Paul M. Maughan 



Special Assistant for Marine Resources 

 Bureau of Commercial Fisheries 

 Washington, DC 202^10 



Bureau of Commercial Fisheries remote sensing programs, such a,s the 

 space-photo interpretation of Dr. Robert Stevenson's at Galveston and the 

 fishery intelligence program of Mr. Kirby Drennan's at Pascagoula, are 

 coordinated through the BCF Central Office in Washington, D.C. 



The remote sensing programs are proceeding in two study areas: l) 

 direct detection of fish stocks in their natural environment and, 2) 

 indirect detection of fish stocks using a knowledge of the physical parameters 

 (such as areas of upwelling and convergence zones) to determine where fish are 

 without actually observing the fish. Current plans are to investigate newer 

 remote sensing techniques and to specify "fish sensors" for the proposed 

 oceanographic satellite. There is no doubt that a real benefit to the 

 fishing industry can be made through observations from a satellite system. 



One study at Oregon State University currently in progress which BCF 

 is sponsoring, is observing the well-defined Columbia River plume flowing 

 south along the Oregon coast and an adjacent area of upwelling, and relating 

 these to the presence of albacore tuna. The first of three phases is now 

 underway and involves the use of multi-spectral photography, IR (PRT5) 

 temperature data, and standard color photographs from aircraft . OSU 

 scientists have found major color differences between the plume and ocean 

 water. Nimbus III HRIR satellite data will be used to determine the sea 

 surface temperature. In conjunction with the albacore study, a forecast 

 network issues a daily bulletin to the tuna fleet. This study is a combina- 

 tion of applied and basic research and has a real monetary advantage to the 



fishing industry. 



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