Changes in Latitudes

Spawning herring survey from Justine Diaz on Vimeo .

After 6 days at sea, I'm headed to Bergen. I'm currently on the ferry from Ornøy to Bodø. I should probably have brought my computer so that I could show it on the map. This morning I helped with one last sample before packing up my bags. I was given a life suit (see picture below) because I was to be transported using the life boat to get to Træna, where I took the first ferry. It is always a new experience when I go off on surveys, and this gave me flashbacks to my very first sea excursion with the IMR. I hopped on the boat and held on tight as we drove quite fast to the island. When I got on the pier I took off the life suit and waited for my ferry on Træna. The ferry ride is going to take 5 1/2 hours in total with a boat change at Ornøy, and finally arriving in Bodø at 8:15pm. Tomorrow morning I will fly to Bergen and then on Wednesday we are bound for New Zealand! This week will be so long with travel, but at least it includes a vacation. Young mackerel - probab...

This week I am aboard a fishing vessel called "Vendla". We are cruising transects northwards along the Norwegian coast to sample herring, and right now it is spawning season. We started out from Ålesund on Monday, and the next Monday I will be brought to shore since I had already booked a flight to New Zealand...long story. We have a new post-doc who started at the IMR and she is on this vessel with me to collect some data and take over for me when I get off. Øyvind had retired last fall, but joined us for this trip because my colleague fell ill. He's happy to be back at sea and was a little sad that he was told he had to retire at age 70. Here's some pictures from the trip so far. Sorry, they are out of order. [Aboard Vendla looking at Eros while in port in Ålesund] [Valeriya taking a selfie while I decapitated some herring] [First morning at sea - beautiful Valentine's Day] [Ålesund]