Regional Industry-Based Bottom Trawl Survey

Overview

Standardized, fishery-independent surveys of marine resources are critical for supporting sustainable fisheries management and understanding changes in our ocean ecosystems. Our Bottom Trawl Survey collects data that form the backbone of many of our stock assessments. But we need contingency plans to ensure long-term resilience of the survey enterprise. To address this challenge, we are collaborating with the Northeast Trawl Advisory Panel to develop a Regional Industry-Based Bottom Trawl Survey.

This industry-based trawl survey will:

• Address uncertainties related to federal vessel platforms
• Improve data collection in areas inaccessible to our Bottom Trawl Survey
• Expand survey data available for stock assessments
• Build trust and increase collaboration with the fishing industry

This project offers a unique opportunity to build on our history of successful industry-based surveys designed with the fishing community, such as the Gulf of Maine Bottom Longline Survey. It will help strengthen and improve our existing survey efforts.

A Phased Industry-Informed Approach

Several factors need to be considered, tested, studied, and evaluated for a full-scale, operational survey like this to be successful. For example, we need to determine if an industry-based bottom trawl survey can:

• Cover a wide depth range (15–366 meters; 8–200 fathoms) and geographical area of the northeast U.S. continental shelf in specific sampling windows
• Operate within and around marine development infrastructure
• Conduct a full suite of biological and oceanographic sampling
• Maintain standardized, reproducible methods across survey years, partner institutions, and fishing vessels
• Integrate data with existing long-term surveys and databases

Collaboration between the science and fishing communities is paramount in developing a thoughtful and well-planned pilot survey. Using a phased approach allows us to address questions and concerns together while helping to manage technical, logistical, and design risks.

Phase I

In April 2026, scientists at Virginia Institute of Marine Science and the captain and crew of the commercial fishing vessel F/V Darana R conducted Phase I work in the area around the Vineyard Wind offshore wind project and the outer U.S. continental shelf south of Southern New England. The goal was to define the baseline operational requirements for a full-scale industry-based bottom trawl survey in our region. The team evaluated:

• Trawl gear performance across a range of depths
• Ability to work in close proximity of marine development infrastructure
• Ability to conduct day and night operations
• Logistics for oceanographic and biological sampling
• Sampling efficiency

The team completed Phase I work in May 2026. They are summarizing their results, drafting a final report, and developing standard operating procedures for the survey.

While Phase I was underway, members of the Northeast Trawl Advisory Panel Working Group met regularly to discuss operational plans, survey design considerations, and recommendations for Phase II. The goals for Phase II are:

• Expand operations to two fishing vessels
• Survey across a wider geographic area, including Gulf of Maine, Georges Bank, and southern New England
• Test a two-sweep design to improve performance in different habitats—one vessel will use a standard cookie sweep, and the other will use a modified rockhopper sweep
• Develop tools and workflows for data acquisition and analysis that integrate this survey’s data with existing long-term, single-vessel survey data used in our stock assessments
• Produce best practices documentation for a long-term regional industry-based bottom trawl survey

The Working Group is actively developing the statistical design, gear package, and operational plan for Phase II, which is scheduled for fall 2027. Phase II field work is expected to take at least 30 days to complete.

Phase III

If the initiative continues, the plan for Phase III is a full-scale survey following the best practices and methods developed in Phases I and II.

Data

Image

As data becomes available, we will add links to the portals.

Funding Source

The Regional Industry-Based Bottom Trawl Survey received congressionally-directed funds in fiscal year 2025 for Phase I. In fiscal year 2026, Phase II received congressionally-directed funds. This initiative supports the Executive Order on Restoring American Seafood Competitiveness by applying a cooperative research approach to modernize data collection approaches in support of stock assessments and fisheries management.

Contact

• Anna Mercer, Northeast Fisheries Science Center
• Jason Morson, Northeast Fisheries Science Center

Partners and Collaborators

Industry Partners

• David Goethel, F/V Ellen Diane II
• Daniel Salerno, New England Fishery Management Council
• Eric Reid, Fisheries Consultant
• Jake Wiscott, F/V Susan L
• John Mannix, Fisherman
• Mike Pol, New England Fishery Management Council
• Robert Ruhle and crew, F/V Darana R
• Terry Alexander, F/V Jocka
• Vincent Balzano, F/V Northern Lights
• Vito Giacalone, Northeast Seafood Coalition
• Wes Townsend, F/V Paka

Science Team

• Catherine Foley, Northeast Fisheries Science Center
• Chris Parkins, Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management
• Chris Melrose, Northeast Fisheries Science Center
• Chris Rillihan, University of Massachusetts School for Marine Science and Technology
• Emerson Hasbrouck, Cornell Cooperative Extension Marine Program
• Hannah Hart, Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council
• Jainita Patel, Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission
• Jameson Gregg, Virginia Institute of Marine Science’s Northeast Area Monitoring and Assessment Program Nearshore Trawl Survey
• Jessica Blaylock, Northeast Fisheries Science Center
• Jim Gartland, Virginia Institute of Marine Science’s Northeast Area Monitoring and Assessment Program Nearshore Trawl Survey
• Kathryn Ford, Northeast Fisheries Science Center
• Larry Alade, Northeast Fisheries Science Center
• Madison Hall, Northeast Fisheries Science Center
• Pat Campfield, Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission
• Pingguo He, University of Massachusetts School for Marine Science and Technology