The core function of the Resource Assessment and Conservation Engineering (RACE) Division is to conduct quantitative fishery surveys and related ecological and oceanographic research to measure and describe the distribution and abundance of commercially important fish and crab stocks in the eastern Bering Sea, Aleutian Islands, Gulf of Alaska, and, historically, the U.S. West Coast. As part of these efforts, oceanographic data is collected using an instrument attached to the bottom trawl headrope. The data includes: pH, turbidity, depth, temperature, salinity and O2.

In order to manage vulnerable benthic habitats, such as deep-sea corals and sponges, the impacts of human activity including commercial fishing must be known and accounted for. One type of fishing gear whose impact has rarely been studied is commercial longline gear. We performed a series of experiments in 2013 and 2014 to address this knowledge gap using inertial measurement units and underwater cameras. These data area stored as image files, .bcs files and as .csv files.

The core function of the Resource Assessment and Conservation Engineering (RACE) Division is to conduct quantitative fishery surveys and related ecological and oceanographic research to measure and describe the distribution and abundance of commercially important fish and crab stocks in the eastern Bering Sea, Aleutian Islands, and Gulf of Alaska. This includes measuring the abundance of fish (including rockfishes) in rocky untrawlable areas. To accomplish this, we are mapping untrawlable areas using an ME70 multibeam data. These data area stored as image files ArcGIS shapefiles

Assessing rockfish abundance in untrawlable habitats is a key area of study for the Alaska Fisheries Science Center. In order to accurately estimate abundance knowledge of rockfish response to the observation platform must be known. In 2013, we performed a series of experiments to examine rockfish response to a stereo drop camera. These data area stored as image files, .Rdata files, .sql3 files and as .xlsx files.

The majority of octopus bycatch occurs in Pacific cod pot fisheries and recent data collected by North Pacific Groundfish Observers indicate that immediate mortality of octopus caught in these fisheries is very small. The objectives of the proposed research were to examine the delayed mortality of E. dofleini captured in Pacific cod pot fisheries. These data are necessary to make sound management decisions for octopus based on appropriate scientific information.

Data are currently limited or lacking for several federally managed rockfish species of the genus Sebastes found within the Gulf of Alaska. This project is related to the core mission of the Alaska Fisheries Science Center as it will provide data which will refine and improve assessment models for these commercially important species. The initial data collection from this project began in 2009 and is on-going. Samples of a variety of rockfish species have been collected from several years and in several locations throughout the Gulf of Alaska.

The importance of high relief structure containing biotic habitat to rockfish and other species remains largely unknown. This data set was created to examine the importance of this habitat for Pacific ocean perch, northern rockfish, and dusky rockfish. These data were derived from four research cruises that occurred between May 2012 and December 2014. During the cruises, video data was recorded of habitat associations, plankton samples were collected, temperature profiles were recorded, and several types of biological samples were taken from trawl captured rockfish.

Assessing rockfish abundance in untrawlable habitats is a key area of study for the Alaska Fisheries Science Center. In order to accurately estimate abundance knowledge of rockfish height off bottom by species and fish length. Since 2013, we have performed a series of experiments to examine rockfish height off bottom using a triggered camera system. These data area stored as image files, .Rdata files, .sql3 files and as .xlsx files.

Little information has previously been published on the reproductive biology of the salmon shark in the Eastern North Pacific ocean. This data set incorporates basic biological and reproductive information collected from female salmon sharks collected in September 2010 to February 2012.

Atka mackerel Pleurogrammus monopterygius were captured and tagged with depth and temperature recording devices (archival tags) on 23 July 2000 in Seguam Pass, Aleutian Islands, Alaska. Nine of the 117 tagged fish were recovered in Seguam Pass during September 2000, and an additional 5 fish recovered thereafter (14 total). In addition, 413 tags were released in Tanaga Pass in 2002, with 10 recoveries. Fish were tagged externally just below the dorsal fin.