PEARCY: ALBACORE OCEANOGRAPHY 



Infrared SST — 5 August 

 (Figure 1 1 ) 



By this time the average catch of jii; l)oats 

 was less than 50 i)er clay and only eight 

 boats were reporting. The continued decline 

 of the jig fishery did not appear to be associated 

 with drastic changes of sea-surface tempera- 

 ture conditions, however. Water of 15°-16°C, 

 was widesi)read offshcn-e and south of the 

 Columbia River. 



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Figure 11. — Sea-surface temperatures and albacore catch 

 rates, 5 August 1970. See Figure 6 for explanation of 

 catch notation. 



Coastal upwelling was not pronounced and 

 cold water was absent inshore at Newport 

 and the Columbia River. This situation is 

 explained by south-westerly winds during the 

 last 3 days (Figure 3). Plume waters were not 

 obvious as a warmwater tongue off Oregon 

 because of the general heating of offshore 

 waters this late in the summer and possibly 

 because of the lack of northerly winds that 

 push the plume to the south along the Oregon 

 coast. 



Infrared SST — 19 August 

 (Figure 12) 



During the j^eriod of 17-19 August jig catches 

 increased to over 100 fish per day. These im- 

 proved catches resulted in an increase in 

 reported effort (10 boats on 20 August). Again 

 sea-surface temperatures wei'e similar to days 

 in July when good catches were made by jig 

 boats. 



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Figure 12. — Sea-surface temperatures and albacore catch 

 rates, 19 August 1970. See Figure 6 for explanation of 

 catch notation. 



The six bait boats, reporting IDl to 600 

 fish per day, were located 30-40 miles from 

 shore, near the mouth of the Columbia River 

 in 15°-16.5°C water. This is the same general 

 area where the jig boats were fishing. 



Infrared SST — 16 September 

 (Figure 13) 



Although no jig boats reported catches after 

 late August, bait boats had good fishing through- 

 out September and early October (Figure 1). 



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