**eMOLT**

**Fall 2005**

**Update**

These are brief notes to keep you informed of what\'s happening with
eMOLT (Environmental Monitors on Lobster Traps). While I occasionally
submit a page of news to your local association newsletter, my intention
here is to provide you, the participants, with a little more detail on
the results to date.

***Temperature Record Analysis:***

Now finishing up our fifth year with bottom temperature probes at dozens
of locations around the Gulf of Maine and Southern New England
shelfedge, we can actually begin to conclude a few things. We can say
more than "It has been unusually cold lately". We can say things like,
"The temperature has been X standard deviations less than the mean, Y".
The values "X" and "Y" vary by location and time, of course. We need at
least a few years to conduct these basic statistics. So, let's take
David Johnson\'s site, for example, where he has had a probe in the same
location and depth for most of the year since 2001 (Figure1). For each
day of the year we can start to calculate averages and typical
deviations about that average. The "anomalies" are plotted in Figure 2
for the case of several participants.
![](media/image1.jpeg){width="3.10625in" height="2.075in"}

Figure 1. Multi-year temperature record example.

![](media/image2.png){width="3.5034722222222223in" height="4.29375in"}

Figure 2. Anomalous temperature records

***Realtime temperature sensors:***

As many of you are aware, we are working on developing a sensor to
report "realtime" bottom temperature so you do not have to wait for
nearly a year before you see your records. We hope to have a unit
available to demo at the 2006 forums.

***Catch vs Temperature Analysis:***

In the past, several participants have submitted records of their catch
along with their temperature probe documentation. In these cases, we
have worked up the data and provided these individuals with plots of the
results overlaid on temperature. Being a physical oceanographer (not a
biologist), I do not try to interpret the relationship. We will continue
to provide this type of basic analysis for any participants submitting
their catch records in electronic form.

***Drifter Results from 2005:***

Another component of the eMOLT project is observations of current. The
students at Southern Maine Community College continue to make drifters
for the eMOLT project and, in fact, are making them for other research
projects as well now. These drifters, each fitted with GPS units, are
used to track/simulate lobster larvae transport along the coast as well
as many other planktonic organisms such as harmful algal blooms. The
Gulf of Maine Lobster Foundation has taken on the administrative duties
in contracting the students and supplying a number of research
institutions with this instrumentation. The main purpose of these
drifters is to validate the numerical circulation models currently
underdevelopment at various New England universities (more on these
numerical model results in the next newsletter).

Both in 2004 and 2005, drifters were deployed by lobstermen. To see the
full story of each drifter deployed, visit the "Drifter Study" link
under [www.emolt.org](http://www.emolt.org/). Shown in Figure 3 below is
the result of all the 2005 drifter tracks.

![](media/image3.jpeg){width="2.7625in" height="2.5in"}

Figure 3. Drifter Tracks 2005

You can see that some deployments were made in the Bay of Fundy, off
mid-coast Maine, off Cape Ann, and off Truro, Ma. Figure 4 (below) has
the details Billy Souza\'s deployment off Truro. It was caught in the
Gulf Stream in early October.

![](media/image4.png){width="3.7354166666666666in"
height="3.6152777777777776in"}

Figure 4. Billy Souza-deployed drifter track May-Oct 2005.

***Reminders***

Keep in mind that we will be collecting temperature probes during the
month of December and will be returning probes to you by March. Those
wishing to keep probes in for the winter months are encouraged to do so.
Just let us know if this is the case and we will send you a replacement
probe to switch out.

If you have any questions about eMOLT, call 508-495-2211, email
james.manning@noaa.gov or contact your association representative.