What’s a day in the life of an assistant biologist with NOAA Fisheries like? Find out in our latest Instagram takeover with UW Marine Biology student, Sofia.

Hi! My name is Sofia Tee, and I’m a sophomore in the Marine Biology program at UW! This summer, I was a volunteer biologist for NOAA’s 2023 West Coast Groundfish Bottom Trawl Survey, and I’m taking over the marbio instagram to share my experience!

Every summer, the FRAM (Fisheries Research and Monitoring) division at NOAA (National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration) does a bottom trawl survey along the West Coast to collect data on the groundfish populations in areas that are trawled in commercial fishing.

They collect data on the abundance, spatial distribution, sex, length, maturity, weight, and age of many species of groundfish in order to effectively manage the fishery. The trawl is done on actual chartered commercial fishing boats, and the scientists (& volunteers!) from NOAA work with the vessel’s crew to collect the data.

These photos are from some of my favorite moments from the survey, and check out the Instagram page for more content about how trawls work and what my days looked like at sea! 🐟⛴️🦀