AMJ 2000 Quarterly Rpt. AMJ 2000 sidebar
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(Quarterly
Report for April-May-June 2000)
GROUNDFISH
ASSESSMENT
Aleutian Islands Groundfish Survey
The fishing vessels Vesteraalen and Dominator
were chartered for 75 days each to participate in
the NMFS 2000 biennial bottom trawl survey of the
Aleutian Islands region. After loading on 17
and 18 May 2000 in Dutch Harbor, Alaska, the vessels
began survey operations on 19 May. The survey
began near Akutan Island (long. 165°W)
and will continue westward to Stalemate Bank (long.
170°E), west of Attu Island. The
charter period is scheduled to end in Dutch Harbor
on 25 July.
Objectives
The major survey objectives are to continue the
triennial time series begun in 1980 and to begin a
new biennial time series to monitor trends in
distribution and abundance of important groundfish
species and to describe and measure various
biological and environmental parameters. Other
specific objectives of the 2000 survey include:
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Defining the distribution and
relative abundance of the principle groundfish
and commercially important invertebrate species
inhabiting the Aleutian Islands region
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Obtaining catch and effort data
from which to estimate the abundance of the
principle groundfish species
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Collecting data to define
selected biological parameters; that is, size,
sex, age, growth, length-weight relationships,
feeding habits, and spawning condition for
selected species
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Monitoring and collecting trawl
performance information
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Completing special collections
as requested by other researchers or research
groups
Methods and Gear
The survey design is a stratified random
sampling scheme consisting of approximately 450
stations selected randomly from a combination of
successful tows completed during previous surveys
and sites not previously trawled. The selected
sampling sites are allocated to 45 sampling strata
defined by geographical location and depth, ranging
from shallow nearshore depths to 500 m on the
continental slope.
The charter vessels are conducting survey operations
in close proximity to each other, with each vessel
attempting a 15-minute trawl haul at assigned
stations. Catches are sorted, weighed and
enumerated by species. Biological information
(length, age structures, maturity, individual
weights, stomach contents, tissue samples, etc.) are
collected for some preselected species.
Standard survey bottom trawling will be conducted
with four seam, high-opening Poly Nor’Eastern
trawls equipped with rubber bobbin roller gear.
This standard survey trawl has a 27.2-m
headrope and 36.7-m footrope consisting of a 24.9-m
center section with adjacent 5.9-m “flying wing”
extensions. Accessory gear for the
Nor’Eastern trawl include 54.9-m triple dandylines
and 1.8 X 2.7-m steel V-doors weighing approximately
850 kg each.
By Eric Brown.
Annual Bering Sea Crab and Groundfish Bottom
Trawl Survey
The chartered fishing vessels Aldebaran
and Arcturus departed Dutch Harbor on 21 May
2000 to conduct the annual bottom trawl survey of
Bering Sea continental shelf groundfish and crab.
Trawling operations began at the eastern end of
Bristol Bay and will extend from inner Bristol Bay
to the shelf break between Unimak Pass and St.
Matthew Island, Alaska. The primary objectives
of the survey are to provide information on the
distribution, abundance, and biological condition of
important groundfish and crab resources; to continue
studies of the biology, behavior, and dynamics of
key ecosystem components; and, to provide the U.S.
fishing industry information on catch-per-unit
effort and the size composition of important
commercial species of crab and groundfish. The
survey will end 30 July 2000 in Dutch Harbor
By Russ Nelson.
Biennial Bering Sea Continental Slope Bottom
Trawl Survey
The first biennial bottom trawl survey of the Bering
Sea continental slope groundfish and crab resources
began 16 June 2000 in Dutch Harbor. The fishing
vessel Morning Star was chartered for 35 days
to conduct the first bottom trawl survey of the
Bering Sea continental slope since 1991. The
2000 survey began near the Alaska Peninsula and will
extend as far west as long. 180°W between the
depths of 200 and 1,100 m. The primary
objectives of the survey are to gain familiarity
with the area and habitats to be surveyed
biennially; to investigate the fishing performance
of two different configurations of the Poly
Nor’Eastern trawl; to describe the composition,
distribution, and relative abundance of groundfish
and invertebrate resources; to collect biological
samples from a variety of commercially and
ecologically important species of fish and
invertebrates; and to collect temperature profiles
in order to be able to relate changes in fish
abundance with oceanographic conditions. The
survey will conclude 20 July 2000.
By Russ Nelson
MIDWATER ASSESSMENT & CONSERVATION
ENGINEERING (MACE)
On 8 June 2000, the Midwater Assessment and
Conservation Engineering (MACE) Program began an
echo integration-trawl survey of walleye pollock on
the eastern Bering Sea shelf aboard the
Miller
Freeman. The survey began in
Kodiak, Alaska, and covers the U.S. Exclusive
Economic Zone (EEZ) waters from Port Moller, Alaska,
to the U.S.-Russia Convention Line, ending on 3
August 2000 in Dutch Harbor. The United States
applied for but did not receive permission from the
Russian government to survey pollock in Russia’s
EEZ waters.
Primary objectives of the cruise are to collect the
echo integration and trawl data MACE scientists
require to estimate distribution, biological
composition, and biomass of walleye pollock on the
eastern Bering Sea shelf and slope. Other
cruise objectives are collection of pollock target
strength data, calibration of the 38-kHz and 120-kHz
scientific acoustic systems, collection of physical
oceanographic data including temperature and
salinity profiles, and continuous monitoring of sea
surface temperature and salinity.
By Taina Honkalehto.
Tests of Halibut Excluders
From 17 to 30 June 2000, RACE scientists conducted
tests of trawl modifications to exclude Pacific
halibut from catches of Pacific cod. The
modifications consisted of panels of circular holes
ahead of the trawl codend. Cod that passed
through them were retained in the catch, while fish
that did not fit through, especially large halibut,
were routed to an escape hole.
Underwater video cameras were used to observe fish
behaviors in relation to the modifications.
Preliminary results of the tests indicated that:
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Cod were able to pass through
the panels at all but the highest catch rate
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While the panels successfully
excluded large halibut (>85 cm length) most
of the halibut encountered were smaller (<65
cm) and passed through the grate with the cod
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Large skates blocked big
portions of the grates frequently and reduced
effectiveness (more escape of everything). This
may have caused much of the escape variability
Another cruise is
scheduled in August to follow up on this work. The
cruise will emphasize the exclusion of small halibut
and skates.
By Craig Rose.
FISHERIES OCEANOGRAPHY COORDINATED INVESTIGATIONS
(FOCI)
The 26th Annual Meeting of the
Advisory Committee of the U. S. - Polish Plankton
Sorting and Identification Center (Zaklad Sortowania
i Oznaczania Planktou: ZSIOP) was hosted by the RACE
Division’s Recruitment Processes Task and held at
the Alaska Fisheries Science Center in Seattle,
Washington, 6-8 June 2000. Participating
in the discussions on the U. S. side were Art
Kendall, Jeff Napp, Ann Matarese, and Bruce Wing
(AFSC); Ken Sherman, Donna Busch, and Sharon
MacLean (Northeast Fisheries Science Center); Don
Hoss and Allyn Powell (National Ocean Service,
Center for Coastal Fisheries and Habitat Research,
Beaufort); and Joanne Lyczowski-Shultz (Southeast
Fisheries Science Center). The Polish
participants included: Daniel Dutkiewicz and Tomasz
Linkowski (Morski Institut Rybacki [MIR], Gdynia)
and Leonard Ejsymont, Wanda Kalandyk, and Ma»gorzata
Konieczna (ZSIOP, Szczecin). The Advisory
Committee meets to review the work of the previous
year to determine whether it is in conformance with
the Joint Studies Agreement (a continuation of the
initial 1974 Grant Agreement). The committee
plans the work for the coming year and discusses
ZSIOP operations, funding, training, sorting
priorities, data exchange, status of joint research
and reports, and new initiatives.
During the opening session, the U. S. delegation
presented a letter of commendation and appreciation
from Penelope Dalton, Assistant Administrator for
Fisheries, NOAA to Dr. Daniel Dutkiewicz, outgoing
Acting Director of MIR, for his distinguished 26
years of continuous support to the joint U.S.-Poland
program. The committee reviewed the accomplishments
of ZSIOP during its 26-year history and took note of
important contributions by ZSIOP to fisheries
ecology and to studies in support of research
conducted to improve the management and conservation
of fisheries resources from an ecosystems
perspective. Recommendations from the committee
included:
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to exchange scientists
from the United States and Poland for continued
training in ichthyoplankton, zooplankton, and
phytoplankton taxonomy, ecology, and data
processing
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to explore forming partnerships
between U.S. and Polish scientists in Szczecin
and elsewhere in MIR to work on joint research
projects
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to develop a Global
Environmental Facility (GEF) proposal to utilize
the unique capabilities of ZSIOP in addressing
global marine biodiversity issues
The committee was impressed with
the high quality of analyses and significant number
of samples processed during the past year, and with
the excellent quality of processing Continuous
Plankton Recorder silks at the branch of ZSIOP in
Gdynia. In recognition of the long history of
cooperation between the United States and Poland in
fisheries research through ZSIOP, the committee
agreed it would be fitting to complete a written
history of this achievement.
A number of activities were planned for both the U.
S. and Polish visiting scientists including trips to
Seattle highlights, the Cascade Mountains, and
Whidbey Island with evening get-togethers,
barbeques, and a banquet dinner. Lead
scientists of the zooplankton and ichthyoplankton
groups in Szczecin stayed in Seattle for an
additional week to clarify various taxonomic
problems. Wanda Kalandyk worked with Jeff Napp
and Debbie Siefert on the identification of calanoid
copepods and the development of new zooplankton
protocols. Ma»gorzata Konieczna worked with
Morgan Busby and Rachael Cartwright on the
identification of larval liparids, agonids, and
stichaeids and juvenile and transforming cottids and
pleuronectids. Ms. Konieczna was given
specimens of various cottids and stichaeids to take
back to Poland to help with those species that are
more difficult to identify.
By Arthur Kendall.
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