Geophysical Research Late May to Mid-July, 2021

A proposed geophysical research project studying the Cascadia subduction zone will take place off the Oregon, Washington and British Columbia coast from late May to Mid-July. The project involves deployment of seismometers (red, orange, yellow dots) on the seafloor in lines perpendicular to the coast, followed by a seismic research vessel (R/V Marcus Langseth -picture below) that will be towing a hydrophone streamer cable over 8 nm long, with a buoy on the end of the cable. Cable is submerged ~39 feet depth. The RV Langseth requests all vessels stay 9 nm from her stern, 2 nm on each side, and at least 1 nm from her bow. Transit over the streamer cable may be allowed if no gear is in the water, but please contact the Langseth if seeking permission to make a transit over the streamer cable.

For more information contact Suzanne Carbotte (carbotte@ldeo.columbia.edu) and Jesus Gaytan (jgaytan@ldeo.columbia.edu).

Seismic Towing Vessel Contact Information:
R/V Marcus G. Langseth
Call Sign WDC 6698
Monitoring VHF Ch 16 + 13, and AIS

The OFCC has been contracted to create a thumbdrive with the location of the seismometers. To request one, call 503 325-2285. There are 350 approx. 1foot square nodes (yellow dots) about every 545 yards off Tillamook Hd, the Alsea River, and Port Orford. The Seismometers (red and orange dots) will be spaced 8 to 10 km apart (approx.. 5 nm) and are 3 ft to 3 ½ ft tall. If you call the OFCC, we can provide you with the coordinates of nodes and seismometers where you typically fish.

OFCC Version 11 is available for your plotters adding the as-laid Jupiter Cable - Phase 1, starting approximately 3 ½ miles offshore and going west. This outer portion of the Jupiter Cable was installed offshore of Sand Lake, north of Cape Kiwanda, in Summer 2020. V11 thumb drives are available at the OFCC office at 2021 Marine Dr., Suite 102; email: staff@ofcc.com; or call 503.325.2285 (or Scott at 503.440.3569). The near shore portion is scheduled to be laid Spring 2021.

Jupiter Cable

Facebook joined the OFCC on June 20, 2018, becoming the ninth submarine cable owner, joining General Communications, Inc. (GCI), Alaska Communications (ACS), Verizon, Tata Communications, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, GU Holdings Inc. (Google), Microsoft Infrastructure Group, LLC., and Hawaiki Submarine Cable USA LLC. Facebook is one of the consortium owners of the Jupiter cable system. The Jupiter system will land in California and in Oregon. The California portion has been completed. Phase 1 of the Oregon landing of the Jupiter system, going west from 3 ½ miles offshore, was in Summer 2020 off Sand Lake, near Cape Kiwanda. The near shore portion of the installation is planned for Spring 2021. Facebook worked with the Oregon fishing industry to get the best route crossing the shelf and slope. Jupiter will cross the Pacific Ocean to Japan and the Philippines, a total length of 4,860 nm. The cable has a design capacity of 60 Tbps. SubCom is the manufacturer and installer.

Successful Science Platform and Gear Recovery

On July 7, 2018 the RV Bold Horizon, using a small Remote Operated Vehicle (ROV), successfully recovered fishing gear and the sub-surface platform the gear was fouled on. The science platform, part of the Ocean Observatories Initiative, was struck by trawl gear on September 16, 2017, disabling the platform and the shallow-water profiler that was onboard. Pelagic Research Services, which was contracted to recover the platform and gear, found the platform and a trawl door about 38 fms off the bottom in 304 fms of water. OFCC Board member and fisherman Gary Wintersteen assisted with the recovery. Photos courtesy of Gary Wintersteen. More photos and video are available on our Facebook page.

Since its inception, the committee works to follow the goals of its charter - to facilitate communication, coordination and cooperation between the fishing industry and the submarine cable industry and to inform the fishing fleet of appropriate operation procedures.