Wiebe's hand-written notes from MOCNESS ship log book regarding tapes, etc.
8/8/03 NJC
Ship speed ~2 knots for all tows
Both Œ" and 9-track tape-recorded all tows.
KN62 Dec. 1976
M44 Sargasso, deep day. Bad tow.
M45 Ring core, deep, night. Very good tow. 2041 premature net response (NR). 2042 tape
unit one. 2042 one flow count and another NR. Angles may be off a bit because angle jug was
not used to set pressure case on frame. We seem to be getting rather large changes in angle
which are associated with live tension changes. Winch stopped momentarily at 1000mwo (2310)
2317 - increase speed 5% to 30%; 2320 - stop winch at 1303 mwo = depth 1062m; 2326 - start in
1303 mwo = depth 1028m. No NR for net 7.
M46 Ring core, shallow, night. Header on this magnetic (9-track) tape written over twice -
should get write error. Stop winch at 0129 = 316mwo = 218m depth. This tow was fished by
steps of 5 meters - haul net up 5m and hold for 1 min. for a total of 5 holds per net (depth
interval). This was done to allow more water to be filtered. This tow very good. Tow correlated
with Marshall Orr's scattering layer records.
M47 Cold core ring center (Gulf), deep, dusk (darkness at ~1630). Start tape at 1347 on
channel #1, input #2. New O2 membrane. 3 NR 1401 - noticed 5 NR - must replay tape to figure
out flow. 1402 - 6 NR's (net being towed off stern - possibly NR coming from ship surge). 7-9 to
1407 - below 400m the net speed dropped from ~.5 kts to ~.15 kts and - from 50's to mid 30's.
Increased ship's speed at 650m depth ~10%. ~1640mwo at bottom of tow. In at ~15m/min.
Started releasing nets with NR reading 9 i.e. net 1=NR10, net 2=NR11, net 3=NR12, net
4=NR13, net 5=NR14, net 6=NR15, net7=NR00, net8=NR1, close=NR2
1514- depth 727, 1144mwo. Increase speed in by 5m/min to 25 m/min.
1530- depth 447, 738mwo. Reduce speed of ship by 10% (wire angle starting to get too high)
1532- depth 426, 685mwo. Reduce speed in by 5m/min to 20 m/min
1554- depth 147, 160mwo. Increase ship's speed ~5%.
M48 High velocity core of Gulf Stream Re---?, 1000m, day. Start down with 8 net responses.
Net 0=net 8; net 1=NR9, net 2= NR10, net 3=NR11, net 4= NR12, net 5=NR12 (no net response),
net 6= NR13, net 7= NR14, net 8=NR15. Very nice tow. Lots of megalops. Surface O2 samples
taken when MOC-1 went into the water by K. Little. [reprocessed tape 13/12/76: SC, @ 4411
<mailto:SC, @ 4411>, @177773; DC, @ 4411 <mailto:DC@4411>]
M49 Sargasso west of ring, 1000m, day. Initial flow=19. Add 11 m to mwo for real reading.
NR=9 i.e. n0=NR5; n1=NR6, n2=NR6 (no net response), n3=NR6 (no net response), n4=NR7,
n5=NR7 (no net response), n6=NR7(no net response), n7=NR7(no net response), n8=NR7(no
net response). [tape reads 710 at net 0 down] No nets open when frame came to surface.
Means we fired last net at 100m below surface; when were others fired? This tow somewhat
screw up but savable.
M50 Sargasso west of ring, 1000m, day (1426-1540). Start with 2 net responses, i.e.
n0=NR2, n1=NR3, n2=NR4, n3=NR5, n4=5 (no net response until 1505, depth 520m, when net
bar triggered NR.) Bar for open net 4 must have hung up on the NR for a couple of minutes
before slipping past so n4=NR6; n5=NR6 and net bar is probably hung up on NR mechanism.
Some contamination into net 4; n6=NR7; n7=NR7 (no response) -possible contamination into n6.
In at 22m/min. n8=NR_. Bottom net ripped on bottom near front (observed at net was put into
the water) However, tear very small. Probably no loss of catch. Tear is Ÿ in triangle.
[reprocessed tape 14/12/76: SC, @ 4411 <mailto:SC, @ 4411>, @177773; DC, @ 4411
<mailto:DC@4411>]
M51 Sargasso west of ring, 1000m, night. 5 net responses at start of tow. 4 more to /0 in
setting net from surface to ~75m. Between 600 and 730m - 2 more NR; 2 more NR at ~940m.
No NR for nets 1,2,3,4. Net 5 had a response. Nets 6 & 7: no NR. After tow, Morton and I
replayed the tape to work out what happened to flow and net responses. We could analyze all
false NR's and flow count resets and explain on basis of a sticky net response mechanism. All
indications are that samples are good. Top net closed at surface on command. All that was lost
was the bucket from net3.
M52 East side of ring center, 1000m, night. 1st MOCNESS with new net release mechanism
and new salinity cell [51.360 conductivity at 22m; at 1000m, conductivity shorted out - erratic
readings (50's and 60's) started about 850m] 1 NR in going from deck into the water i.e.
net0=NR1; n1=NR2, n2=NR3; n3=NR3 (no response), n4=NR4, n5=NR4 (no response),
n6=NR5, n7=NR5 (no response), n8=NR5(no response). Computer program started at net 4 -
time off on print out. Note: cod-end of net 1 had burn hole just above PVC bucket and collar was
also torn. Therefore, some of catch very likely lost out of jar #74.
Note: conductivity probably not too good but some readings may be obtainable.
M53 Sargasso east of ring, in wake, 1000m, night. Magnetic 9-track recorded in real-time.
First run with computer on in real time. New conductivity cell 1st run. What a hell of a launch.
Almost everything went wrong. Nets ripped and had to be sewn, magnet in net response broke,
haul winch was off and had to be turned on - wait 30 minutes, started to launch and motor drive
spontaneously started dropping nets. Could find no reason for it. Started another launch and net
twisted, breaking wire leads. Finally got nets in water but conductivity cell doesn't seem to be
working. Plotting SA, OX (OX as corrected by GeoSecs algorithms for temp and pressure), TE -
salinity plot no good. Removed SA from plotting routine after start plot.
N1=NR1 (didn't' set counter back to 0 right away)
2133: Start winch in at 20m/min.
2135: Flow not working and hasn't been for about 15 min. Stopped working about 800m
for 6 min. then started again and then stopped - for good??
N2=NR2 but again NC set to 0 was slow, ~45 sec. Flow started at 2149 during net 2 open.
N3=NR3 but NS set to 0 slow.
2201-43 NR
2202-53 NC=0. During n3 open, NR was triggered twice by ship's roll. N3=NR3,4,5.
N4=NR5. Saw large angle change on 3rd NC but no change in status of NR. Switch still being
held ON. Net 4 fished to 350 by mistake.
N5=NR5 No NR but was angle change.
N6, 7, 8 =NR5 No NR but was angle change on 3rd NC.
M54 Sargasso northeast of ring, in wake, 700m, dusk. Magnetic 9-track recorded in real-time.
Œ" tape on at 1438 hrs. 2 NR at surface: n0=NR2, 315 mwo=158m depth. This is a day tow but
executed very close to dusk. Could not fish all the way to 1000m, for lack of enough time until
dark. Sunset about 1615 [tow ended at 1640 hrs].
N2=NR4 but didn't reset flow or NC -reset at ?153?.
N3=NR5 but didn't reset flow or NC right away - delayed 30-60 secs this time. Reset flow twice.
N4=NR6 but didn't reset flow or NC right away - delayed 30-60 secs this time. Reset flow twice.
N5=NR7, N6=NR8, N7=NR9, N8=NR10, N8 close=NR11. Nice tow, good catches.
M55 Transition region of ring 'AL' towing away from center, 1000m, night. Magnetic 9-track
recorded in real-time. Good launch, 1NC, 70 flow counts, ONR at start down with net at ~375
had ship slow down 10% because wire angle tending to high. Perfect tow, everything worked.
M56 Transition region of ring 'AL' towing toward ring center, 850m, night. Magnetic 9-track
recorded in real-time. Eleven NR at surface - very rough launch, surge very bad.
N0=NR11
N1=NR11 (no response) I saw cod end bucket wrap around net response mechanism as net
plunged in and out of water, possibly damaging NR mechanism.
N2=NR12 (very possibly net 1 was not released until net 2 was thought to have been dropped
because it took only 1 command. Spurious NR at (time) 23 24, 12set flow count back to 0.
Spurious NR at 23 25, 18 set flow count back to 0. Spurious NR's too numerous to list during 1st
five nets.
Very hard tow to interpret. Must go through computer output to check volumes filtered. 2350-53
change course to more ?-? swell to reduce roll. Two nets released at surface.
Analysis:
Net fishedfrom- to
0 0-1030 850
1 850 700
2 700 550
3 550 400
4 400 300
5 300 200
6 200 100
7 100 0
8 surface
M57 Slope water ~ 20 miles N of Gulf Stream, 1000m, night. Magnetic 9-track recorded in
real-time. 3rd lowering with new membrane on O@ sensor. Got quite a few flow counts before
net into water but no spurious net responses. Ship bearing set east some steering 220 making
180 at 0030, due to Gulf Stream? Slowed ship down 5% while net 6 open. A perfect haul! No
problems and beautiful samples.
M58 Slope, 1016m, day. Very nice launch. [1st sighted seagulls with oil on breasts about 3am
this day. Several birds observed with oil] NR & NC set at 0. A few extra flow counts by wind
before entering the water. Started getting spurious net response while net 5 open and another
while net 6 open, 2 more with n7 (NR9 and 10) and net 8 (NR12, 13, 14, 15). Good tow and good
samples. Spurious NR near surface due to increase in seas and swells. We still need to improve
net response mechanism. Cloudy day.