AFSC/RACE/MACE: Pollock Acoustic/Trawl Survey Spawning Annual Shumagins

The survey’s primary objective was to collect acoustic data and trawl information to estimate midwater abundance and distribution of walleye pollock (Gadus chalcogrammus) in the Gulf of Alaska (GOA) Shumagins Region during late winter and early spring. Acoustic data were collected using five split-beam transducers (18, 38, 70, 120, and 200 kHz) and Simrad ER60 scientific echo sounders. Midwater and near-bottom acoustic backscatter was sampled using an Aleutian Wing 30/26 Trawl (AWT) and a poly Nor’eastern bottom trawl (PNE) with roller gear. This long-running survey has consistently provided data on the pollock population in the western GOA during winter and spring months.

The Shumagins region is a critical spawning ground for walleye pollock and annual surveys of pollock age structure and biomass are used to inform GOA pollock stock assesment models. In particular, there is a strong correlation between the abundance of age-1 pollock in the Shumagin Islands survey and year-class strength for the GOA region.

Go to https://www.ngdc.noaa.gov/mgg/wcd/ or email Anderson, Charles (charles.anderson@noaa.gov)

None.

User must read and fully comprehend the metadata prior to use. User must acknowledge the Originator when using the data set as a source. User must share data products developed using the source data set with the Originator. Data should not be used beyond the limits of the source scale.

These data were collected in accordance NOAA protocols for fisheries acoustics surveys and related sampling (Alaska Fisheries Science Center), 23 p. Prepared by Midwater Assessment and Conservation Engineering Program, Alaska Fish. Sci. Center, Natl. Mar. Fish. Serv., NOAA. Available online: http://www.afsc.noaa.gov/RACE/midwater/AFSC%20AT%20Survey%20Protocols_Feb%202013.pdf