"Groundfish Assessment Program Manuals"

The Species Code book is a listing of codes used for fish and invertebrates identified in RACE division surveys. It is not a comprehensive list of all taxa potentially available to the surveys nor a hierarchical taxonomic key. It is a linear listing of...

There are multiple sources of variability in the sampling efficiency of the trawl gear used for the survey, both species- and size-specific, that may affect inferences about the nature of the overall catches and relative animal densities. Furthermore, the quality and specificity of catch quantification (weighing and counting) at sea of many taxa can vary depending on the overall size of the catch and the species composition of the sample, particularly for non-commercial taxa of small size. This document is an assessment of the relative reliability of survey catch weights, numbers, and catch per unit effort estimates derived from the eastern Bering Sea shelf bottom trawl survey and is intended to serve as a guideline for researchers interested in using the survey data and results. Included within is a confidence matrix of sampling efficiency and catch quantification for all fish and invertebrates identified during the shelf survey.

The quality and specificity of field identifications for many taxa have fluctuated over the history of the surveys due to changing priorities and resources. Historical trends in identification quality for each of the major Alaska Fisheries Science Center bottom trawl surveys was documented. These reports include identification confidence matrices for all fish and invertebrates identified from respective surveys.

The quality and specificity of field identifications for many taxa have fluctuated over the history of the surveys due to changing priorities and resources. Historical trends in identification quality for each of the major Alaska Fisheries Science Center bottom trawl surveys was documented. These reports include identification confidence matrices for all fish and invertebrates identified from respective surveys.

The quality and specificity of field identifications for many taxa have fluctuated over the history of the surveys due to changing priorities and resources. Historical trends in identification quality for each of the major Alaska Fisheries Science Center bottom trawl surveys was documented. These reports include identification confidence matrices for all fish and invertebrates identified from respective surveys.

The staff of the RACE Groundfish Assessment Program conducts fieldwork in a potentially dangerous environment: on small vessels floating in a very cold ocean. This At-Sea Safety Manual, developed by the RACE/REFM At Sea Safety Committee, identifies unsafe situations and practices that we face in our everyday field activities. Rules and strategies have been devised to minimize the dangers they present.

The National Trawl Survey Standardization Workshop was convened 13-15 November 2002 with the directive, based on the 16 September 2002 V.ADM.

NOAA is mandated to identify Essential Fish Habitats (EFH) by provisions of the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act, but the necessary data sets are not always available. In the marine environment, depth and sediment type are often the most important determinants of EFH for fish that live on the bottom. Bathymetry data can be further analyzed into important habitat descriptors such as slope and roughness. Marine researchers are familiar with National Ocean Service (NOS) nautical charts, which are often considered the most useful source of EFH information in Alaskan waters, though the small scale (often 1:100,000 or smaller) means that the nautical charts lack significant fish habitat details. However, what most marine researchers do not know is that these NOS nautical charts are derived from more detailed, larger-scale (often 1:20,000) charts called "'smooth sheets," which are the final published product from the original charting surveys.