Fishery Research in the Bering Sea
In early 2021, I was contracted to conduct at-sea research looking at the effectiveness of salmon excluders on pollock trawl nets in the Bering Sea. It wasn't my first time to Dutch Harbor, but it was certainly an interesting time to be there, as strict COVID protocols were in effect as outbreaks were erupted on vessels and in the processing plants. We were able to complete the field work, though, with a lot of communication and cooperation between fishing companies, vessels, and researchers, putting "cooperative research" into practice.
The Grand Aleutian Hotel is a familiar sight to frequent flyers in Dutch Harbor. While staying here for a couple days in between vessels, I conducted a little photography project: capturing images in the same style as a Wes Andersen film (inspired, of course, by The Grand Budapest Hotel).
Snow and ice accumulates on board the F/V Destination* while conducting at-sea research on the Bering Sea.
Another common sight in Unalaska: the bald eagles!
Attaching underwater cameras and lights to capture footage of salmon swimming out of the newly designed salmon excluders on a midwater trawl net used to target pollock.
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*This was a different F/V Destination than the one that sunk in 2017.