AFSC/RACE/GAP/Conrath: Rockfish habitat and productivity (Coral)

The importance of high relief structure containing biotic habitat to rockfish and other species remains largely unknown. This data set was created to examine the importance of this habitat for Pacific ocean perch, northern rockfish, and dusky rockfish. These data were derived from four research cruises that occurred between May 2012 and December 2014. During the cruises, video data was recorded of habitat associations, plankton samples were collected, temperature profiles were recorded, and several types of biological samples were taken from trawl captured rockfish. These data will be recorded in several tables in an access database and video files will also be available.

These data were created to examine the essential fish habitat of commercially important rockfish species in the Gulf of Alaska.

Loaded by FGDC Metadata Uploader, batch 7462, 10-29-2015 12:24

The dataset contains information obtained during four research cruises which occurred in May 2012, August 2012, May 2014, and December 2014. The first cruise occurred in the Portlock Bank area northeast of Kodiak Island and the remainder of the cruises occurred in the Albatross Bank region, southwest of Kodiak Island. During the last three cruises, the 49 fathom bank area was sampled and during the last two cruises an additional site at the Snakehead Bank was sampled. At each of these two locations, three habitat types were identified, bare, high relief coral, and low relief coral. At each habitat type within each site, 2-4 video drops, 2 bongo tows, 1 ctd profile, and 1-3 trawls were deployed.

Specific data types collected during these cruises include location parameters, habitat parameters,

User must read and fully comprehend the metadata prior to use. Applications or inferences derived from the data should be carefully considered for accuracy. Acknowledgement

of NOAA/NMFS/AFSC, as the source from which these data were obtained in any publications and/or other representations of these, data is suggested.

E-mail PI

None

None

There are no legal restrictions on access to the data. They reside in public domain and can be freely distributed.

User must read and fully comprehend the metadata prior to use. Applications or inferences derived from the data should be carefully considered for accuracy. Acknowledgement of NOAA/NMFS/AFSC, as the source from which these data were obtained in any publications and/or other representations of these, data is suggested.

Species were identified and standard biological sampling occurred. All samples were collected by trained biologists. The data set is still under development.

Camera malfunctions during the last cruise resulted in limited video information during the December 2014 cruise.

Data are still being compiled and samples are still being processed for this study.

unknown

"IT Security and Contingency Plan for the system establishes procedures and applies to the functions, operations, and resources necessary to recover and restore data as hosted in the Western Regional Support Center in Seattle, Washington, following a disruption."