Studying the fjords
Our post-doc Natalya Gallo, and Master`s students Carl Bukowski and Sigrid Kjeldstad were out in the fjords on board RV Kristine Bonnevie last week.
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A cruise in the fjords
RV Kristine Bonnevie was out at sea last week to collect oceanographic data from currents in the fjords. The data will be used to model currents and gain insights about salmon lice transportation, very important not only for ecologists but also for salmon farms.
A second aim was to track historical shrimp fishery sites along the coast and fjords, which were exploited until the decline in populations made the fishery no longer sustainable economically. Are the shrimps still present?
FjordCoast's postdoc Natalya Gallo, together with master's students Carl Bukowski and Sigrid Kjeldstad, also joined the cruise. Their aim was also to measure oxygen levels in Masfjorden and Fensfjorden (map below), contributing to our extensive time series which is helping us to improve our understanding of the effects of hypoxia on fish physiology, growth, behaviour, and community ecology (HypOnFjordFish project).
Life on a research vessel
While the sentence "a cruise in the fjords" might evoke thoughts of slow pace and relaxation, scientific surveys are usually all but that. Little sleep, frenetic working shifts, and tight spaces become part of a scientist`s everyday life. Research cruises are, however, one of the key tools to obtain oceanographic and biological data, and field work is always an exciting adventure.
