During the third quarter of 2011, Resource Ecology and Ecosystem Modeling (REEM) program staff focused their analyses of stomach contents on samples from the Gulf of Alaska and the Aleutian Islands. The contents of 1,991 stomach samples from 18 species were analyzed from the Gulf of Alaska, and 2,585 stomach samples from 32 species were analyzed from the Aleutian Islands. REEM staff also analyzed 250 stomach samples from six species from the eastern Bering Sea. In total, 24,244 records were added to the REEM food habits database. Tissue samples of muscle and liver from arrowtooth flounder, Pacific cod, and walleye pollock have been dried, ground, and tinned (400, 284 and 423, respectively) in preparation for stable isotope analysis.
A total of 12,964 stomach samples were collected from a variety of sources during the third quarter. Fishery observers collected stomach samples from 547 walleye pollock, 43 Pacific cod, and 2 Atka mackerel from Alaskan fishing grounds. The AFSC's bottom trawl survey of the eastern Bering Sea returned 5,150 stomach samples from four species. The hydroacoustic survey of the Gulf of Alaska provided 1,146 stomach samples from 11 species. The AFSC's bottom trawl survey of the Gulf of Alaska collected 3,591 collected samples from 34 species. Shipboard analysis of stomach contents was also conducted on board one of the Gulf of Alaska bottom trawl survey vessels, providing data from 2,485 additional stomachs.
By Troy Buckley, Geoff Lang, Mei-Sun Yang, Richard Hibpshman, Kimberly Sawyer, Caroline Robinson, Sean Rohan, Kelsey Kappler and Cy'Anna Scott
American Fisheries Society Annual Meeting Presentations
Several REEM program personnel attended the Annual American Fisheries Society meeting in Seattle, Washinton, on 4-18 September 2011. Talks presented by REEM personnel included:
"Incorporating Predation and Temperature into Multi-Species Statistical Catch-At-Age Models: An Example from the Bering Sea"(Holsman, Aydin, and Ianelli)
"Incorporating Ecological Covariates in Fisheries Models: Comparing Surplus Production Estimates Fit With and Without Environmental and Ecological Covariates for 13 Large Marine Ecosystems in the Northern Hemisphere" (Holsman)
"A Recent Indicator-Based Assessment for the Eastern Bering Sea" (Zador)
"Assembly Rules for Aggregate-Species Production Models: Simulations in Support of Management Strategy Evaluation" (Gaichas)
"Ecosystem Modeling in Support of Alaskan Fishery Management from the Aleutians to the Arctic" (Aydin)
