NORTH PACIFIC AND BERING SEA OCEANOGRAPHY, 1957 



by 



Felix Favorite and Glenn M. Pedersen 



U. S. Fish cind Wildlife Service 



Seattle, Washington 



ABSTRACT 



This report presents oceanographic data collected at fishing stations in 

 the North Pacific and the Bering Sea from May to September 1957, as a part of 

 the research conducted by the United States Fish and Wildlife Service under 

 the direction of the United States Section of the International North Pacific 

 Fisheries Commission. 



The report also describes procedures and shows stations occupied by the 

 fishing vessels Attu, Pioneer , and Paragon . The tabulated data show tempera- 

 ture, and values of salinity, density, dissolved oxygen, and dissolved inor- 

 ganic phosphate at varying depths to 1100 meters; number, time, and position 

 of drift bottle releases; time, position, and weather and sea conditions for 

 bathythermograph lower ings; and displacement volvunes and numbers of organisms 

 per cubic meter of water for the vertical plankton hauls. 



COLLECTION OF DATA 



Vessels and Observers 



Three halibut schooners, the M/Vs 

 Attu , Pioneer , and Paragon , chartered by 

 the Pacific Salmon Investigations to deter- 

 mine the distribution and migration of 

 salmon in the North Pacific and the Bering 

 Sea, collected oceanographic data in con- 

 junction with exploratory fishing. The 

 specifications of this type of vessel have 

 been presented by Powell and Peterson in 

 Experimental Fishing to Determine Distribu- 

 tion of Salmon in the North Pacific Ocean, 

 1955, Special Scientific Report — Fisheries 

 No. 205, Washington, D. C. , July 1957. The 

 vessels were equipped with portable hydro- 

 graphic winches and davits to facilitate 

 handling the oceanographic equipment: 

 Nansen bottles, bathythermographs, and 

 plankton nets. 



The vessels, periods of operation, 

 and oceanographic observers are as follows: 



Attu 29 May - 8 Sept. 

 Pioneer 2 June - 11 Sept. 

 Paragon 27 July - 12 Sept. 



Glenn M. Pedersen 

 John W. Schantz 

 Alan H. Haselwood 



Oceemographic Stations 



The vessels, following a predetermined 

 plan for fishing, observed primary oceano- 

 graphic stations at fishing locations, at 

 secondciry stations between the fishing loca- 

 tions, and at other positions designed to 

 supplement primary-station data. Stations 

 occupied by the three vessels eire shown in 

 figure 1, and the observations are summa- 

 rized in tables 1, 2, and 3 (pages 4, 5, 

 and 6) . 



PROCEDURE 



Primary Stations 



At primary stations, the observations 

 included hydrographic casts to the bottom 

 or to a maximum of 1100 meters, a 900- foot 

 BT, and a horizontal tow and vertical hauls 

 for plankton. 



When the conditions of observation 

 were relatively ideal, the itinerary of the 

 vessel was adjusted to arrive on station in 

 time to set the gill nets between 1600 and 

 1800. A set at this time normally allowed 

 the oceanographic observer time to complete 

 the routine between 2200 and 2400. 



