My experience volunteering on a SEFIS cruise
- Manuel Coffill-Rivera
- Jun 27, 2024
- 3 min read
This past June, I had the fortune of being able to volunteer on a SouthEast Fishery Independent Survey (SEFIS) cruise! This survey is led by the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) and is part of a collaborative project called the Southeast Reef Fish Survey (SRFS), whose goals are to collect biological samples and provide abundance trends for fishery species in the U.S. South Atlantic (SA). The survey uses a simple random sampling design to sample known hard-bottom areas using chevron (arrowhead) traps equipped with cameras (GoPro's).
As part of my dissertation research, I've been interested in learning how to use generalized additive models (GAMs) to develop relative abundance indices of fishery species and investigate how spatial, temporal, and abiotic variables influence their presence and abundance. I reached out to Dr. Nate Bacheler, a NMFS Research Fishery Biologist who has extensive experience using GAMs to evaluate abundance trends of fishery species in the SA and is the SEFIS coordinator. Dr. Bacheler was kind (and patient) enough to provide valuable feedback during my process of learning and implementing GAMs via email. I had expressed my interest in participating in a SEFIS cruise, and he was kind enough to offer me a spot, which I did not hesitate to fill.
I drove early in the morning from Mobile, AL to Savannah, GA to board the RV Savannah and start our 10-day research cruise. Our plan consisted of sampling mid-shelf (~30-60m) stations from Fort Pierce, FL to Jacksonville, FL. Every day, we would have at least 4 sets of 6 traps, summing up to at least 24 stations completed per day. Water quality was recorded during every set using a CTD and traps would soak for ~90 minutes. Length and weight data are collected for all species caught with select species getting additional workup consisting of otolith and fin spine extraction for aging, gonad samples to describe reproductive metrics, stomach extractions for diet analyses, and fin clips for genetic studies. Additionally, a subset of the stations were part of a paired sampling approach using a remotely operated vehicle for an ongoing research project investigating Red Snapper population size, distribution, and density in the SA. The collected videos are analyzed by the SEFIS staff when they get back to their home lab, the Beaufort Laboratory in NC.
All of the sampling activities went according to plan and the seas were friendly by providing relatively calm conditions and excellent sunsets. The vessel chef, Ben, kept our morale and energy up by cooking amazing meals throughout the cruise! The NMFS scientists made sure I felt extremely comfortable throughout the cruise and were great company to work and cruise with. I am beyond grateful to Dr. Bacheler for providing me with an opportunity to learn about SEFIS first-hand, providing support with my dissertation research and career advice as I approach the beginning of my professional career. Finally, I would like to acknowledge Dr. Cassidy Peterson for the great conversations about navigating life while pursuing a doctoral degree and working for NMFS. I am beyond grateful to all the scientists and support staff that made this an unforgettable and rewarding experience for me!
Recent literature related to SEFIS:
Cao, Jie, J. Kevin Craig, and Matthew D. Damiano. 2024. “Spatiotemporal Dynamics of Atlantic Reef Fishes off the Southeastern U.S. Coast.” Ecosphere 15(6): e4868. https://doi.org/10.1002/ecs2.4868
Finch, M.W., Ballenger, J.C., Bacheler, N.M. et al. Tracking an invasion: how the distribution and abundance of Lionfish (Pterois spp.) has changed along the U.S. Atlantic coast. Biol Invasions 26, 1669–1683 (2024). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10530-024-03248-y
Bacheler NM, Klibansky N, Bubley WJ, Smart TI (2023) Low recruitment drives the decline of red porgy (Pagrus pagrus) along the southeast USA Atlantic coast: Inferences from fishery-independent trap and video monitoring. PLOS ONE 18(7): e0286078. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0286078
Bacheler NM, Shertzer KW, Schobernd ZH and Coggins Jr. LG (2023) Calibration of fish counts in video surveys: a case study from the Southeast Reef Fish Survey. Front. Mar. Sci. 10:1183955. doi: 10.3389/fmars.2023.1183955
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