Cruise Report : Southeast Fishery-Independent Survey (SEFIS) NOAA Ship Nancy Foster Cruise NF-10-15 September 14 - October 22, 2010

The NOAA Ship Nancy Foster departed Charleston, SC, on 14 September 2010 to initiate the Southeast Fishery-Independent Survey (SEFIS) in continental shelf and shelf-break waters off the southeastern US. SEFIS was created by the National Marine Fisheries Service in 2010 and operates out of the Beaufort Laboratory. This survey was created to conduct applied fishery-independent sampling and related research focusing on the assessment of spatial variability in distribution and abundance of red snapper and other reef species within the snapper-grouper complex, via data collected from fish traps, video cameras, remotely operated vehicles, and acoustics. During this survey, chevron trap catches, associated underwater video, and remotely operated vehicle recordings were collected from known hardbottom habitats between 28.3 N and 32.4 N. A total of 187 stations were sampled with camera-trap gear and 32 stations were sampled with ROVs over 36 sea days between 13 and 66 m depths.

Cruise NF-10-15 Objectives

1. Increase the spatial footprint and sample size of fishery-independent sampling in US southeast waters. Baited chevron traps, with one or more mounted high-definition video cameras, were utilized for

(a) hardbottom reef fish community assessments,

(b) collection of reef fish for biological samples (i.e.,otoliths and gonads), and

(c) comparative gear sampling (cameras versus traps versus split-beam sonar).

2. Use video cameras on chevron traps to address trap selectivity issues, locate and describe hardbottom habitats, and provide an additional index of abundance for stock assessments.

3. Survey reef fish assemblages and identify substrate types using a deep-water ROV equipped with instrumentation including low-light digital video and DIDSON sonar.

4. Use a CTD instrument package to collect environmental data (temperature, salinity, dissolved oxygen) at camera-trap sampling locations.

5. Map bottom habitats using multibeam sonar to improve survey design and to expand knowledge of hardbottom habitats in the southeast US.

6. Use fisheries acoustic gear (split-beam sonar) to assess its use as a fishery-independent survey too

Title : Cruise Report : Southeast Fishery-Independent Survey (SEFIS) NOAA Ship Nancy Foster Cruise NF-10-15 September 14 - October 22, 2010

Personal Author(s) : Bacheler, Nate

Corporate Authors(s) : Southeast Fisheries Science Center (U.S.)

Published Date : 2023

DOI : https://doi.org/10.25923/4d6y-wd94