where researchers investigated seasonal variations in ocean temperature, currents and salinity and assessed the status of
marine life.
The San Diego, Calif.based ship collected hydrographic and biological data on the California Current System during
California Cooperative Oceanic Fisheries Investigations (CalCOFI) research cruises. During this project, researchers
studied the marine environment off the coast of California, the management of its living resources, and monitored the
indicators of El Niño and climate change with quarterly cruises off southern and central California.
NOAA Ship David Starr Jordan also played an important role in yellow fin tuna fishery research that led to a major
reduction in dolphin mortalities.
Data collected on the Jordan were critical in supporting the “dolphinsafe” tuna campaign and labeling requirements.
“The David Starr Jordan was a workhorse for more than 40 years, supporting the management of fish, marine mammals
and sea turtles,” said Steve Murawski, Ph.D., NOAA’s chief scientist for fisheries. “We celebrate the crew, scientists and
vessel as we look to the future.”
NOAA Ship David Starr Jordan was a floating laboratory equipped with temperaturecontrolled aquaria and live specimen
wells, walkin freezer, dark room, data processing laboratory, and an underwater observation chamber in the bow and port
side for studying fish behavior at sea. The ship was also equipped with a helicopter pad to support aerial observations and
photo survey missions. The ship’s twin 500horsepower diesel engines give the ship a 12knot cruising speed.
The ship is named after David Starr Jordan (18511931), one of the best known naturalists and educators of his time. He
wrote more than 50 books and published over 600 scientific papers on topics ranging from ichthyology (the branch of
zoology dealing with fish) to advancing world peace. In 1879, Jordan became president of Indiana University and was
selected in 1891 as the first president of Stanford University. Jordan was a member of the California State Fish
Commission, and his investigations of the exploitation of the salmon and fur seal populations helped save these species.
NOAA’s mission is to understand and predict changes in the Earth's environment, from the depths of the ocean to the
surface of the sun, and to conserve and manage our coastal and marine resources.
Recent Charter History:
- Summers/Fall of 2017 – 2019 – NOAA, “Large Vessel Charter for Surveys in the Arctic”. These trips went from the first part of July through October.
- A. BACKGROUND
As a changing climate and sea-ice retreat progressively expose the Chukchi and Beaufort Seas to a longer open water season, society will confront new resource management issues. These include the future of the cultures andsubsistence lifestyles of local indigenous communities, potential impacts of industrial activities (e.g., commercial fishing, oil and gas extraction), potential changes to regional ocean carrying capacity, and resilience of the arcticmarine ecosystem (NRC, 2014). To address these issues, the North Pacific Research Board in cooperation with multiple organizations has funded integrated ecosystem research, the Arctic Integrated Ecosystem Research Program (Arctic IERP), with the goal to better understand the mechanisms and processes that structure the ecosystem and influence the distribution, life history, and interactions of biological communities in the Chukchi andBeaufort Seas. The Alaska Fisheries Science Center (AFSC) is one of the partners in this program and will conduct the investigative ecosystem research portion for both the upper and lower trophic levels.
- B. OBJECTIVE
Provide a platform to conduct seasonal observations and investigations in the Chukchi and Beaufort Sea for the Arctic IERP. The principal mission requirements along with key research themes are listed below:
- 1. Transport, seasonal composition, distribution, and production of phytoplankton, particulate matter, zooplankton, fishes, benthic invertebrates, seabirds, and marine mammals
- 2. Timing, magnitude and fate of the primary and secondary productivity
- 3. Partitioning/flux of energy between pelagic and benthic realms
- C. SCOPE OF WORK
The contractor shall furnish the necessary personnel, material, equipment, services and facilities (except as otherwisespecified)
to provide charter operations for the periods during the timeframes stated in Section D below. The starting port will likely be Dutch Harbor, Alaska (AK), with port calls in Nome, AK. Operations will include fisheries and oceanographic research, involving multiple nets and gear types being deployed off the contract vessel with workprimarily occurring in the Chukchi and Beaufort Seas.
- Spring – 2017 – USGS, “Research Vessel Charter, Eastern Gulf of Alaska”
I. GENERAL INFORMATION
A. Introduction. U.S. Geological Survey has a requirement for a vessel to support the
collection of geophysical data in the Eastern Gulf of Alaska.
B. Scope. The purpose of the study is to assess the earthquake, landslide and tsunami
hazards along the Queen Charlotte-Fairweather Fault system, which extends along the
continental shelf-edge of the eastern Gulf of Alaska. The survey will extend from Icy
Point in the north to the international border on the south; between 50 m and 3000 m
water depths.
USGS Field personnel will mobilize and load scientific equipment onto the vessel in a
harbor with dockside support (i.e., access to cranes, forklifts, hardware stores) for 3 days
at a site located no more than 3 days of transit to the survey area. Scientific gear will be
loaded onto the vessel and set up for operation approximately three days prior to
departure. The vessel will transit with the equipment and personnel to the study site in
the Eastern Gulf of Alaska. Approximately 15 days will be spent on site conducting a
marine geophysical survey that will include multichannel seismic reflection data
acquisition. Upon completion of scientific operations, the vessel will return to the
harbor, where USGS personnel will demobilize and unload their equipment in
approximately 2 days. The total duration of the operation will be approximately (26)
twenty-six days.
- Spring/Summers 2010 – 2016 – NOAA, “West Coast Charter for Trawl-Capable Vessel”
At-sea work between May 1st and Sept. 30th offshore the coasts of California, Oregon and Washington. The work will consist of conducting plankton tows, oceanographic profiles, pelagic fish trawls, active acoustic sampling, and underway egg sampling at a series of stations and along transect between stations. The data collected will be used to inform assessments of various stocks of pelagic fishes, rockfish and salmon. The Government will supply te trawl nets, doors, associated rigging and other sampling gear for use by the scientific party at sea.
- Fall/Winter 2015 – Intituto Nacional de Ecologia (INE), Vaquita Abundance Survey
The Vaquita (world’s smallest porpoise) abundance survey was carried out by CICESE, The Center for Scientific Research and Higher Education at Ensenada (in Spanish: Centro de Investigación Científica y de Educación Superior de Ensenada, CICESE) is a public research center sponsored by the National Council for Science and Technology of Mexico (CONACYT) in the city of Ensenada, Baja California, and specialized in Earth Sciences, Oceanography and Applied Physics. In addition to sponsorship from the Mexican Government, assistance and support was given by NOAA and Scripps Oceanographic Institute. The Vaquita lives exclusively in the a small area at the North end (top) of the Gulf of California and is the most endangered species of marine mammal in the world. With less than 25 Vaquita remaining, the Gov’t of Mexico requested that a precise estimate of current abundance be obtained.
- Spring 2015 – The Ocean Cleanup, Proving Trials for Experimental Accumulation Net
Every year we produce about 300 million tons of plastic, a portion of which enters and accumulates in the oceans. Due to large offshore current systems called gyres, plastic concentrates in certain offshore areas, of which the Great Pacific Garbage Patch between Hawaii and California is the best known example. We developed a prototype net to collect samples of the plastic concentrates in the Pacific gyre and tested in the mid-Pacific region, in advance of deploying a clean up system.
