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    • AFSC/ABL: Rockfish Barotrauma

    Metadata Updated: April 1, 2024

    Because rockfish (Sebastes spp.) are physoclystic, i.e. their gas bladders are closed off from the gut, they often suffer internal injuries from rapid, internal air expansion when caught and brought to the surface. Many discarded rockfish do not survive either because they cannot submerge due to excessive buoyancy or because of internal damage. There is some evidence that recompression may greatly increase the survival of barotrauma-injured rockfish. However, because survival can be species-specific it is important to gauge the impacts on each species of interest. Research completed in 2010 on a small NOAA vessel demonstrated that rougheye rockfish (S. aleutianus), caught at depths down to 700 feet and exhibiting barotrauma, can survive if recompressed after capture in portable pressurized tanks. This result is noteworthy because it is the deepest known successful capture and recompression of any rockfish species, which suggests theres potential to conduct scientific tagging studies to track movements and behavior. In 2011 and 2012 we chartered a longline vessel to sample rougheye rockfish on reefs nearby the NOAA, the Auke Bay Laboratories (ABL), Little Port Walter Research Station on the southeast side of Baranof Island. After rougheye were caught and brought to the surface, they exhibited signs of barotrauma such as stomach eversion, exophthalmia (bulging eyes), and corneal gas bubbles. Of 43 fish that were recompressed immediately after capture in portable pressure tanks, 25 survived and are currently held at TSMRI for long term monitoring. The deepest fish that was captured and has survived long-term was caught at ~915 feet. Some fish still have corneal gas bubbles, but other signs of barotrauma have since subsided. Other rougheye rockfish were tagged and released at 250 ft using a weighted crab ring and a downrigger (n=130).

    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

    Other Data Resources

    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:24703
    Access Constraints Cite As: Alaska Fisheries Science Center, [Date of Access]: AFSC/ABL: Rockfish Barotrauma [Data Date Range], https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/inport/item/24703., 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 -135
    Bbox North Lat 56.5
    Bbox South Lat 56.25
    Bbox West Long -135.5
    Coupled Resource
    Frequency Of Update notPlanned
    Harvest Object Id a4d72367-15d7-48d9-b731-203eeea75b81
    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
    Metadata Language eng
    Metadata Type geospatial
    Old Spatial {"type": "Polygon", "coordinates": [[[-135.5, 56.25], [-135.0, 56.25], [-135.0, 56.5], [-135.5, 56.5], [-135.5, 56.25]]]}
    Progress completed
    Spatial Data Service Type
    Spatial Reference System
    Spatial Harvester True
    Temporal Extent Begin 2010
    Temporal Extent End 2012

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