National Marine Fisheries Service longline survey data report and survey history, 1990-2014.

This report discusses the history and methods of the National Marine Fisheries Service’s (NMFS) longline surveys of the Gulf of Alaska, eastern Bering Sea, and eastern Aleutian Islands and summarizes the 1990-2014 survey results. The primary purpose of the NMFS longline survey is to determine the re...

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Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Rutecki, T. L. Thomas L., Rodgveller, Cara J., Lunsford, Chris R.
Format: Text
Language:English
Published: U.S. Department of Commerce, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, National Marine Fisheries Service, Alaska Fisheries Science Center 2016
Subjects:
Fish surveys > Alaska.
Bering Sea
Gulf of Alaska
Greenland
Pacific
Turbot
Alaska
Aleutian Islands
spiny dogfish
Squalus acanthias
Online Access:https://dx.doi.org/10.7289/v5/tm-afsc-324
https://repository.library.noaa.gov/view/noaa/12017
Description
Summary:This report discusses the history and methods of the National Marine Fisheries Service’s (NMFS) longline surveys of the Gulf of Alaska, eastern Bering Sea, and eastern Aleutian Islands and summarizes the 1990-2014 survey results. The primary purpose of the NMFS longline survey is to determine the relative abundance and length composition of sablefish, Anoplopoma fimbria; shortspine thornyhead, Sebastolobus alascanus; rougheye rockfish, Sebastes aleutianus; blackspotted rockfish, Sebastes melanostictus; and shortraker rockfish, Sebastes borealis, in the Gulf of Alaska, eastern Bering Sea, and Aleutian Islands region. Only the abovementioned species and arrowtooth flounder, Atheresthes stomias, are discussed in this report. Catch results are listed for Pacific cod, Gadus macrocephalus; Pacific halibut, Hippoglossus stenolepis; giant grenadier, Albatrossia pectoralis; Greenland turbot, Reinhardtius hippoglossoides; spiny dogfish, Squalus acanthias; and Pacific sleeper shark, Somniosus pacificus. The survey area covers the upper continental slope and selected gullies of the Gulf of Alaska and the upper continental slope of the eastern Bering Sea and Aleutian Islands region. Overall sablefish abundance indices (relative population number (RPN) and relative population weight (RPW)) for the Gulf of Alaska decreased from 1990 to 2014. Shorrtspine thornyhead RPN for the Gulf of Alaska increased from 1990 to 2014 and RPW increased from 1990 to 2014. Rougheye and blackspotted rockfish RPN for the Gulf of Alaska increased from 1992 to 2014 and RPW increased from 1992 to 2014. Gulf of Alaska RPN for shortraker rockfish increased from 1992 to 2011 followed by a decrease during 2012-2014. While shortraker rockfish RPWs fluctuated over the years there was an overall increase in RPWs from 1992 to 2014. Arrowtooth flounder RPN for the Gulf of Alaska fluctuated between increases and decreases from 1990 to 2010 but decreased during 2011-2014. Arrowtooth flounder RPW decreased overall from 1990 to 2014.

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