Data collected during 2010-2011 field studies of giant Pacific octopus Enteroctopus dofleini for NPRB. Includes data on habitat pot gear study: fishing locations, pot types, deployment and retrieval dates, and catch in pots (octopus and bycatch). Also includes specimen data (sex. weight, mantle length, gonad maturity, gonad weights, GSI) from octopus in life history study. Life history specimens come from pot gear fishing and donations from commercial fishermen.
Purpose:
Support octopus stock assessment. Determine mating/spawning season for GPOs in Alaska. Determine average fecundity and weight at maturity. Develop maturity coding system. Test and develop habitat pot gear for octopus studies and possible future index survey.
Access_Constraints: Contact Point Of Contact for data request form.
Use_Constraints:
User must read and fully comprehend the metadata prior to use. Applications or inferences derived from the data should be carefully considered for accuracy. 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.
Contact_Organization: National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Alaska Fisheries Science Center (AFSC) Resource Ecology and Fisheries Management Division (REFM)
Octopus weights were taken at sea on a Salter haning scale, accuracy approx 0.5 kg. Gonad weights in laboratory. Species ID and maturity coding all by C. Conrath, reliable.
Logical_Consistency_Report:
Checked visually during data analysis in Excel.
Completeness_Report:
First string set was pulled immediately to check deployment and retrieval methods; not used in catch data analysis.
Contact_Organization: National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Alaska Fisheries Science Center (AFSC) Resource Ecology and Fisheries Management Division (REFM)