AFSC/RACE/MACE: Pollock Acoustic/Trawl Survey Spawning Annual Shelikof

The survey’s primary objective was to collect acoustic data and trawl information to estimate midwater abundance and distribution of walleye pollock (Gadus chalcogrammus) in the Gulf of Alaska (GOA) Shelikof Region during late winter and early spring. Acoustic data were collected using five split-beam transducers (18, 38, 70, 120, and 200 kHz) and Simrad ER60 scientific echo sounders. Midwater and near-bottom acoustic backscatter was sampled using an Aleutian Wing 30/26 Trawl (AWT) and a poly Nor’eastern bottom trawl (PNE) with roller gear. This long-running survey has consistently provided data on the pollock population in the western GOA during winter and spring months. Both the Chirikof shelf-break region and Marmot Bay are often included in this survey.

The survey’s primary objective was to collect acoustic data and trawl information to estimate midwater abundance and distribution of walleye pollock (Gadus chalcogrammus, formerly Theragra chalcogramma) in the Gulf of Alaska (GOA) during late winter and early spring. The Shelikof region is a critical spawning ground for walleye pollock as well as a high-traffic commercial fishing zone, and annual surveys of pollock age structure and biomass are used in GOA pollock stock assessment models.

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