The 2012 Joint U.S.-Canada Integrated Acoustic and Trawl Survey of Pacific Hake (Merluccius productus) and Pacific Sardine (Sardinops sagax) (SH1204, ME70). Scientists from the Fishery Resource Analysis and Monitoring (FRAM) division at the NOAA Fisheries Northwest Fisheries Science Center (NWFSC), the Fishery Resources Division (FRD) at the Southwest Fisheries Science Center (SWFSC), and the Pacific region of the Department of Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO) conducted the 2012 Integrated Acoustic Survey (IAT) survey aboard the NOAA Ship Bell M. Shimada and the Canadian Coast Guard Ship (CCGS) W.E. Ricker. Both vessels are stern trawlers equipped for fisheries and oceanographic research. The Shimada surveyed from 35.8°N to 50.8°N between June 25 and August 23, and the Ricker surveyed from 48.8°N to 55.3°N between August 15 and September 6. The industry-provided vessel the F/V Forum Star was primarily for groudtruthing activity, trawling with an Aleutian wing trawl 24/20 (AWT), and remained in the vicinity the Shimada between June 28 and August 11.

The portion of the survey conducted with the Bell M. Shimada focuses on both Pacific sardine (Sardinops sagax) and Pacific hake (Merluccius productus), a Joint U.S.-Canada Integrated Acoustic and Trawl Survey of Pacific Hake and Pacific Sardine (SaKe 2012) covered the area from the Southern California Bight (SCB), CA to north end of the Vancouver Island, Canada. The data include here are those collected on NOAA Ship Bell M. Shimada only, i.e. Sake 2012 data only.

Hake and sardine populations were surveyed along a series of parallel line transects that in general were oriented east-west, spaced at an interval of 10 nmi apart, and traversed sequentially in alternating directions; some areas in Canadian waters were better covered with transects that ran in a zigzag or north-south orientation. The survey began northwest of Morro Bay, California, proceeded north toward Dixon Entrance, and finished along the west side of Haida Gwaii (formerly called the Queen Charlotte Islands). Hake aggregations were targeted along the continental shelf and upper slope of the entire survey area, whereas sardine aggregations were targeted only as far north as the northern tip of Vancouver Island. The Shimada was tasked with completing transects up to the north end of Vancouver Island, from which point the Ricker completed the remaining transects north to Dixon Entrance and along the west coast of Haida Gwaii. Sea depth at the inshore end of individual transects was nominally 30 m, although a few transects ended in waters deeper than 30 m because of restricted areas, navigation hazards, or boat traffic. Offshore extent of individual transects was typically at a depth of 1,500 m or at a point 35 nmi west of the inshore waypoint, whichever resulted in a longer transect.

However, Simrad ME70 data were only recorded on Bell Shimada.