This portion of the USGLOBEC www site provides a forum for GLOBEC researchers in the field to present interesting observations, unexpected results, and the current status of ongoing research. Our intention is to provide a vehicle for dissemination of timely results from GLOBEC research in our various study sites. Notes from the Field will feature hints of things to come, rather than definitive results. It will provide a way of sharing findings and observations quickly, and will promote exchange of ideas among GLOBEC scientific investigators and other interested parties as new results come in from the field. All GLOBEC investigators are encouraged to contribute observations, images, and intriguing findings to Notes from the Field ....

APRIL - MAY, 2002 .... Several USGLOBEC researchers are currently working aboard the Research Vessel Laurence M. Gould in the frigid waters surrounding the West Antarctic Peninsula. Dr. Se Jong Ju, a lipid biochemist at the University of Maryland, is conducting research on biochemical methods for age determination of krill, and has agreed to periodically pass along some photos from his stint aboard ship. We invite you to check-in from time-to-time over the coming weeks to get a flavor for "Research in the Field," Antarctic style ....

The Optical Plankton Counter (OPC) is a specialized oceanographic instrument that when towed behind a research vessel collects continuous, real-time data on zooplankton abundance. It is designed to separate zooplankton by size, and works by matching individual peaks in the size spectrum with specific plankton taxa. Current models yield good results in regions where species diversity is low, but perform poorly in areas of high species diversity where peaks overlap and become 'smeared.' With support from U.S. GLOBEC, members of the OPC Working Group are now hard at work designing the next generation of laser-assisted OPCs, and you can follow the progress of their research ....

In April, 2001 a reporter from the National Geographic Society was invited to join the scientific party aboard the Nathaniel B. Palmer to cover a US Southern Ocean GLOBEC cruise to the Marguerite Bay study site. Daily updates were posted to a special section of the National Geographic web site, an excellent on-line resource that also includes an informative summary of the scientific mission / goals that were addressed. Periodic progress reports were also filed by Dr. Aparna Sreenivasan, a student in the science communication program at UC-Santa Cruz ....

Biological-Physical Modelling of Sea Scallop Fishery Closures

• Craig V.W. Lewis; Numerical Methods Lab, Dartmouth College, Hanover, NH

• Peter C. Smith, and Don Lawrence / Bedford Institute of Oceanography
• Richard Limeburner, and Bob Beardsley / Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution