Results of the 1991 U.S.-U.S.S.R. cooperative bottom trawl survey of the eastern and western Bering Sea continental shelf

Abstract

A cooperative bottom trawl survey of the Bering Sea was conducted by the Alaska Fisheries Science Center (AFSC) of the United States and the Pacific Research Institute of Fisheries and Oceanography of the U.S.S.R. aboard the Soviet research vessel Novodrutsk during May-June 1991. The primary purpose of this survey was to assess the distribution, abundance, and biological condition of groundfish resources over the continental shelf in both the eastern and western Bering Sea. An independent bottom trawl survey of the central and southeastern Bering Sea continental shelf was also conducted by the AFSC during June-September 1991 aboard U.S. research vessels.

Results summarizing geographic distribution, abundance estimates, and size composition are presented for the principal species of fish encountered. The distributions of commercially important crab species are also shown. Comparisons are made among results of this cooperative survey, the 1991 U.S. survey, and earlier surveys from the areas commonly fished in the eastern Bering Sea. The appendices include station and catch information, abundance, size, and age data.


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