SEFIS 2023 Cruise Report

The NOAA Ship Pisces hosted the Southeast Fishery-Independent Survey (SEFIS) for a research cruise in continental shelf and shelf-break waters off North and South Carolina in 2023. SEFIS was created by the National Marine Fisheries Service in 2010 and operates out of the NOAA-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, and acoustics.

The original plan was to conduct primary SEFIS trap-video operations during two legs (25 days at sea (DAS) in total), and zig-zag random mapping during two legs.

However, after some initial trap-video DAS were lost due to mechanical issues, some mapping days were converted to trap-video days. Storms and other issues resulted in some additional loss of DAS. A total of 32 DAS were eventually realized out of 49 DAS planned

Cruse Dates were August 3, 2023 - September 30, 2023 with some days in Port. 32 Days at Sea Total for Cruise

Cruise PC-23-03 OBJECTIVES

1. Fishery-independent sampling of randomly selected stations in North and South Carolina. Baited chevron traps, with two 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).

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. Use a conductivity, temperature, depth (CTD) instrument package to collect

environmental data (temperature, salinity, dissolved oxygen, turbidity) at camera-trap sampling locations.

4. Multibeam sonar mapping (random zig-zag pattern) to estimate proportion and amount of hardbottom across survey range.

5. Collection of EK-80 data as part of the greater amberjack abundance estimation project.

Title : Cruise report : NOAA Ship PISCES, PC-23-03, Southeast Fishery-Independent Survey (SEFIS)

Personal Author(s) : Bacheler, Nathan

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

Published Date : 2023

DOI : https://doi.org/10.25923/kn8r-x966

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