Surveying the Coastal Bays

Type:
Region: Eastern
Location: Ocean City, Assawoman Bay, Sinepuxent Bay, Chincoteague Bay and Newport Bay

On July 16 and July 18, I met back up with the Coastal Bays crew near the Ocean City inlet. On that Monday, we trawled in Assawoman Bay and on Wednesday, we trawled in Sinepuxent Bay, Chincoteague Bay and Newport Bay. Our sites were much further from one another on Wednesday and required longer boat rides, which at one point led us past tourists hopping off a boat tour to snap pictures of the Chincoteague ponies. This time, I was able to move a little more quickly because I began to get the hang of things and anticipate the steps of the process before each trawl. With the YSI device, I gave Steve Doctor the temperature, salinity, and dissolved oxygen of the water at the surface and bottom for him to record at each site. We preformed the clarity test with the Secchi just like last time as well as a test to determine the wind speed in knots us an anemometer. At each trawl, we would set the net up in the water, record our coordinates, tow the net for six minutes, haul it back in and record our coordinates again. From there, we would empty the net and sort through and measure the fish and volume of macroalgae on a platform. We gave the measurements of the first twenty of each fish species to Steve Doctor. As we all called out the names of the fish along with their measurements, I was surprised by how well he could keep up with the different names and numbers. I still needed some direction and assistance identifying some of the fish, but I was glad to be able to participate in what's been one of my favorite projects so far. The wind was very strong and made for a bumpy boat ride and a more stressful trawl. Overall this week, we saw lots of spot, bay anchovies, summer flounder, hogchokers, and blue crabs as well as a good deal of macroalgae. We saw just a few croakers, horseshoe crabs, oyster toadfish, naked gobies, manta shrimp, sea bass, and weakfish. This crew has been working hard and staying motivated this summer to survey the Coastal Bays and ensure the health of the area and the species living there. The data they collect is vital and will be used to benefit the species living there as well as everyone who enjoys the beautiful area.