Sustaining the Sea Gallery   Fish Tales: From Ocean to Market   This complex and fascinating exhibit dominates the Sustaining the Sea Gallery. Twenty-nine models of commercially caught fish move through the gallery on an overhead track. At the Fish Tales exhibit, they drop down and interact with computer stations. Visitors can select their favorite fish as it goes by, or choose from a graphic menu of species. Finding out about fish Successive screens teach about the habitat, range, catch statistics, management schemes, and other pertinent information of the selected fish. Quicktime video of the fish in its habitat is also available. A wide diversity of fish and shellfish live in the North Pacific Puget Sound fishermen commercially harvest a variety of fish and shellfish off the Pacific coast, the Gulf of Alaska, and the Bering Sea. Each commercially harvested species is adapted to a particular geographic range and habitat within the ocean. Sustaining the Sea Gateway Theater The video in this mini-theater places the viewer "in the green room" of a trawler setting out to fish the Bering Sea. Through the forward windows, fishing operations aboard many different types of vessels can be observed, as well as the rigors of working aboard a storm-tossed ship. This is a good introduction to the material to be found in the Sustaining the Sea Gallery. Many of the North Pacific fishing fleets are based in Puget Sound and make yearly migrations to the fishing grounds. The North Pacific is a challenging ocean environment, frequently testing the soundness of vessels and the skill of their crew. I Once Caught a Fish This Big   Measuring up to fish Full size models of the largest King Salmon, King Crab, Halibut, and Sturgeon ever caught grace the walls of the gallery. See how you measure up to the big ones! A great photo opportunity as well as a means of gaining perspective. Some fish grow to enormous size. There is a large range of size between the average fish of a species and its record size. Sustaining Fish for the Future This video presentation immerses the visitor in the decision making that confronts fisheries managers. Scientific evidence and environmental concerns are balanced with economic realities to determine how much of each species of fish will be caught while preserving enough of the population to guarantee future supplies. The primary goal of fisheries management is to preserve annually harvestable, viable fish stocks, that is, sustainability. Marine fish are a public resource requiring private initiative to produce economic benefit and healthy seafood products. Stocks in the North Pacific are among the most carefully managed in the world, and many are at healthy, sustainable levels of growth and harvest. Fisheries management is a cooperative process involving state and federal agencies, the general public, the environmental community, and the seafood industry. Economic Engine Using a list of jobs performed by Seattle businesses and individuals, this interactive aerial photo exhibit explores where those support services are located and how much of the area is dependent upon fishing. Seattle is a major hub for North Pacific fishing. For every fisherman working at sea, there are at least 3 others employed in shoreside support industries. The fishing industry, with its many components and continued strong market activity, contribute in a major way to the Puget Sound economy. At the Market What happens to fish between the time they are caught and brought to market? This video presentation shows the story behind the scenes - surimi and secondary processing, freezing, icing, filleting, steak cutting, and other forms of seafood preparation. On the upper monitor, see how the fish on the Fish Track are prepared in restaurants and fish markets. Today’s seafood industry adds monetary value and economic return through careful handling and processing techniques. Seafood is a healthy, natural source of protein from the clean waters of the North Pacific. A variety of North Pacific seafood products are marketed successfully throughout the world. Kid Skiff   Future fishermen at work Climb aboard this playscape built by Foss Maritime for young children. Lifejackets are available, and young mariners can operate a fish conveyer, skipper the skiff, or plot a course for their future! Fishing is fun. There are a lot of jobs on a boat for people to do.   A Day in the Life - Trawling   Hauling up the net This full size diorama places the visitor at the fishmaster’s station on a trawler. A video program teaches the basics of trawling in northwestern waters - catcher boats vs. factory trawlers, shore-based and at sea processing, by-catch issues, as well as the drama, hard work and danger involved in operating the largest fishing vessels in the North Pacific. Panels, text and a flip book detail the experience. U.S. trawl vessels come in many sizes, and they fish for a diversity of species in "mid-water" and at the ocean floor. Some trawlers’ catch is delivered to shore-based processors and other trawlers deliver to at-sea processing ships. Some vessels are self-contained "factory trawlers" that both catch and process aboard. The complexities of trawler operation require teamwork among crew members, as well as extensive training in safety and gear handling. The mid-water pollock fishery is the single largest component of the North Pacific seafood industry, producing fillets and surimi for international distribution. A Day in the Life - Crabbing Fishing for crab is the most dangerous occupation in the US. Step aboard the mid-deck of a Bering Sea crabber and experience the size and mass of the gear used in these fisheries. A video program takes the visitor out to sea and shows the hardships and rewards of crabbing. A detailed flip book and informative panels round out the experience. Several species of crab are caught commercially in Washington and Alaskan waters, using crabpots. Commercial crabbing in Alaska involves large vessels, sophisticated equipment, teamwork, and strict attention to safety. After severe depletion in the 1980’s, crab stocks are rebounding due to improved technology and management techniques. A Day in the Life - Longlining Visit the bait shed on the stern of a traditional halibut schooner and learn about the gear that Union fishermen use to catch halibut. The halibut fleet is part of a closely regulated ITQ (Individual Transferable Quotas) management system. Flip book images and text, panels, and a full complement of real gear make this exhibit a destination for those yearning to know more about traditional fishing techniques and the most modern management regimes. Longlining is a hook and line fishery for halibut, black cod, and Pacific cod. Longlining has a rich history in the North Pacific evidenced in the fleet of family owned wooden halibut schooners. Modern steel vessels also longline, primarily in the cod fisheries, and specialize in primary processing at sea. The halibut fishery was an early example of fishermen coming together to manage the stock for sustainability. A Day in the Life - Salmon Fishing Salmon are both of spiritual and economic importance to people living in the Northwest. The stern of a seiner is the setting for this exhibit, featuring flip books with detailed text and photos of the three gear groups that target salmon. Hoochies, flashers, gillnetting and seine netting are there to see. Panels present the story of Native American salmon fisheries and the history of salmon fishing in Puget Sound. Salmon, more than any other species group, symbolizes the ongoing fishing heritage of the Pacific Northwest and Alaska. Native American tribes of the Pacific Northwest have lived in close association with salmon, as a predictable food supply and as a traditional spiritual symbol. Salmon stocks returning to rivers in Alaska are healthier and more abundant in comparison to their recent historical condition and to those returning to WA, OR, and CA. The greatest challenge in the Alaskan fisheries is successfully marketing the record harvests. Salmon are caught with several types of gear, primarily seiners, gillnetters, and trollers. These groups operate a great number of individual fisheries throughout Alaska, involving five species and resulting in a wide range of seafood products marketed around the world. Geared for Safety   Trying on an emergency suit Training and technology have helped improve the safety of northwest fisheries. This exhibit uses video and artifacts to explain how lives are saved when emergencies occur, and how fishermen and mariners are prepared to handle emergencies before they occur. The North Pacific fishing industry has responded to the challenge of increasing safety at sea and has developed nation-leading safety programs. Improved safety at sea relies on a mix of factors including equipment, weather information, training, and management decisions. Top  |  Home  |  Information  |  Exhibits  |  Events Explore  |  Interactive Odyssey  |  Teachers Copyright © 2003  Odyssey Maritime Discovery Center