Dan Falvey fishes aboard the 50-foot FV Magia out of Sitka, Alaska, for Pacific cod, black cod, and halibut. Alongside that boat two cameras lean out over the water, each pointed at the spot where the longline emerges from the deep. When the hydraulic winch kicks into gear and the line starts coming in, the […]
Every year, gray whales migrate from their summer feeding grounds in the Arctic to their wintering grounds off Baja California in Mexico. And roughly every other year, scientists with binoculars count them as they funnel past a point on the California coast a bit south of Monterey Bay. Scientists conduct this survey to keep track […]
Last year, for the first time, scientists used an unmanned aerial vehicle, or UAV, to study killer whales from above. In an article published this month in the Journal of Unmanned Vehicle Systems, scientists describe how they configured their UAV, turning it into a precision scientific instrument. The international team of scientists from NOAA Fisheries […]
Most people can recognize themselves in a childhood photo. But if fish took pictures, many would be unable to pick their younger selves out of a lineup. In many species, the juveniles bear little resemblance to the adults, and even scientists can have a tough time telling them apart. “Take halibut,” said Mandy Lindeberg. “It’s […]