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6/25/2016 1 Comment PHR REPORT #6 - NOISE June 20, 2016 30 degree C. A Tiger shark cruises the shoreline and Laysan and Black-footed albatross chicks try out their wings. A single Black-footed parent arrives and gives a wretched guttural call while dozens of chicks gather around hoping that it will be their high pitched squeal to be answered with a generous feeding. Seals haul out and quietly bask in the sun for hours; perfectly blending into their surroundings after rolling in the coral sand, looking much like a piece of chicken tossed in, ‘shake and bake’. The occasional sneeze or bark throughout the day reminds me of their presence as I type away on data entry. The verbesina looks dried out but as soon as that rain comes it will perk right up and vehemently spread itself. The Sooty Tern colony chatters loudly in the background and the curious Laysan finch sings me the most beautiful song. A small group of Brown Noddies scuttle along the tent tops and quietly chatter with a throaty cackle. Frigate birds roost on anything they can cling to and with little else available, they seem to find the piles of marine debris most suitable. The incessant sound of the water lapping at the beach is both soothing and gnawing. Many of the daytime noises continue into the night with the addition of the moaning howl of the burrowing Wedge-tailed Shearwater… There is never a quiet moment here. NMFS Permit No. 16632-00
1 Comment
 I have come to the hypothesis that there could quite possibly be a limited amount of inspiration that one can draw from canned food items. Though my conjecture is highly unscientific and the variety of our pantry is in fact rather vast, ideas for meals from a can do not quite hold the same temptations as cooking with fresh fruit and vegetables, fish and meat.While we don’t worry too much about rationing, many of our more precious food items can be found in the solar-power charged chest freezer and our supply of dried pastas and baking goods give many meals that ‘homemade’ feel. Dried beans are also a treat but require a bit of planning ahead what with soaking times and all. Anything crisp or crunchy is an utter joy despite it being rather alarming to hear a, ‘crunch’ come from the mouth of a fellow camper; not to worry, just the sound of a walnut, not a broken tooth. Breakfasts and lunches to fend on our own; the former involving coffee and oatmeal or cereal, the later usually consisting of tortillas with peanut butter and jelly, leftovers, or for me, a can of sardines and crackers with a smidge of mustard. Although at times I find our buckets full of canned goods uninspiring, it must however be noted that cooking with such a pantry leads to rather inventive and creative menus. With dinner duty on rotation, I have been utterly delighted and astonished at the fanciful ingenuity our three person camp of foodies has brought to the kitchen tent. Working with a two burner propane stove and stove-top Coleman oven, there are some tricky logistics to be sure. And though it may be true that anything tastes good in the field, I dare say that we have come up with some rather top-notch dinners. Who’s to say that with the right spices one can’t make a delicious ‘matter paneer’ with a jar of spaghetti sauce and boxed tofu? Or that you can’t make a crowd-pleasing crisp with a can or two of ‘fruit cocktail’? NMFS Permit No. 16632-00
6/17/2016 1 Comment PHR REPORT #4NMFS Permit No. 16632-00  Looking off of the bow of the Hi’Ialakai on the morning of our arrival I questioned where Southeast Island was when a colleague pointed it out to me. The tree-less , 34 acre island that rises just 10 to 15 feet above sea level was difficult to spot . No existing infrastructure, camp is a row of six wall tents on the NW side of the island between the high tide and vegetation lines. Looking north into the 143 square mile atoll, we are reminded of both our vulnerability and place in the world by the continual roar of ocean swells violently breaking on the fringing reef just south of us; grateful for the protection it provides.
6/13/2016 0 Comments PHR REPORT #3Sometime in May. That wind is howling and rattling my tent so violently I am sure that at any moment I will take off as Dorothy did in Kansas. Lightening strikes and illuminates the endless horizon while thunder waits a moment to shake what little ground there is here. The heavy, wet, sea salt air sticks my body to my bed as if in a bath of Elmers glue and my fingers and toes are so like prunes I could put them in my morning porridge.  NMFS Permit No. 16632-00
6/6/2016 1 Comment PHR REPORT #2 Day to day routine makes it easy to become unaware of the picture of life outside of oneself. It is difficult perhaps even impossible to really understand how our decisions impact the things we do not know. How do we reconcile action if we are innately unaware of the reaction? Stepping back from the world of our own creation helps us to see the things we would otherwise overlook. N 27° 47’ 27” - W 175° 49’ .05” 2016.05.08. Pearl & Hermes Atoll. Southeast Island. North Plot. 1M = 3.28’ = 39.36” NOAA/HMSRP Marine Debris Collaboration ~37M x 20M ~121’ X 65.5’ ~7,925 SQ Feet 1,994 PIECES TOTAL MARINE DEBRIS EQUAL TO OR LARGER THAN 1” PLASTIC x 1588 Fragments = > 1” x 1,058 Beverage Bottles x 63 Jugs/Containters x 7 Bottle/Container Caps x 237 Cigarette Lighters x 19 Rope/Small Net Pieces x 50 Bouys & Floats x 122 Fishing Lures and Line x 8 Personal Care Products x 15 Other x 9 METAL x 1 Aerosol Can x 1 GLASS x 362 Beverage bottles x 239 Jars x 31 Glass fragments x 41 Other x 51 RUBBER x 20 Flip-Flops x 12 Rubber Fragments x 6 Other x 2 PROCESSED LUMBER x 1 Lumber x 1 CLOTH / FABRIC x 12 Clothing & Shoes x 9 Rope/Net Pieces x 2 Fabric Pieces x 1 LARGE DEBRIS ITEMS - LARGER THAN 12” x 10 -Hard Plastic Lid -Long Plastic ‘Stick’ -Hard Plastic - Side of Carton -Plastic Bucket Piece -Plastic Shelving -Wood Trim -Foam End Nail Strip -Brush Handle -Rubber Gasket -Plastic Basket -------------------------------------------------------- NMFS Permit No. 16632-00  |
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