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Drake Passage Opening

Hi Katie, thanks for responding to our questions. We are entering the last week of school and it is very busy. I plan to watch the webinar with at least one class. That is the last day of science, so I'm not sure how much control they will have :) I have a question about the trawls- what is it that broke them off? I assume it was just the netting? Did they get snagged? How big or long are they? Lastly, what kind of fish were in the photograph you recently posted? So you are heading toward Elephant Island! Fabulous! Will you be close enough to get a visual? Please post a photograph!! Stay warm, Lollie

Mon, 05/19/2008 - 09:00

Katie Pena

Hi Lollie,
It is so exciting that you are nearing the last day of school, and thanks for subscribing to the webinar. We assume that the net of the trawls got stuck on a rock while towing it along at about a speed of 1.5- 2 knots, and the tension on the wire got too high and it was stretched until it snapped. The Blake trawl net was about 10 feet long and about 3 feet wide. The fish in the bucket were Rattail, a very common deep sea fish. We were very close to Elephant Island, it was still difficult to get a clear photo due to the clouds but I will post the best one available. Enjoy the last couple of days of school and have a great summer!
Thanks, Katie