32371 Data Set Published / External 32345 AFSC/RACE/GAP/McConnaughey: Trawlex BACI-2001-2002 Project Completed The Resource Assessment and Conservation Engineering (RACE) Division of the Alaska Fisheries Science Center (AFSC) conducted a survey in the eastern Bering Sea (EBS) to evaluate short-term impacts of bottom trawls on soft-bottom benthic habitats and to describe the recovery process. This was a multi-year project which follows earlier studies of long-term bottom trawling impacts in the same general region. The study area was within the Crab and Halibut Protection Zone 1 in Bristol Bay (management area 512; approximately latitude 58 degrees north and longitude 160 degrees west. In general, at-sea work was divided into three phases: (1) integrated biological and geological sampling before experimental trawling, (2) experimental trawling and (3) integrated biological and geological sampling after experimental trawling. Survey activities were conducted aboard the 47.2 meter (155 ft) chartered vessel Ocean Explorer. This was a commercial fishing vessel modified to support the research activities. Activity during phase 1 consisted of side scan assessments of seafloor morphology with an interferometric Klein 5410 side scan sonar towfish during night wheel watches, and epifauna trawls and collection of infauna and sediment grabs during daylight hours. All samples from a particular gear were collected in succession, so as to minimize time spent installing and configuring gear during phases (1) and (3). Assessment activities after the impact phase were a repeat of activities prior to experimental trawling. The research objectives address Congressional mandates (Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act of 1996) to investigate potential adverse impacts of fishing gear on essential fish habitats. The primary objectives of this study were to determine if bottom trawls have measurable and significant effects on soft-bottom habitat in the eastern Bering Sea and if so, are there fundamental changes that define a new recovery state. Loaded by batch 3784, 12-05-2012 13:48 Theme ISO 19115 Topic Category geoscientificInformation Theme BACI design Theme acoustic sediment classification Theme side scan sonar Theme trawl impact Spatial Bering Sea Alaska Fisheries Science Center Seattle WA USA Data Set Map (digital) see abstract see abstract see abstract Data Steward 2015 Person McConnaughey, Bob bob.mcconnaughey@noaa.gov email Distributor 2015 Organization Alaska Fisheries Science Center AFSC afsc.webmaster@noaa.gov https://ror.org/01h7fye62 7600 Sand Point Way N.E., Building 4 Seattle WA 98115 USA (206) 526-4000 (206) 526-4004 https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/about/alaska-fisheries-science-center AKFSC Home Page Online Resource 0700-1700 Pacific Time Point of Contact 2012-12-05 Person McConnaughey, Bob bob.mcconnaughey@noaa.gov Ground Condition -161.365143 -160.805606 57.805388 57.541088 Crab and Halibut Protection Zone 1 in Bristol Bay Range 2001-06 2002-06 Unclassified unknown There are no legal restrictions on access to the data. 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