Home Bears Whales Fishing Birding Kayaking Itineraries The Mythos Your Host Details

Mythos Expeditions Kodiak --Research Charters-- thewildcoast.com The 44' F/V Mythos is well suited to accommodate and support research in the Kodiak Island area. Our work has included: transporting and housing Federal cadastral surveyors capture of control samples for gear research on pollock excluders capture and platform for tagging studies on cod dive platform work for sea lion study base of operations for seal capture and surgery ward for harbor seal radio implants cruise for gray whale identity and bottom sampling for prey studies cruise for humpback photo identity survey cod egg sampling NaGISA Biodiversity study fin and humpback whale distribution and habitat survey We transported, housed, and fed researchers, rearranging our deck and cabins to facilitate individual research objectives. Let us bid or quote for your projected vessel needs for next season's planned field work.

Pacific Cod Archival Tag Study

Recording of time, depth, and sea temperature aid in understanding the migration, feeding, and reproduction of the Pacific cod.

Jigging up the cod.	Assuring initial survival of gas embolism.	Into the tray.	Application of the recorder tag.	Final tie off of the tag wires.	Releasing the cod.

Sea Lion Dive Platform

In this series of dives, spaced over several months, a careful survey of plant and animal life was carried out to compare habitat around sea lion haulouts and similar non-haulout sites.

Suiting up and checking gear. Divers take turns tending each other.	Last minute review of dive strategies.	On the dive stage.	Ready.	Just up.	Surging conditions make egress tricky.

Harbor Seal Radio Implants

Attachment and implantation of radio tracking devices allows researchers to gather much needed information on the dive and foraging behaviors of harbor seals.

Jan inspects the surgery shelter on the Mythos.	Gail prepares to hookup the hoist to a stretcher with a captured seal.	Sedated and prep'ed for the surgery.	Marty intubates the seal to assure free airway.	Closing the incision on the first seal.	Radio equiped and ready to return to the sea.

Gray Whale ID and Prey

Relatively large numbers of gray whales have been observed feeding in deeper waters around Kodiak Island. In 2002, we worked to photo ID and to collect evidence of prey type, depth, and abundance. A survey of gray whales present in this same area was repeated in August of 2003.

Not particularly approachable, these grays are hard to spot.	Jackie samples the bottom with the grabber...	...and washes Diastylidae from the captured mud.	Lori and Pat return after photo id session with gray whales.	Exoskeletons from scats match bottom sample grabs.	Resecuring the collection jar before trying for more scat samples.

Humpback Whale ID Survey

During this short cruise, ninty-three new humpback whales were added to the catalog. Layers of feed visible on the sounder intrigued researchers.

Bree and Lucretia watch for humpbacks.	Fluke slappers are obvious.	Identity and history are written on these flukes.	Playing with kelp.	Observation can be reciprocal.

Pacific Cod Egg Sampling

March 2003 sampling of jig caught Pacific cod for a study of egg development/body size ratio.

Crewdog, Birdy, weighing 60lbs, guards "her" cod.

PI (principal investigator) Olav, from the University of Alaska, holds a nice Pacific cod he jigged up for his study sample. His research has to do with measuring the amount of fat available to the egg development in cod. Fish research charters may be offset by catch value when they occur during scheduled season openings.

NaGISA Biodiversity Study

"NaGISA is the Japanese word for the narrow intertidal range where land meets the sea. It also stands for Natural Geography In Shore Areas, an Initial Field Project for the Census of Marine Life." In 2003, the F/V Mythos carried scientists from the University of Alaska around Kodiak Island to take the first survey of algae and invertebrates for a baseline. This is part of a world wide survey of the nagisa zone. More information can be found at: www.westnurc.uaf.edu/anagisa.html

The NaGisa project requires divers to survey subtidal zones too.	Chris and Jim exchange last minute information with Gayle before submerging,	Intertidal surveys require the shore party to survey grids and collect samples.

As PI for this cruise, Gayle is responsible for a myriad of tasks.	Anna preserves algae samples in the main cabin.	Chris's turn to work the algae.

Dennis Eluska of Akhiok helps Casey with a shore survey grid.	Anna displays large chitons, locally called "gumboots."	Chris and Casey pack more gear from shore survey on Uyak. (Casey is forever smiling.)

Fin and Humpback Whale Distribution and Habitat Survey

As a component of the Gulf Apex Predator (GAP) Study, the F/V Mythos was chartered to serve as a platform for surveying the distribution of whales in the Chiniak and Marmot Bays, and for oceanographic and zooplankton sampling over the summer of 2003.

Photo ID work was tangential to the whale survey work.	Fin whale approaches Mythos on the surface.	Recovering the zooplankton net.	PI Lisa pouring off zooplankton sample while Andrea assists.

Backing up thermosalinograph data in the engine room.	Working late into the night entering data. (Sony infrared night shot.)	Note the bite out of this humpback's pectoral fin.

Call Dave and talk to him about how the Mythos can accommodate your research project. We welcome competitive bid opportunities.

Agencies that have chartered the Mythos include, the BLM, ADFG, NMFS, UAF.

Top of Page