2025 Bottom Trawl Survey in Photos
Survey scientists captured some of the incredible sights and scenes from the 2025 Bottom Trawl Survey season. Their year in photos gives a behind-the-scenes look at our survey, regional marine life, and their work.
Our Bottom Trawl Survey is one of several comprehensive surveys that help us better understand the interactions between the environment, marine life, and people living and working in our region. It helps us monitor fishery stock abundance and distribution on the Northwest Atlantic continental shelf, from the Scotian Shelf off the coast of Nova Scotia, Canada, to Cape Lookout, North Carolina. These photos give a behind-the-scenes look at what happens at sea during the survey, and a window into our work supporting healthy fish stocks and vibrant fishing communities.
Atlantic cod are an iconic New England fish. In the Northwest Atlantic Ocean, they range from Greenland to Cape Hatteras...
Deepbody boarfish are one of several red, deep-dwelling fish. Its laterally-compressed body shape makes them easy to ide...
This juvenile blue tilefish was caught during the spring 2025 Bottom Trawl Survey. These fish are found Maine to Campec...
Atlantic mackerel are found on both sides of the North Atlantic Ocean. In the western Atlantic, they’re found from Labra...
Starting with the fish closest to the hand and going clockwise: snipe eel, pink glass shrimp, grenadier, buckler dory, g...
This huge shrimp is likely a royal red shrimp. It was caught during the spring 2025 Bottom Trawl Survey and has been sa...
This longspine scorpionfish was caught during the spring 2025 Bottom Trawl Survey. These fish have a very bony head with...
Grenadiers are a unique looking fish from the Macrouridae family, a diverse and abundant group of deep-sea dwellers. Sim...
When most think about Atlantic sea scallops, they think of them as being some shade of orange-brown on the top shell and...
These American lobsters were caught during the spring 2025 Bottom Trawl Survey. American lobsters are found in the North...
The pattern on these two juvenile rosette skates look as if they may have been painted by Alphonse Mucha, a well known A...
🎵 You're a shining star, No matter who you are 🎵 These sea stars were caught during the spring 2025 Bottom Trawl Survey...
This weee little armored sea robin was caught during the spring 2025 Bottom Trawl Survey. Armored sea robins are another...
Ocean pout are a bottom-dwelling fish species with an eel-like body found in the western Atlantic Ocean from Labrador, ...
Sea ravens have a large head dotted with fleshy tabs, an upper and lower jaw lined with several rows of sharp teeth, and...
Another sea raven caught during the spring 2025 Bottom Trawl Survey. Fun fact: sea ravens produce antifreeze proteins ye...
This longhorn sculpin was caught during the spring 2025 Bottom Trawl Survey. These fish have very striking striped marki...
Windowpane flounder is a left-eyed species of flounder. When these fish first hatch, their eyes are symmetrical, with a...
This summer flounder was caught during the spring 2025 Bottom Trawl Survey. Also called fluke, summer flounder are a hi...
Clearnose skates get their name from the translucent areas on either side of its rostral ridge on its pointy snout. Thes...
Monkfish can be found in the Northwest Atlantic Ocean from the Grand Banks of Newfoundland, and northern Gulf of St. Law...
Monkfish live on the ocean floor, typically on sand, mud, and shell habitats. Adults spend most of their time on the bo...
Monkfish are ambush predators. They blend in with the ocean floor and use a modified spine with a fleshy tab called an i...
Close up of a monkfish eye that was caught during the spring 2025 Bottom Trawl Survey. Credit: NOAA Fisheries/Andy Jones...
Senior survey technician Stephanie Stabile rinses down a bongo net during the spring 2025 Bottom Trawl Survey. We use b...
NOAA Ship Henry B. Bigelow crew inspect the bottom trawl’s net liner. If they find any damage, gear specialists and deck...
Another glorious sunrise during the spring Bottom Trawl Survey aboard the NOAA Ship Henry B. Bigelow. Credit: NOAA Fishe...
Long Point Lighthouse is located in the Cape Cod National Seashore in Provincetown, Massachusetts. The first Long Point ...
Atlantic cod can be found from Greenland to Cape Hatteras, North Carolina, in the Northwest Atlantic. In U.S. waters, it...
Atlantic moonfish are a laterally compressed, silvery fish with a head that in profile is long and sloping. They can be ...
Gorgeous sunset over the side deck of the NOAA Ship Henry B. Bigelow at sea during the spring 2025 Bottom Trawl Survey. ...
The first rays of sunlight illuminate soft ocean ripples during the spring 2025 Bottom Trawl Survey. Credit: NOAA Fishe...
Atlantic mackerel have an iridescent blue green on their backs while their bellies are a silvery white. They have sever...
Todd Mihal, seagoing biological technician, helps corral and move a recent catch that has been emptied into a hopper. A ...
Faint glow of sunset peeks through the A-frame on the back deck of the NOAA Ship Henry B. Bigelow during the spring 2025...
Another gorgeous sunset during the spring 2025 Bottom Trawl Survey aboard the NOAA Ship Henry B. Bigelow. Credit: NOAA ...
Moon gazing at the edge of the continental shelf off Delaware Bay right after a 12-hour watch on March 19, 2025. Credi...
The sun sets as the spring 2025 Bottom Trawl Survey heads to the next station. Credit: NOAA Fisheries/Emily Markowitz
The spring 2025 Bottom Trawl Survey team washes buckets, baskets, and other fish sorting and processing gear on the back...
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