KORXH PACIFIC AND BERING SEA OCEANOGRAPHY, 1958 



by 



Felix Favorite and Glenn Pedersen 



U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service 



Seattle, Washington 



ABSTRACT 



This report presents oceanographic data collected on the charter 

 fishing vessels Attu and Pioneer at and between fishing stations in 

 the North Pacific and the Bering Sea from May to September 1958. Pro- 

 cedures are described and stations are shown. 



The tabulated data show temperature, and values of salinity, 

 density, and dissolved oxygen at varying depths to 1050 meters; num- 

 ber, time, and position of drift bottle releases; time, position, and 

 weather and sea conditions for bathythermograph lowerings; and dis- 

 placement volumes, wet weights, and numbers of organisms per cubic 

 meter of water for the vertical plankton hauls. 



INTRODUCTION 



Scope and Purpose 



These data represent the second summer's 

 field work by the Oceanographic Section of 

 the Biological Laboratory, Seattle, —' under 

 the direction of the American Section of 

 the Internationjil North Pacific Fisheries 

 Commission. The observations were taken on 

 board fishing vessels chartered to continue 

 the investigation of the distribution emd 

 migration of salmon in the North Pacific 

 Ocean and the Bering Sea. 



The purpose of the oceanographic obser- 

 vations is to define the general oceanic 

 salmon environment, reveal geographical dif- 

 ferences in the general environment, and 

 investigate the relations of physical, chem- 

 ic2il, and biological properties to the 

 abundance and distribution of salmon stocks. 



Changes from 1957 Procedure 



Unusually severe weather in 1958 which 



V Formerly Pacific Salmon Investigations. 



persisted throughout the spring and summer 

 severely curtailed the cruise plans, and 

 at numerous times it was impossible to ac- 

 complish any work for several days. 



Cruise plans . — ^As in the previous year 

 reported in North Pacific and Bering Sea 

 Oceajiography, 1957 . L' the cruise plans" 

 were determined by the fishing sets. In 

 1958, since only two vessels were chartered, 

 the repeated sampling as in 1957 at 50°, 

 53", and 56' N. on longitudes 165° W., 175' 

 W., and 175' £. was discontinued, and cruise 

 plans were constructed to provide serial 

 fishing sets at 60-raile intervals within 

 the above area to provide more detailed sam- 

 pling. 



The change in cruise plans permitted 

 an increase in the number of oceanographic 

 stations even with only two boats. In 

 contrast to 1957 stations, which were at 



£/ Felix Favorite and Glenn Pedersen, 

 ~ U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Spe- 

 cial Scientific Report — Fisheries 

 No. 292, May 1959. 



