May 24th, 2003; Leg 7, Day #2

The R/V Western Flyer continued to make headway on its northbound course along the Baja California peninsula.  Sea surface temperature continued to decrease as we transited throughout the day from around 21° C at station UC 14 just north of Cabo San Lucas to around 18.5° C at station UC 13 located just southeast of Bahia Magdalena (see map).  A full hydrographic station consisting of three separate CTD casts and a depth-stratified, zooplankton tow was successfully completed between 1630 and 1930 hours at station UC 13. 

In the net samples,  pelagic red crabs (see right) were the dominant organism in the surface layer (0–150 meters), while the the subsurface layer contained a variety of organisms, including stomatopod larvae (see below) and heteropods 

(carnviorous pelagic snails).  No sign of sardine larvae were found by Sonia Valle (one of the expedition's Mexican collaborators) at either station. Currently the Western Flyer is on route to station UC 12, where another CTD cast will be taken.

– Baldo Marinovic

Note: All photographs taken by Shane Anderson.