Groundfish Assessment Program

The Groundfish Assessment Program is responsible for planning, executing, analyzing, and reporting results from surveys to establish time series estimates of the distribution and abundance of Alaska groundfish resources in the Gulf of Alaska, Bering Sea, and Aleutian Islands. The program also investigates biological processes and interactions with the environment to estimate growth, mortality, and recruitment to improve the precision and accuracy of forecasting stock dynamics. Impacts of bottom trawls on the seafloor and the description of bottom type are also being studied in the Bering Sea and Aleutian Islands.

The Groundfish Assessment Program in cooperation with the RACE Shellfish Assessment Program annually conducts a bottom trawl assessment survey for groundfish and king and Tanner crabs in the eastern Bering sea. This survey was initiated in 1971 and has been conducted annually since 1979. Annual surveys of sablefish abundance in the Bering Sea/Aleutian Islands region and Gulf of Alaska have been conducted since 1979 in cooperation with the AFSCs Auke Bay Laboratory. Major triennial surveys have been conducted for groundfish resources in the Aleutian Islands region, and in portions of the eastern Bering Sea not included in the annual groundfish/crab survey since 1977. Standard trawls and longlines have been used throughout these time series surveys. Special purpose surveys and studies have been conducted to improve understanding of biological processes, interaction with the environment, and factors affecting the precision and accuracy of estimates of abundance and population forecasts.

Data derived from Groundfish surveys are documented in scientific reports and are incorporated into stock assessment advice to the Pacific Fishery Management Council, the North Pacific Fishery Management Council, international fishery management organizations, the fishing industry, and the general public.

*Featured Items*

Groundfish Program's 2009 ADP and species code books now available. More>>

Recent Poster Presentations, Publications, Reports & Activities

STEVENSON, D. E., and G. R. HOFF. 2009. Species identification confidence in the eastern Bering Sea shelf survey (1982-2008). AFSC Processed Rep. 2009-04, 46 p. Alaska Fish. Sci. Cent., NOAA, Natl. Mar. Fish. Serv., 7600 Sand Point Way NE, Seattle WA 98115. (.pdf, 1.97 MB). Online.
ZIMMERMANN, M., C. B. DEW, and B. A. MALLEY. 2009. History of Alaska red king crab, Paralithodes camtschaticus, bottom trawl surveys, 1940-61. Mar. Fish. Rev. 71(1):1-22. (.pdf, 4.58MB). Online.
McCONNAUGHEY, R. A., and S. E. SYRJALA. 2009. Statistical relationships between the distributions of groundfish and crabs in the eastern Bering Sea and processed returns from a single-beam echosounder. ICES J. Mar. Sci. 66:1425-1432. (.pdf, 361KB). Online.
STEVENSON, D. E., C. KENALEY, and N. RARING. 2009. First records of rare mesopelagic fishes from the Gulf of Alaska. Northwest. Nat. 90:24-34.
Crab Abundance and Depth Distribution Along the Continental Slope of the Eastern Bering Sea
By: JAN A. HAAGA, SCOTT VAN SANT, GERALD R. HOFF
Conference: Lowell Wakefield Fisheries Symposium (25th), Biology...Crab Populations under Climate Change..., Anchorage, AK, Mar 2009
(2009 poster, .pdf, 2.54MB) Online.
Rockfish Abundance and Diurnal Habitat Associations on Isolated Rocky Habitat (Zhemchug ridges) in the Eastern Bering Sea
By: CHRIS ROOPER, JERRY HOFF
Conference: Alaska Marine Science Symposium, Anchorage, AK, Jan 2009
(2009 poster, .pdf, 3.28MB) Online.
Integrated Ocean and Coastal Mapping Workshop
Habitat Research Team Ventures Into the Northern Bering Sea
Species Identification Confidence in the Eastern Bering Sea Shelf Survey

See the poster and publications databases for additional listings.

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