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AFSC/ABL: Gulf of Alaska Diel Trawl Survey, 2005-2006

Metadata Updated: April 1, 2024

Diel epipelagic sampling for juvenile Pacific salmon (Oncorhynchus spp.), rockfish (Sebastes spp.), sablefish (Anoplopoma fimbria), and associated species was conducted in order to identify factors that may affect year-class success of these commercially important species. Sampling occurred in offshore marine habitats of the coastal northeast Pacific Ocean from 10-20 August 2005 and was conducted with a surface trawl fishing the upper 20 m of the water column along transects up to78 km offshore near 58 N. Three habitats were sampled along each transect over a 24-hr period: the continental shelf (2,000 m depth). A total of 38,747 fish and squid representing 24 species were sampled in 56 trawl hauls. Of the targeted juvenile fish species, a total of 587 salmon, 11 rockfish, and 70 sablefish were captured. Sampling during day (1500-1900) and night (2200-0200) periods indicated that biomass of fish and squid was 2-4 times higher at night at (each?)all habitat types pooled across transects. No distinct patterns between day or night occurrence were noted for juvenile pink salmon (O. gorbuscha), chum salmon (O. keta), sockeye salmon (O. nerka), or coho salmon (O. kisutch), however, juvenile Chinook salmon (O. tshawytscha) were encountered only at night. Catches of juvenile rockfish and juvenile sablefish were quite low in this study, and larger sample sizes of these fish are needed to adequately determine their diel distribution. Diel differences were apparent with forage species such as Pacific herring (Clupea pallasi), capelin (Mallotus villosus), and eulachon (Thaleichthys pacificus) that were almost exclusively sampled at night. The offshore distribution patterns of target species were distinctly different, with the most common occurrences of juvenile salmon over continental shelf habitats, juvenile sablefish over continental shelf and slope habitats, and juvenile rockfish over slope and abyss habitats. Pacific herring, capelin, eulachon, and Pacific sardines (Sardinops sagax) were found over continental shelf habitats, whereas small squid and myctophids occurred primarily at slope and abyssal habitats. The greatest overall catch biomass was of gelatinous species (jellyfish), which was consistently higher than that of all fish and squid combined, usually by an order of magnitude. Individual fish or squid species with highest average weight per haul were pomfret (Brama japonica), adult coho salmon, Humboldt squid (Dosidicus gigas), and blue sharks (Prionace glauca). The occurrence of the latter two warm-water species and Pacific sardines were of interest because this study occurred during an anomalously warm year and the capture of Pacific sardines and Humboldt squid represent northern range extensions for these species. Stomach content analysis of potential predator species of the target species showed that only adult coho salmon were predating on juvenile salmon and sablefish, and only pomfret were predating on juvenile rockfish. Further sampling of the target species is needed in these habitats during more normal environmental conditions to validate these observations.

Access & Use Information

License: No license information was provided. If this work was prepared by an officer or employee of the United States government as part of that person's official duties it is considered a U.S. Government Work.

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Dates

Metadata Date February 29, 2024
Metadata Created Date October 28, 2022
Metadata Updated Date April 1, 2024
Reference Date(s) (publication)
Frequency Of Update notPlanned

Metadata Source

Harvested from NMFS AFSC

Additional Metadata

Resource Type Dataset
Metadata Date February 29, 2024
Metadata Created Date October 28, 2022
Metadata Updated Date April 1, 2024
Reference Date(s) (publication)
Responsible Party (Point of Contact, Custodian)
Contact Email
Guid gov.noaa.nmfs.inport:17231
Access Constraints Cite As: Alaska Fisheries Science Center, [Date of Access]: AFSC/ABL: Gulf of Alaska Diel Trawl Survey, 2005-2006 [Data Date Range], https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/inport/item/17231., Access Constraints: Contact the Point of Contact for data request form., Use Constraints: User must read and fully comprehend the metadata prior to use. Data should not be used beyond the limits of the source scale. Acknowledgement of NOAA, as the source from which these data were obtained, in any publications and/or other representations of these data is suggested., Distribution Liability: The user is responsible for the results of any application of this data for other than its intended purpose.
Bbox East Long -134.986
Bbox North Lat 58.35035
Bbox South Lat 57.44538
Bbox West Long -137.893
Coupled Resource
Frequency Of Update notPlanned
Harvest Object Id 3d0677d8-27e2-4d77-a636-13726ecc7501
Harvest Source Id 26a29bb9-50b0-47fd-920b-edc74aa6ec76
Harvest Source Title NMFS AFSC
Licence NOAA provides no warranty, nor accepts any liability occurring from any incomplete, incorrect, or misleading data, or from any incorrect, incomplete, or misleading use of the data. It is the responsibility of the user to determine whether or not the data is suitable for the intended purpose.
Lineage For methodology see: Orsi, J. A., D. M. Clausen, A. C. Wertheimer, D. L. Courtney, and J. E. Pohl. 2006. Diel Epipelagic Distribution of Juvenile Salmon, Rockfish, Sablefish and Ecological Interactions with Associated Species in Offshore Habitats of the Northeast Pacific Ocean (NPAFC Doc. 956) Auke Bay Lab., Alaska Fish. Sci. Cen., Nat. Mar. Fish. Serv., NOAA, 11305 Glacier Highway, Juneau, AK 99801-8626, USA, 26 p.
Metadata Language eng
Metadata Type geospatial
Old Spatial {"type": "Polygon", "coordinates": [[[-137.893, 57.44538], [-134.986, 57.44538], [-134.986, 58.35035], [-137.893, 58.35035], [-137.893, 57.44538]]]}
Progress completed
Spatial Data Service Type
Spatial Reference System
Spatial Harvester True
Temporal Extent Begin 2005
Temporal Extent End 2006

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