The 1995 Pacific West Coast upper continental slope trawl survey of groundfish resources off southern Oregon and northern California: Estimates of distribution, abundance, and length composition

Abstract

The Alaska Fisheries Science Center (AFSC) conducted a groundfish bottom trawl survey of the West Coast upper continental slope (WCUCS) off southern Oregon and northern California in 1995. The survey area was between lat. 43°00' N (near Cape Blanco) and lat. 40°30' N (near Cape Mendocino) in waters from 183 to 1,280 m deep. This was the eighth survey in an ongoing series to monitor long-term trends in the distribution and abundance of WCUCS groundfish populations. Concerns about the performance of the fishing gear that surfaced during the 1993 WCUCS survey resulted in gear experiments in 1994, which in turn led to changes in trawl gear and trawling methodology during this year's survey. Sampling was conducted aboard the NOAA ship Miller Freeman. We successfully sampled 106 of 108 established stations. Catches included 121 different species of fishes and 68 different species of invertebrates.

The survey design and the methods used are described, the data collected are summarized, and the results of analyses of distribution, abundance, and biological parameters are presented. Data on water temperature, catch composition, relative abundance, and geographic distribution are reported. Estimates of biomass, population abundance, and length composition are also presented. Appendices include position and catch listings for each haul, catch rates of fish and invertebrates, and population size compositions.


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