29395 Data Set Published / External 28636 Bottom Longline Survey Data Project Completed The Southeast Fisheries Science Center Mississippi Laboratories conducts standardized fisheries independent resource surveys in the Gulf of Mexico, South Atlantic, and U.S. Caribbean to provide abundance and distribution information to support regional and international stock assessments. A shark/snapper/grouper bottom longline survey is conducted every year from July through September. The survey covers waters between 5-200 fm from Cape Hatteras, North Carolina to West Palm Beach, FL, and the U.S. northern Gulf of Mexico from southwest Florida to Brownsville, TX. During each survey approximately 300 randomly selected stations are sampled in both state and federal waters. Survey sites for bottom longline effort were selected at random within three depth strata: 9 – 55 m, 55 – 183 m, and 183 – 366 m in the Gulf of Mexico only. Most bottom longline sets are conducted parallel to depth contours unless survey conditions (i.e., current, sea state, wind) necessitated a different orientation. The number of randomly selected survey sites occupied within 60 nm contiguous sampling zones is proportionally allocated based on the amount of continental shelf area within each of the depth strata. In the Atlantic, 60% of stations were allocated between 9 - 55 m and 40% between 55 -183 m. In the Gulf of Mexico, 50% of stations were allocated between 9 - 55 m, 40% between 55 - 183 m, and 10% were allocated between 183 - 366 m (or at least 1 per sampling zone). Standardized gear utilized during the survey includes one mile of mainline and 100 15/0 circle hooks baited with Atlantic mackerel. Soak times are limited to one-hour to minimize mortality rates of all captured organisms and sampling occurs during day and night. All live sharks are tagged and released unless biological samples are needed for life history studies. Life history data pertaining to age, growth and reproduction are obtained from all captured reef fishes. All other fishes are measured and weighed prior to being released. To provide abundance and distribution information on sharks and red snapper for use in regional stock assessments. Theme Bottom Longline Theme GOM Theme Gulf of Mexico Theme Longline Theme Mississippi Laboratories Theme Red Snapper Theme Shark Mississippi Laboratory Pascagoula MS Data Set Oracle Database Quarterly Table (digital) Shipboard Computer System NOAA Vessels Bottom longline Data Steward 2025-11-10 Person Leach, Scott M scott.leach@noaa.gov 4700 Avenue U Galveston TX 77551 (409) 210-9553 , Data Steward 2013 Person Driggers, William william.driggers@noaa.gov 3209 Frederic St. Pascagoula MS 39568 228-549-1630 228-769-9200 Distributor 2013 Organization Southeast Fisheries Science Center SEFSC https://ror.org/0396y0w87 75 Virginia Beach Drive Miami FL 33149 USA (305)361-5761 https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/about/southeast-fisheries-science-center About SEFSC Online Resource 8:00 a.m. - 4:30 p.m. EST Metadata Contact 2013 Person Driggers, William william.driggers@noaa.gov 3209 Frederic St. Pascagoula MS 39568 228-549-1630 228-769-9200 Point of Contact 2013 2021-11-30 Person Cook, Melissa melissa.cook@noaa.gov 3209 Frederic St. Pascagoula MS 39568 228-549-1628 228-769-9200 -98 -75 36 24 Western North Atlantic Ocean Continuing 1995 Unclassified Contact the individual identified as the distributor for this dataset. Please include the title of the dataset and the name of the data steward when requesting a copy of these data. There are not restrictions or legal prerequisites for accessing these data. NOAA NMFS does not approve, recommend, or endorse any proprietary product or proprietary material mentioned in this publication. No reference shall be made to NMFS, or to this publication furnished by NMFS, in any advertising or sales promotion which would indicate or imply that NMFS approves, recommends, or endorses any proprietary product or proprietary material mentioned herein or which has as its purpose any intent to cause directly or indirectly the advertised product to be used or purchased because of this NMFS publication. NMFS is not responsible for any uses of these datasets beyond those for which they were intended, and NMFS makes no claims regarding the accuracy of any data provided by agencies or individuals outside NMFS. Acknowledgement of NOAA NMFS and SEAMAP would be appreciated in products derived or publications generated from this data. As specimens are collected, total number of individual fish by species and lengths are taken and recorded into the shipboard data collections system. At the end of each survey data are reviewed for accuracy/relevance by chief scientists. Specimens that cannot be identified during the survey are identified in the laboratory. Yes 0 Yes Yes Yes 30 Days NCEI-MS 365 Days Data resides in the laboratories’ centralized database (Oracle). Security patches are applied to the database and host environment immediately after their release. In addition, Security benchmarks are applied to the database and host environment. Data residing in the centralized database (Oracle) is backed up nightly. Backup sets are placed on the laboratories’ Networked Attached Storage (NAS) environment. Security patches/updates are immediately applied to the host environment. Data is stripped/mirrored using RAID 50 technology to protect data from disk failure. Nightly backups are preformed and files are written to magnetic tape and stored in an onsite / offsite location. Catch data (species, length, weight, sex) are collected on paper and are then entered into the database. Prior to 2004, all longline set locations and environmental data were recorded on paper and then manually entered into database. Since that time, these data are imported directly into the database via computer. All data are thoroughly scrutinized by watch leaders at sea and then again checked for accuracy at the end of each survey. Once considered complete and accurate, data are transferred to the custodian. gov.noaa.nmfs.inport:29395 Charles Weber 2015-12-04T14:52:24 SysAdmin InPortAdmin 2026-03-04T19:17:18 2022-05-26 Southeast Fisheries Science Center SEFSC 75 Virginia Beach Drive Miami FL 33149 USA (305)361-5761 www.sefsc.noaa.gov 8:00 a.m. - 4:30 p.m. EST 1001 Public No No 2022-05-26 1 Year 2023-05-26