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A typical day at sea

Up at five because the survey runs on the tide, not on you. Deploy nets or instruments, haul them back, then sort, measure, weigh and record whatever comes up for six hours straight in the wet lab. Afternoon is data entry and fixing the gear you broke this morning. Ashore, the same person spends the winter cleaning that data, running statistics and writing the report that decides whether a fishery opens next season. The ratio is roughly one month on the water for every six at a desk.