AFSC/RACE/EcoFOCI - EcoFOCI biological and environmental data collected in the U.S. west coastal area, Gulf of Alaska, Bering Sea, Chukchi Sea and Beaufort Sea in 1972, and yearly from 1977 - present

The Alaska Fisheries Science Center (AFSC) Recruitment Processes Program, which includes Ecosystem and Fisheries-Oceanography Coordinated Investigations (EcoFOCI) has conducted oceanographical and biological research surveys in the U.S. west coastal area, Gulf of Alaska, Bering Sea, Chukchi Sea and Beaufort Sea in 1972, and yearly from 1977 - present. Samples collected at sea include ichthyoplankton, zooplankton, juvenile fish, measurements of temperature and salinity along with nutrients and chlorophyll. Lab processed data include fish diet data and fish otolith data.

Ichthyoplankton data are collected to define specific characteristics of marine populations from early life history strategies to standing biomass estimates. Since the bulk of the fishing industry does not focus directly on the ichthyoplankton component, these surveys can give us a true fishery-independent estimate. Since the introduction of the Egg Production Method or Daily Egg Production (EPM or DEPM) around 1985, we can have an accurate estimate of many of the midwater and pelagic species standing biomass if we have accurate and consistent measurement of the ichthyoplankton along with fishery-independent adult parameters. NOAA Fisheries conducts ichthyoplankton surveys with a wide variety of characteristics. Not only do the target species, and therefore the appropriate sampling methods differ among surveys, but the characteristics of the survey vessels differ which include chartered fishing vessels as well as NOAA research vessels.

Zooplankton data are collected in an attempt to describe the prey field for larval, juvenile and adult fish species (commercially and ecologically important). The zooplankton time series is also used with oceanographic and phytoplankton datasets to describe the lower trophic food webs in the Gulf of Alaska, Bering Sea, Beaufort and Chuckchi Seas that are used in ecosystems based fisheries management. The zooplankton time series is particularly valuable in looking at species composition changes and distribution in relation to climate variability. Trends in zooplankton species composition, abundance and distribution are used to predict survival and success of commercially important fish species (including walleye pollock) and overall ecosystem health.

The trawl dataset was developed to archive data from juvenile fish trawl surveys, including trawl locations dates, and times, catch data and length data. These data are used in studies of fish abundance, distribution, condition, and diet to better understand recruitment dynamics.

Physical oceanographic data are intended to provide a measure of environmental conditions coincident with the collection of biological samples. Because of the limitations of the SeaCAT sensors, these data are not intended to be used for physical oceanographic calculations such as transport volumes. If these data are to be used for these types of calculations, the coincident CTD and rosette data stored at NOAA/PMEL should be used to cross validate the data.

The diet data from the Pribilofs in the South Eastern Bering Sea (1994-99) focused on comparing diets of young of the year Gadus chalcogrammus in a frontal zone compared to those in nearshore and oceanic/shelf habitat. In subsequent years diet data focused on understanding spatial and temporal patterns in diet across the shelf of the Eastern Gulf of Alaska.

The otolith data sets were constructed to allow researchers to compare intra- and inter-annual comparisons in age and growth data of larval walleye pollock in the Gulf of Alaska.

There are no legal restrictions on access to the data. They reside in public domain and can be freely distributed.

Contact point of contact for latest procedure.

User must read and fully comprehend the metadata prior to use. Applications or inferences derived from the data should be carefully considered for accuracy. Data will reside at the Alaska Fisheries Science Center.

Acknowledgement of NOAA/NMFS/AFSC, as the source from which these data were obtained in any publications and/or other representations of these, data is suggested.

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Data stores in files and as an Oracle database.

Data not automatically processed

There are backup copies of the database.