NOAA/NMFS Developments

Gold, Silver Medals Givento Highest DOC Achievers

Gold medals were awarded by Com­merce Department Deputy SecretaryWright to 17 Commerce employees­including two NMFS employees-inappropriate ceremonies in the Com­merce Auditorium recently. Silver med­als were awarded to 70 others.

Gold medals, the highest award givenby the Department. are granted by theSecretary for rare and distinguished con­tributions of major significance to theDepartment, the nation. or the world.Silver medals are awarded for meritori­ous contributions of unusual value tothe Department.

Gold medalists included:Geoffrey C. Laurence, Supervisory

Fishery Biologist. National Marine Fish­eries Service, OAA, who "has foundsome of the missing links of knowledgein the understanding of lish productionin the ocean. the survival and growth oflarval fishes."

John B. Pearce. Supervisory FisheryBiologist. National Marine Fisheries Ser­vice, NOAA, who "has planned, imple­mented, and/or directed two major pro­grams in ocean monitoring-the OceanPulse Program for the Northeast Fisher­ies Center. and the Northeast MonitoringProgram for NOAA."

Robert E. Joseph, Assistant DivisionChief. and Paul R. Friday, ComputerSystems Analyst, Technical ServicesDivision, Census, "for their imaginativeand innovative approach to the overalldesign" in creating a computer/periph­eral network system "more sophisticatedthan that of similar systems throughoutthe world."

S. Thomas Romeo. Chief. Division ofNational Cargo, MarAd. "for his con­tinued outstanding accomplishments inadvancing and expanding the equitable

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implementation of the cargo preferencelaws of the United States."

Burton H. Colvin. Director. Centerfor Applied Mathematics. NBS, "for hisconsistently outstanding management ofthe mathematics program at NBS."

Robert D. Cutkosky. Physicist. Na­tional Measurement Laboratory, NBS."for providing leadership in research inthe flelds of electrical and temperaturemetrology."

1. William Gadzuk. Physicist. ationalMeasurement Lahoratory, BS. "for hisoutstanding research in theoretical sur­face science" ... and his "contrihutionsto theories of surface properties and ofthe interaction of radiation with sur­faces."

Ernest E. Hughes. Research Chemist.National Measurement Laboratory, NBS."for his world leadership in the standa~d­

ization of gas measurements."Harry H. Ku, Chief. Statistical Engi­

neering Division. NBS. "for his out­standing contributions in developingand applying statistical methods formaintaining international comparabilityof precision measurement experiments."

Theodore E. Madey, Physicist, Na­tional Measurement Laboratory. NBS,"for his forefront research and scientilicleadership in extending the range andquality of surface-characterizationmethods."

William C. Martin. Physicist. Centerfor Radiation Research. BS, "for hisoutstanding technical leadership of the

BS spectroscopy group, especially hisaccomplishment in directing an efflcienttransformation of this group into funda­mentally new research areas to respondto changing needs."

John T. Yates. Jr.. Research Chemist,National Measurement Laboratory, NBS,

"for his outstanding research and leader­ship in experimental surface science."

Donal G. Davis, Meteorologist. a­tional Weather Service, IOAA. who was"directly responsihle for and personallyinvolved in issuing and disseminatingtornado warnings and coordinating withlocal government safety officials" duringa tornado emergency in Grand Island.Nebraska, 3 June 1980.

Diana H. Josephson, Acting DeputyAssistant Administrator for Satellites.NOAA, for "extraordinary contributionsto the planning of the U.S. civil opera­tional land remote sensing satelliteactivities."

Joseph Sela, Meteorologist. NationalWeather Service. NOAA, for his "majorcontribution to the operational fore­casting capability of the National Me­teorological Center by developing therecently implemented global forecastmodel."

Neal B. Seitz, Supervisory ElectronicsEngineer.. TIA, "for his research ac­complishments in data communicationsperformance requirements for users ofcommunications systems."

Silver medals were awarded to 70other individuals, including Andrew E.Dizon, Fishery Biologist, ational Ma­rine Fisheries Service. OAA.

U.S. Seafood ExhibitPopular in Europe

The U,S. Seafood Exhibit at the 1981ANUGA World Food Market Show heldin Cologne, West Germany. in October,has been labeled a success by both in­dustry and government participants,Seven United States fishery firms soldmore than $10 million in products par­ticipating in a Commerce Departmentseafood exhibition there, the Departmentreports. The food show alternates an­nually between Cologne and Paris where,last year, 22 U.S. companies sold only $1million in products, according to Com­merce officials.

The 1981 exhibit was well organizedand included an iced display of fresh fishand shellfish from across the UnitedStates. Industry participants reported astrong interest by foreign buyers and thesale of large quantities of their product.

Marille Fisheries Rel'ie\l'

A total of 918 sales leads were devel­oped; 39 agreements were reached withagents to represent various fIrms andtheir products in Europe; and four jointventure agreements were signed inCologne.

Quality Change inFrozen Pacific Whitingand in Minced Flesh

A study of the dimethylamine (DMA)content of frozen H&G (headed andgutted) PacifIc whiting and frozenminced flesh during 6 months of storageat the NMFS Northwest and AlaskaFisheries Center has shown that thequality of the minced flesh is better ifprepared from the H&G whiting duringstorage. The DMA content is the mea­sure of the chemical degradation oftrimethylamine oxide, a nonprotein ni­trogenous constituent of the gadoid spe­cies. Other work has shown that in­creased levels of DMA in frozen fIshcorrelate with decreased acceptabilityand losses in functional properties of theflesh. Inasmuch as minced fIsh will bemost useful for production of processedfood products such as fIsh cakes, sau­sages, and reformed products, the re­tention of high quality and functionalityis most important.

The current study showed that if theminced flesh were prepared initially fromfresh H&G whiting and frozen, the qual­ity deterioration as measured by DMAcontent was far greater during subse­quent storage than that observed in fro­zen H&G whiting. Furthermore, tests inwhich the minced flesh was preparedfrom H&G whiting after 4 months ofOOF indicated that, even if refrozen andheld an additional month, the quality ofthe minced flesh was better than thatprepared from the fresh or 1- mon thfrozen whiting. This simple means thatto protect the quality, it is better to storethe whiting in the H&G form until shortlybefore the minced flesh is needed forproduction of the end product. Theseare preliminary tests and will continuewith PacifIc whiting and Alaska pollockbecause the full utilization of these re­sources can best be accomplished byuse of the mechanically recovered

March IW]2. 4413)

minced fish in various types of processedfood products.

Jerry Babbitt and Barbara Koury

Alaska PollockNuggets Developed

Over 2,600 Alaska pollock nuggetswere served by Jerry Babbitt and hisresearch team at the Northwest andAlaska Fisheries Center's 1981 OpenHouse on 23-24 October. The nuggetshad been prepared and frozen ahead oftime and were removed from the freezerand reheated to provide a hot fIsh snackfor all visitors to the 4th floor exhibits ofthe Utilization Research Division. Therecipe was adapted from the salmonnugget recipe of the Alaska SeafoodCookbook issued 30 years ago by theKetchikan Fishery Products Laboratory.The 140 pounds of nuggets were pre­pared from frozen pollock fIllets pro­cessed aboard the Arctic Trawler inwestern Alaska waters. Here is the recipefor those who missed the open house:

Alaska Pollock Nuggets

I pound fIsh fIllets or mincedfish, precooked

Y2 cup mashed potatoesI tablespoon grated onion1 tablespoon butter or other

fat, melted1/<1 teaspoon each of salt and

celery salt1 dash pepper1 teaspoon Worcestershire

sauce1 egg, well beaten1/<1 pound sharp cheese1 cup dry bread crumbs1/4 teaspoon parsley flakes

A variety of white-fleshed fIsh can beused. If the fillets or minced fIsh areuncooked, wrap the fish in aluminumfoil and bake at 375°F for 15 minutes,drain, and flake. Leftover fIsh can alsobe used. Combine all ingredients exceptcheese and crumbs and mix thoroughly.Shape into balls the size of walnuts. Cutcheese into 3/g- inch cubes. Insert a cheesecube into the center of each fIsh ball andreshape. Roll in bread crumbs. Fry indeep fat at 375°F for 3 to 4 minutes or

until golden brown. Garnish and servehot, plain, or with a sauce. Serves 6.

Jerry Babbitt

Improving the KeepingQuality of FrozenWidow Rockfish Fillets

Initial tests on the keeping quality offrozen widow rockfIsh fIllets by the Uti­lization Research Division, Northwestand Alaska Fisheries Center (Mar. Fish.Rev. 43(8):24), indicated that after 4months at OOF, the fIllets were of unac­ceptable quality due primarily to mod­erate to severe rancidity of the exposeddark flesh. A second study of frozenwidow rockfIsh (usually marketed freshas PacifIc snapper) is now in progress, inwhich the fIllets were treated prior tofreezing by dipping in a solution of 4percent sodium tripolyphosphate and 2percent hexametaphosphate with 2 per­cent sodium erythorbate and 2 percentsodium chloride. Treated and untreated(control) fIllets were then packaged,frozen, and stored at 0° and -30°F.

After 6 months of storage, the treatedrockfIsh fIllets showed only moderatechanges in quality compared with thesevere quality deterioration shown bythe untreated rockfish fIllets. Sensorytests showed that rancidity of treatedfillets was slight to not detectable,whereas untreated fIllets were defInitelyrancid in surface dark flesh and thereforeof unacceptable quality. Although sometoughening of the flesh was noted duringstorage, the treated samples were ratedat acceptable texture and juiciness after6 months, compared with the controls inwhich moderate to excessive tougheningand apparent after only 2 months ateither 0° or -30°F. The tests will con­tinue and should be confIrmed by addi­tional series studies of frozen widowrockfish. The unprecedented increasein widow rockfIsh landings in Oregonduring the last 2 years has made it diffi­cult to expand the fresh market rapidly.Our research will continue on methodsof improving the keeping quality of boththe fresh chilled and packaged frozenrockfish fIllets.Harold Barnett

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