that develop through six different stages. During their larval phase, they are being carried by the ocean currents. This is their main dispersal phase.
A dish of crab larvae that are all the size of pin.
The larval stage (zoea) of a Dungeness crab. Most crab larvae have long spines to deter predators.
The little floating discs form a chain of Thalassiosira rotula cells, which are important diatoms that provide healthy fats for zooplankton and higher trophic levels.
The tri-horned cell is an armored dinoflagellate, Tripos.
These images were collected using an imaging flow cytobot (IFCB) that continually sips the surface water and takes high resolution images of microscopic phytoplankton. Photo credit: Maria Kavanaugh
Pseudo-nitzschia are a chain-forming diatom that can produce a toxin, domoic acid, which is harmful to consumers when ingested. When toxin levels are high, the harvesting of razor clams or Dungeness crabs can close to protect consumers. Photo credit: Brian Bill
