Daily log from the Oscar Elton Sette

By John Dax Moreno
Special to the Saipan Tribune

The Marianas Archipelago Reef Assessment and Monitoring Program 2005 cruise has wrapped up its shallow reef habitat assessment of Tinian. On the second leg of the research cruise, the scientists and crew of the National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration research vessel Oscar Elton Sette visited Aguihan on Sept. 27th and will go to Rota on Sept. 29-30.

On the first leg of their voyage, the scientists and crew finished their evaluation and mapping of the shallow reef habitats of the Northern Islands of the Mariana Archipelago.

You can go online and interact with the scientist and crew via the Coastal Resources Management website: www.crm.gov.mp/maramp. On the website, you can read Qamar Schuyler’s daily logs of the voyage and learn about the ongoing research as well as the work that has been completed during the first leg of the cruise in the Northern Islands. Schuyler is the Sette’s onboard educator, and Coral Outreach Specialist for the CNMI Coral Reef Initiative.

Here is Schuyler’s daily log for Sept. 27, 2005 entitled, “Specimen collection on Tinian”:

“The Sette sits off the coast of Tinian again today. I went out in the morning with the REA teams, and it was a bit of a shock to surface after a dive and see the Dynasty Hotel looming above. It still seems funny to me to see a small boat off in the distance, and realize it’s not one of the other teams. I guess we got a little spoiled in the Northern Islands having the water all to ourselves. With the clock ticking down to my departure from the ship, I am reminded of why the ladies on Alamagan said they liked living there, because it was a chance to ‘get away from it all.’

“Although there are more people on the Sette than on Alamagan, living on the ship is almost like living on an island. We only have a certain amount of supplies, and have to make do on our own, rain or shine. We have a limited area to live in, and rarely see visitors. Although we are in communication with the world outside, we are removed from the day-to-day dramas, events, and happenings in the lives of our friends and families back home. Even though when I look north I can see Saipan, my home, I am detached, removed from it. My life is here right now, going out in the small boats, writing daily logs, and answering questions. It will be somewhat strange to leave it in four days.

“During my dives with the algae team, I watched Fran and Kim pluck bits of algae from the reef and stuff them into plastic bags. They are not the only ones who return to the surface with souvenirs. Alex collected a number of invertebrate specimens while he was on the ship, and Peter collects an occasional chunk of coral. So what on earth do they DO with the samples they collect? There are a couple of different reasons to collect specimens. Many museums or research institutions house collections, which are made available to researchers. For example, if you find a certain species of fish on Saipan that was previously only known to exist in Australia, you might want to compare your specimen with the Australian one to see if they are indeed the same species. The collections may also be used to verify the identification of a sample. In short, they provide a physical record, which can supplement the written documentation our scientists are compiling.

“A second reason to collect specimens is for genetic analysis. By analyzing the genetic sequence of an organism and comparing it to that of individuals from other islands or archipelagos, we can potentially figure out where the species originated and track its spread. Also, in certain cases, such as for corals, it is impossible to tell the difference between species unless you do a genetic analysis.

“The benthic REA teams have all been collecting samples on this cruise. Peter has collected about 50 small coral chunks. He says that some of the coral species he has seen haven’t been known to exist in the Marianas until now. He maintains a collection on Saipan with samples of skeletons of all of the species in the archipelago. These is something like a voucher, to prove that the species do exist here. In addition, he takes some of the coral tissue for genetic analysis. Alex does much the same with his sea cucumber specimens, keeping an example of the species and using some of the tissue for genetics. Because Alex’s specimens have soft bodies, they must be preserved in alcohol. In contrast, after removing some of the tissue for genetics, Peter is much more in the skeleton, and can remove the thin layer of living tissue by soaking the corals in bleach. Most corals can be identified down to species from their skeletons alone. In fact, certain corals MUST be identified by microscopic analysis of their skeleton, because they look extremely similar to other species and can’t be distinguished in the field. But beyond that, we need genetics to determine differences between certain species.

“Meanwhile, the algae samples that Kim and Fran take have one of two fates. Some of them are pressed. They are first laid on a piece of herbarium paper, which is like construction paper but of much higher quality. It does not fall apart when wet, an important characteristic since some of the particularly fleshy samples may hold a lot of water in their tissues. The sample is then covered with wax paper, next a piece of felt-like blotter paper, which soaks up the excess water. The sandwich is completed with a piece of cardboard. All of the samples are then stacked and placed between two pieces of wood, and straps are used to apply pressure to the entire stack. The wax paper and blotter paper must be changed every 2-3 days to prevent the sample from molding. It is kept in the press until it has fully dried, which can take between two days to two weeks, depending on the sample. Once it’s done, the samples are flat and adhere to the herbarium paper, ready to be sent to a museum. Some of the algae samples that Fran and Kim are gathering will be given to the Bishop Museum, in Hawaii. Others will return to Saipan, where the Division of Environmental Quality also houses an algae collection. If the team doesn’t have enough time to press the samples, they freeze them in a small amount of seawater. The algae can later be thawed and pressed using the same techniques.

“A third reason to collect samples is to prove the existence of a new species. After being extensively photographed, the wrasses that Joe caught in Maug were frozen. They will be used later to confirm that the species has not already been described. One of them may also prove to be the “type specimen,” or the actual sample used to create the definitive description of the species. For every species there exists one type specimen somewhere in the world. And for this species, our Maug find may turn out to be that specimen!

“One of the samples we have on board was not purposefully collected. It was a hanger-on on one of our BOTCAM drops. We pulled the camera up from over 150 meters, and attached to the frame was a strange deep water wire coral! Peter had never seen anything like it, so we froze it to see if we or other experts can identify it later. The shipboard oceanographers also freeze the samples that they catch in their plankton tows for later identification by experts. Marc Lammers, the principal investigator on this project, was supposed to be on board, but was unable to come at the last minute. But at least the trip won’t be a loss for him; when we return, his plankton popsicles will be ready for study!

“I left the REA team early today to hold a teleconference with students at Saipan Southern High School. Using the ship’s satellite telephone, I called the school and was put on speakerphone for all of the class to hear. They asked questions about the ship, about our activities, and what it’s like to be on board. Thanks to principal Craig Garrison and to the class for participating!”

The research cruise will wrap up its assessments on Rota. Visit the MARAMP website to experience first hand accounts of the cruise. If you have a question about the cruise or any questions about the research being conducted, write Schuyler through the website. Log on today and learn more about the research cruise.

(John Dax Moreno is the Coastal Resources Management Office Outreach & Education coordinator.)