Biological and environmental data collected from the summer and fall groundfish surveys provide critical information to stock assessors and researchers.
The National Standard Guidelines for Fishery Management Plans published by NOAA Fisheries require that a stock assessment and fishery evaluation report be prepared and reviewed annually for each fishery management plan.
The Gulf of Alaska thornyhead complex remain on a biennial stock assessment schedule with a full stock assessment produced in even years and no stock assessment produced in odd years.