Dr. Sam McClatchie
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fishocean.bsky.social
Dr. Sam McClatchie
@fishocean.bsky.social
470 followers 1.3K following 310 posts

Fisheries oceanographer (retired, NOAA Southwest Fisheries Science Center). Led the NOAA CalCOFI program for 11 years (2007-2011) prior to returning to New Zealand. Developer of Fishing Maps (www.fishingmaps.info).

Videos
Environmental science 62%
Geography 19%
Posts Replies Media Videos

fishocean.bsky.social
Dr. Sam McClatchie @fishocean.bsky.social · 1d
SST, fronts, currents and chlorophyll maps available daily for gamefishing Costa Rica. 
#sportfishing #gamefishing #fishingcostarica #yellowfin #marlin

fishocean.bsky.social
Dr. Sam McClatchie @fishocean.bsky.social · 8d
Interpreting satellite maps for gamefishing involves looking for consistent patterns in SST, fronts, currents and chlorophyll (when available) over several days. Selecting the frontal zones is made easier by using the SST frontal gradient maps. 

#gamefishing #biggamefishing #yellowfin #marlin

Reposted by Gavin A. Schmidt, Sam McClatchie, Christina Pagel

whitehousewatchdog.bsky.social
White House Watchdog @whitehousewatchdog.bsky.social · 10d
Senate boosts funding for NASA, NOAA, and NSF beyond Trump's request, emphasizing science and research investment.
Congress passes bill to fund U.S. science agencies, rebuffing Trump’s requested cuts
Senate boosts funding for NASA, NOAA, and NSF beyond Trump's request, emphasizing science and research investment.
www.nbcnews.com

fishocean.bsky.social
Dr. Sam McClatchie @fishocean.bsky.social · 15d
Nothing like a few sunny days in New Zealand to bring out the chlorophyll in Fishing Maps.

www.fishingmaps.info

#oceanography #fisheries #sportfishing #marlin #tuna

fishocean.bsky.social
Dr. Sam McClatchie @fishocean.bsky.social · 18d
#gamefishing #fishing #offshorefishing #sportfishing #marlin #tuna #biggamefishing #marlinfishing #deepseafishing #fishingaustralia #catchandrelease #tunafishing #sportsfishing

fishocean.bsky.social
Dr. Sam McClatchie @fishocean.bsky.social · 18d
Are single pass Sea Surface Temperature (SST) images the best way to detect fronts for gamefishing? Checkout the new blog on the Fishing Maps (zurl.co/zlvlj) website.

zurl.co/9DtXs

fishocean.bsky.social
Dr. Sam McClatchie @fishocean.bsky.social · 19d
#gamefishing #fishing #offshorefishing #sportfishing #marlin #tuna #biggamefishing #marlinfishing #deepseafishing #fishingaustralia #catchandrelease #tunafishing #sportsfishing

fishocean.bsky.social
Dr. Sam McClatchie @fishocean.bsky.social · 19d
Although the fronts are weak, the combined maps suggest the 200 metre contour would be a favourable area for gamefish to find feed.

Maps by Fishing Maps (www.fishingmaps.info)

fishocean.bsky.social
Dr. Sam McClatchie @fishocean.bsky.social · 19d
Chlorophyll levels fall off around the 200 metre mark, and there is a consistent southward current in the 100 to 200 metre depth zone off Whitianga.

fishocean.bsky.social
Dr. Sam McClatchie @fishocean.bsky.social · 19d
Consistent patterns in the sea surface temperature, currents, and chlorophyll create the structure that allows plankton concentrations to develop over several days. In this example off Tutukaka, New Zealand, over a 4 day period, SST is cool inshore of the 100 metre line.

fishocean.bsky.social
Dr. Sam McClatchie @fishocean.bsky.social · 23d
#gamefishing #fishing #offshorefishing #sportfishing #marlin #tuna #biggamefishing #marlinfishing #deepseafishing #fishingaustralia #catchandrelease #tunafishing #sportsfishing

fishocean.bsky.social
Dr. Sam McClatchie @fishocean.bsky.social · 23d
Yellowfin tuna are back in New Zealand and the summer recreational gamefishing is going off. What's going on?
zurl.co/qs0oh

fishocean.bsky.social
Dr. Sam McClatchie @fishocean.bsky.social · 27d
Which level 2 SWOT product is this Lily? Are you accessing the files from PO-DAAC? I think it's time for me to see if I can use these data for my Fishing Maps product (www.fishingmaps.info) instead of, or in addition to, the 8km resolution Copernicus product that I currently use.

fishocean.bsky.social
Dr. Sam McClatchie @fishocean.bsky.social · 28d
But in the southern hemisphere, the rotation around a high goes anticlockwise, as you can see in this large eddy off the coast of Sydney, Australia. So don't be confused by blogs written for American audiences. It's different down under.

fishocean.bsky.social
Dr. Sam McClatchie @fishocean.bsky.social · 28d
We know the southern hemisphere is special, but what's that got to do with ocean eddies? In the northern hemisphere, high sea surface height (SSH) in the centre of an eddy is associated with clockwise rotating currents.

fishocean.bsky.social
Dr. Sam McClatchie @fishocean.bsky.social · Dec 26
Chlorophyll data are sparse due to clouds and missing data, but indication are that chlorophyll is high in the cool water. The offshore cool water edge is a likely region to find plankton feed.

fishocean.bsky.social
Dr. Sam McClatchie @fishocean.bsky.social · Dec 26
There are strong sea surface temperature (SST) contrasts off the Coromandel Peninsula, New Zealand, with cool water nearshore. The gradients are not sharp enough to produce well defined fronts, probably due to recent windy weather.

fishocean.bsky.social
Dr. Sam McClatchie @fishocean.bsky.social · Dec 24
Cloud-free Sea Surface Temperature off the Mahia Peninsula, on the east coast of New Zealand reveals distinct temperature variations north and south of a significant eddy. 🌊 #Oceanography #NewZealand

Reposted by Julie L. Lockwood, Sam McClatchie

Mike Sieracki @msier.bsky.social · Dec 21
Our first direct hit. Oddly our oyster work is the most popular thing we do. Great return on investment for taxpayers funding bay restoration.

cambridgespy.substack.com/p/horn-point...
Horn Point Confirms Deep NOAA Cuts
A nearly 50 percent reduction in federal funding for oyster restoration threatens to sharply reduce oyster production in the Chesapeake Bay, jeopardizing one of the region’s most successful environmen...
cambridgespy.substack.com

fishocean.bsky.social
Dr. Sam McClatchie @fishocean.bsky.social · Dec 17
“Deliberately dismantling an institution so central to weather forecasting and climate change prediction would not only undermine scientific research, it would leave people across the nation less prepared for the dangers of a warming world."

www.ucs.org/about/news/t...

fishocean.bsky.social
Dr. Sam McClatchie @fishocean.bsky.social · Nov 7
www.linkedin.com/posts/sam-mc...

#oceanography #fisheries
Temperatures off Whitianga, New Zealand, today are 1 to 2 degrees C warmer than the average temperature for this time of year. The first map shows temperature anomalies which are calculated by… | Sam ...
Temperatures off Whitianga, New Zealand, today are 1 to 2 degrees C warmer than the average temperature for this time of year. The first map shows temperature anomalies which are calculated by subtra...
www.linkedin.com

fishocean.bsky.social
Dr. Sam McClatchie @fishocean.bsky.social · Oct 8
open.substack.com/pub/contrari...

The barbarians are attempting to burn down the nation.
Stephen Miller is the Poster Boy for the Rabid MAGA Movement
The more voters see of him, the more repulsed they’ll be
open.substack.com

fishocean.bsky.social
Dr. Sam McClatchie @fishocean.bsky.social · Oct 2
Trump is meeting with Vought today to see how they can advance this destructive plan.

thebulletin.org/2025/09/whol...
‘Wholesale destruction’: Government shutdown or not, critical science programs are at risk
The Trump administration has proposed devastating cuts to federal Earth and climate science programs, and a government shutdown could give them an opportunity to begin implementing those cuts.
thebulletin.org

fishocean.bsky.social
Dr. Sam McClatchie @fishocean.bsky.social · Oct 2
Some have to learn the hard way, I guess. If they can learn when belief contradicts logic.

fishocean.bsky.social
Dr. Sam McClatchie @fishocean.bsky.social · Aug 28
Fight back!

edition.cnn.com/2025/08/28/c...

#fisheries #oceanography
Climate.gov will re-launch under new URL thanks to a secret team of web ninjas | CNN
A small group of writers and researchers are launching an ambitious effort to preserve key climate data that the Trump administration has taken offline, including the climate.gov website.
edition.cnn.com

fishocean.bsky.social
Dr. Sam McClatchie @fishocean.bsky.social · Aug 28
It's becoming ever more apparent that ships should focus on what the autonomous vehicles cannot do.

#fisheries #oceanography
ABS Issues Full Class for Saildrone Surveyor, Setting New Benchmark for USVs
Saildrone USVs are the world’s only unmanned platform to receive classification from ABS—no other USV or UUV has been fully classed by any classification society.
www.saildrone.com

fishocean.bsky.social
Dr. Sam McClatchie @fishocean.bsky.social · Aug 25
www.linkedin.com/posts/emilyp...

fishocean.bsky.social
Dr. Sam McClatchie @fishocean.bsky.social · Aug 23
www.linkedin.com/posts/michae...

fishocean.bsky.social
Dr. Sam McClatchie @fishocean.bsky.social · Aug 22
There are times when the patterns of temperature on the ocean are simply beautiful, whether you are into the science or not.

www.fishingmaps.info
#fisheries #oceanography

fishocean.bsky.social
Dr. Sam McClatchie @fishocean.bsky.social · Aug 21
Great to see Congress pushing back on this one.

ecomagazine.com/news/policy/...