Manned submersible Delta.

Adult sablefish.

The Auke Bay Laboratories’ Marine Ecology and Stock Assessment (MESA) Program is at the center of ABL's two key functions; stock assessment and habitat assessment. MESA supports the NMFS mission and especially NOAA’s Mission Goal: Protect, Restore, and Manage the use of Coastal and Ocean Resources Through an Ecosystem Approach to Management. In addition, MESA research supports the first objective under NOAA’s Climate Goal: Understand and predict the consequences of climate variability and change on marine ecosystems. A thorough description of current activities is found in the 2009 annual report to the Technical Subcommittee of the US- Canada Groundfish Committee (TSC). Primary MESA program functions are:

Stock assessment: Provides information needed by NOAA Fisheries and the North Pacific Fishery Management Council (NPFMC) to manage the Alaska groundfish resource. Scientists use advanced population modeling techniques to integrate biological observations and theoretical considerations into stock assessments that recommend annual groundfish quotas. These are in turn used by the NPFMC to manage fisheries within the U.S. Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) of Alaska. Active research to improve management recommendations includes the use of oceanographic, energetic, and satellite data to improve recruitment predictions, genetic stock structure of rockfish, and early life history studies on sablefish, pollock, sharks, rockfish, and salmon.

Northern rockfish in Aleutian corals.

Scientist at work.

Surveys and field studies: Includes the annual longline survey and a wide variety of special at-sea studies. The Alaska longline survey assesses groundfish on the continental slope of Alaska. Stock status information is collected for a number of important groundfish species, particularly sablefish, rockfish, and grenadiers. Special projects and extensive tagging of sablefish, thornyhead rockfish, Greenland turbot, and lingcod are integral functions of the survey. The extensive tagging program on the longline survey has provided a wealth of life history information, including migration and exploitation rate estimates, and diel movement patterns. Collaborations with marine mammal scientists are focusing on fishery interactions with marine mammals, such as sperm whale longline depredation of sablefish.

Marine ecology research: Focuses on pelagic, benthic, and estuarine fish habitat; deep sea corals/sponges; and commercial and forage species, to improve stock assessment parameters and to protect and define essential fish habitat (EFH). Through the use of manned submersibles and towed cameras, MESA scientists have identified habitat associations of fish species, discovered extensive coral gardens in the Aleutian Islands, and provided insights into the catchability of trawl gear for groundfish species.High resolution multibeam sonar data have been processed to generate benthic habitat maps of fishing grounds in the Gulf of Alaska and the Aleutian distribution of cold water coral habitat. Analysis of near-shore and estuarine EFH provides information on juvenile groundfish and salmon. Future studies will contrast regions of the Gulf of Alaska and characterize a critical environmental window that fish must pass through during their first year of life as they cross from offshore spawning to nearshore settlement areas.

MESA Program Manager:
Phillip Rigby
Auke Bay Laboratories
Alaska Fisheries Science Center, NOAA Fisheries

Ted Stevens Marine Research Institute
17109 Pt Lena Loop Rd
Juneau, AK 99801
(907) 789–6653
Phillip.Rigby@noaa.gov

News and Research Highlights

	AFSC Longline Survey Data Summaries of the annual AFSC Longline Survey catch and abundance data are now easily accessible via the web. Learn more by clicking on the link above.
	AFSC Longline Survey video Watch this video to learn more about the daily activities and long term uses of the annual AFSC longline survey.

Featured Research, Publications, Posters, Reports, and Activities

• TRIBUZIO, C. A., and G. H. KRUSE. 2012. Life history characteristics of a lightly exploited stock of Squalus suckleyi. J. Fish Biol. 80:1159-1180. 
   
• STURDEVANT, M., E. FERGUSSON, N. HILLGRUBER, C. REESE, J. ORSI, R. FOCHT, A. WERTHEIMER, and W. SMOKER. 2012. Lack of trophic competition among wild and hatchery juvenile chum salmon during early marine residence in Taku Inlet, Southeast Alaska. Environ. Biol. Fishes 94:101-116. 
   
• HULSON, P-J., D. H. HANSELMAN, and T. J. QUINN II. 2012. Determining effective sample size in integrating age-structured assessment models. ICES J. Mar. Sci. 69:281-292. 
   
• STACHURA, M. M., C. R. LUNSFORD, C. J. RODGVELLER, and J. HEIFETZ. 2012. Estimation of discard mortality of sablefish (Anoplopoma fimbria) in Alaska longline fisheries. Fish. Bull., U.S. 110:271-279. (.pdf, 564 KB).  Online.
   
• MILLER R. J., J. HOCEVAR, R. P. STONE, and D. V. FEDOROV. 2012. Structure-forming corals and sponges and their use as fish habitat in Bering Sea submarine canyons. PLoS ONE 7(3):e33885. Available online: http://www.plosone.org/article/info%3Adoi%2F10.1371%2Fjournal.pone.0033885. (.pdf, 602 KB).   Online.
   
• RODGVELLER, C. J., C. R. LUNSFORD, and J. T. FUJIOKA. 2012. Effects of maternal age and size on embryonic energy reserves, developmental timing, and fecundity in quillback rockfish (Sebastes maliger). Fish. Bull. 110:36-45. (.pdf, 1.86 MB).  Online.
   
• REYNOLDS, J. R., S. C. ROONEY, J. HEIFETZ, H. G. GREENE, B. L. NORCROSS, and S. K. SHOTWELL. 2012. Habitats and demersal fish communities in the vicinity of Albatross Bank, Gulf of Alaska, p. 539-553. In P. T. Harris and E. K. Baker (editors), Seafloor Geomorphology as Benthic Habitat. Elsevier. 
   
• MURPHY, J., and E. FARLEY. 2012. Connecting Independent Research Surveys of Bering Sea Salmon Populations to Chum Salmon Bycatch in Bering Sea Groundfish Fisheries. AFSC Quarterly Report Feature (January-February-March 2012) 7 p. (.pdf, 1.3 mb).  Online.
   
• TRIBUZIO, C. A., and G. H. KRUSE. 2011. Demographic and risk analyses of spiny dogfish (Squalus suckleyi) in the Gulf of Alaska using age- and stage-based population models. Mar. Freshw. Res. 62(12):1395-1406.  
   
• SEEB, L. W., J. E. SEEB, C. HABICHT, E. V. FARLEY, Jr., and F. M. UTTER. 2011. Single-nucleotide polymorphic genotypes reveal patterns of early juvenile migration of sockeye salmon in the eastern Bering Sea. Trans. Am. Fish. Soc. 140(3):734-748.  
   
• Counter Gradient Variation in Juvenile Chum Salmon Growth
  By:  JAMES MURPHY, JOE ORSI, JAMAL MOSS, ED FARLEY
  Conference:  Pink & Chum Salmon 25th Annual Workshop, Juneau, AK, Feb 2012
  (2012 poster, .pdf, 1.43 KB)   Online.
   
• The Southeast Alaska Coastal Monitoring (SECM) Project: Milestones From Research at Sea Over the Past 15 Years
  By:  JOE ORSI, MOLLY STURDEVANT, EMILY FERGUSSON, ALEX WERTHEIMER, BILL HEARD, ED FARLEY Jr.
  Conference:  Pink & Chum Salmon 25th Annual Workshop, Juneau, AK, Feb 2012
  (2012 poster, .pdf, 1.42 MB)   Online.
   

See the publications and poster databases for additional listings.