NOWRAMP 2002

10/4/02 - Rapture

Position:
Latitude: 23° 50.067' N
Longitude: 166° 17.406' W
Area Name: South of Tern Island, French Frigate Shoals

Weather:
Barometer: 1015.9 mb and increasing
Winds: 15 mph NE
Description: Partly cloudy.
Forecast: High pressure moving from Central Pacific, increasing wind 20-25 knots SE, switching to East trade winds when transfering south toward Main Hawaiian chain.

Sea Conditions:
Waves: 4-7' mixed swell.
Current: 1 Knot surface, SSE
Sea:

Daily Vessel Plan:
Scheduled Activities:

REA (Rapid Ecological Assessment) Team A: 2 dives - 1st 65' patch reef South, clear water, strong current, good coral development. 6 Uku. 2nd dive La Perouse Pinnacle, lots of table coral. High relief and complexity. Curious Uluas.

REA (Rapid Ecological Assessment) Team B: Attempted a dive 70' NE of Shark Island but current was over 4 knots, so we aborted and made one dive at 40' with only 1 knot of current and lots of unbleached coral. Then to inner reef crest near Whale Island (6'). Saw a pregnant Grey Reef Shark.

Coral Team : Resurveyed two permanent transects established in 2001 - CREWS buoy and Serendipity Hollow, and ground truthing done at both sites. Total permanent transects now 25.

Maritime Archaeology : Returned to Tern Island anchors and wreck to create site plan, video documentation, etc.

Intertidal: Surveyed La Perouse Pinnacle Intertidal and adjacent rock and shallow waters.

Terrestrial Team: Bird surveys on Tern Island. Alex Wegmann departs the expedition.

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