Groundfish Assessment Program
The Groundfish Assessment Program is responsible for planning, executing, analyzing, and
reporting results from surveys to establish time series estimates of the distribution and
abundance of Alaska groundfish resources in the Gulf of Alaska, Bering Sea, and Aleutian Islands.
The program also investigates biological processes and interactions with the environment to
estimate growth, mortality, and recruitment to improve the precision and accuracy of forecasting
stock dynamics. Impacts of bottom trawls on the seafloor and the description of bottom type are also
being studied in the Bering Sea and Aleutian Islands.
The Groundfish Assessment Program in cooperation with the RACE
Shellfish Assessment Program annually conducts a bottom trawl
assessment survey for groundfish and king and Tanner crabs in the eastern Bering sea. This survey was initiated
in 1971 and has been conducted annually since 1979. Annual surveys of sablefish abundance in the Bering
Sea/Aleutian Islands region and Gulf of Alaska have been conducted since 1979 in cooperation with the
AFSCs Auke Bay Laboratory. Major
triennial surveys have been conducted for groundfish resources in the Aleutian Islands region, and in portions
of the eastern Bering Sea not included in the annual groundfish/crab survey
since 1977. Standard trawls and longlines have been used throughout these time series surveys. Special purpose
surveys and studies have been conducted to improve understanding of biological processes, interaction with the
environment, and factors affecting the precision and accuracy of estimates of abundance and population forecasts.
Data derived from Groundfish surveys are documented
in scientific reports and are incorporated into stock assessment advice to
the Pacific Fishery Management Council, the
North Pacific Fishery Management Council,
international fishery management organizations, the fishing industry, and the general public.
*Featured Item*
Field Guide to Sharks, Skates, and Ratfish of Alaska by James Orr, Duane Stevenson, Gerald Hoff, and John McEachran (Texas A&M) receives first place for excellence in communication at the 2008 National Association of Government Communicators (NAGC) Blue Pencil publications competition. More >>
Recent Poster Presentations, Publications, Reports & Activities
- HOFF, G. R.
2008. A nursery site of the Alaska skate (Bathyraja parmifera) in the eastern Bering Sea. Fish. Bull., U.S. 106:233-244. (.pdf, 1.37MB) Online.
- STARK, J. W.
2008. Age- and length-at-maturity of female arrowtooth flounder (Atheresthes stomias) in the Gulf of Alaska. Fish. Bull., U.S. 106:328-333.(.pdf, 306KB) Online.
- ZIMMERMANN, M., and C. N. ROOPER.
2008. Comparison of echogram measurements against data expectations and assumptions for distinguishing seafloor substrates. Fish. Bull., U.S. 106:293-304. (.pdf, 838KB) Online.
- KNOTH, B. A., and R. J. FOY.
2008. Temporal variability in the food habits of arrowtooth flounder (Atheresthes stomias) in the Western Gulf of Alaska. U. S. Dep. Commer., NOAA Tech. Memo., NMFS-AFSC-184, 30 p. (.pdf, 1 MB). Online.
- Clarification of the Lycodes diapterus Species Complex (Zoarcidae), with Comments on the Subgenus Furcimanus
By: DUANE E. STEVENSON, BORIS A. SHEIKO, JAMES W. ORR
Conference: Joint Meeting of Ichthyologists and Herpetologists, Montreal, Quebec, July 2008
(2008 poster, .pdf, 863KB) Online.
- The Effect of Light Intensity on the Availability of Walleye Pollock to Bottom Trawl and Acoustic Surveys
By: STAN KOTWICKI, ALEX De ROBERTIS, PAUL von SZALAY, NED LAMAN, RICK TOWLER
Conference: NMFS National Stock Assessment Workshop, Port Townsend, WA, Mar 2008
(2008 poster, .pdf, 1.61MB) Online.
-
Gulf of Alaska Mesopelagic Survey
See the poster and publications databases for additional listings.
To view and print these documents, you must install
Adobe Reader freeware. Adobe also offers
free tools for the visually disabled.
|
