Northeast Fisheries Science Center Reference Document 11-14

AstroCalc4R: 

Software to Calculate 

Solar Zenith Angle; Time at sunrise,

Local Noon, and Sunset; and

Photosynthetically Available Radiation 

Based on Date, Time, and Location

by Larry Jacobson, Alan Seaver, and Jiashen Tang

August 2011
Northeast Fisheries Science Center Reference Document 11-14

US DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

National Marine Fisheries Service

Northeast Fisheries Science Center

Woods Hole, Massachusetts

August 2011

AstroCalc4R: 

Software to Calculate 

Solar Zenith Angle; Time at sunrise,

Local Noon, and Sunset; and

Photosynthetically Available Radiation 

Based on Date, Time, and Location

by Larry Jacobson, Alan Seaver, and Jiashen Tang

NOAA National Marine Fisheries Service

Northeast Fisheries Science Center, 166 Water St., Woods Hole, MA 02543
Northeast Fisheries Science Center Reference Documents

This series is a secondary scientific series designed to assure the long-term documentation and 

to enable the timely transmission of research results by Center and/or non-Center researchers, 

where such results bear upon the research mission of the Center (see the outside back cover for 

the mission statement). These documents receive internal scientific review, and most receive 

copy editing. The National Marine Fisheries Service does not endorse any proprietary material, 

process, or product mentioned in these documents.

All documents issued in this series since April 2001, and several documents issued prior to 

that date, have been copublished in both paper and electronic versions. To access the electronic 

version of a document in this series, go to http://www.nefsc.noaa.gov/nefsc/publications/. The 

electronic version is available in PDF format to permit printing of a paper copy directly from 

the Internet. If you do not have Internet access, or if a desired document is one of the pre-April 

2001 documents available only in the paper version, you can obtain a paper copy by contacting 

the senior Center author of the desired document. Refer to the title page of the document for 

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corporate (i.e., non-individualized) authorship, then contact the Center’s Woods Hole Laboratory Library (166 Water St., Woods Hole, MA 02543-1026).

Editorial Treatment: To distribute this report quickly, it has not undergone the normal technical and copy editing by the Northeast Fisheries Science Center’s (NEFSC’s) Editorial Office 

as have most other issues in the NOAA Technical Memorandum NMFS-NE series. Other than 

the four covers and first two preliminary pages, all writing and editing have been performed by 

the authors listed within. 

Information Quality Act Compliance: In accordance with section 515 of Public Law 106-

554, the Northeast Regional Office completed both technical and policy reviews for this report. 

These predissemination reviews are on file at the Northeast Regional Office.

This document may be cited as:

Jacobson L, Seaver A, Tang J. 2011. AstroCalc4R: software to calculate solar zenith 

angle; time at sunrise, local noon and sunset; and photosynthetically available radiation 

based on date, time and location. US Dept Commer, Northeast Fish Sci Cent Ref Doc. 

11-14; 10 p. Available from: National Marine Fisheries Service, 166 Water Street, Woods 

Hole, MA 02543-1026, or online at http://www.nefsc.noaa.gov/nefsc/publications/
iii 

TABLE OF CONTENTS 

Summary ....................................................................................................................................................... 1 

Background ................................................................................................................................................... 1 

Significance of Solar Zenith Angles and PAR in Ecological Research ........................................................ 2 

Software ........................................................................................................................................................ 3 

Acknowledgements ....................................................................................................................................... 4 

References ..................................................................................................................................................... 5 

Appendix: Instructions for Using AstroCalc4R from R ............................................................................... 8 
1 

SUMMARY 

AstroCalc4R for Windows and Linux can be used to study diel and seasonal patterns in 

biological organisms and ecosystems due to illumination. The algorithms require more time to 

understand and program than would be available to most biological researchers. In contrast to the 

algorithms, the results are understandable and links to marine and terrestrial ecosystems are 

obvious to biologists. Diel variation in solar energy affects the energy budgets of ecosystems 

(Link et al. 2006) and behavior of a wide range of organisms including zooplankton, fish, marine 

birds, reptiles and mammals; and aquatic and terrestrial organisms (e.g. Hjellvik et al. 2001). The 

solar zenith angle; time at sunrise, local noon and sunset; and photosynthetically available 

radiation (PAR) are the most important variables for biology that are calculated by AstroCalc4R. 

PAR is the amount of photosynthetically available radiation (usually wavelengths of 400-700 

nm) at the surface of the earth or ocean based on the solar zenith angle under average 

atmospheric conditions (Frouin et al. 1989; Figure 1).1,2 

The algorithms in AstroCalc4R for all variables except PAR are based on Meeus (2009) 

and Seidelmann (2006). They give the same results and are almost the same as algorithms used 

by the National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Earth System 

Research Laboratory, Global Monitoring Division. All variables, with the exception of PAR, can 

be calculated using spreadsheets distributed by NOAA (NOAA_Solar_Calculations_day.xls and 

NOAA_Solar_Calculations_year.xls). These spreadsheets are useful, available free at 

http://www.srrb.noaa.gov/highlights/sunrise/calcdetails.html but are difficult to use with large 

data sets and from other programming languages. 

AstroCalc4R consists of programs and functions written in the C and R programming 

languages.3 Most of the calculations are done in C and the C code contains complete 

documentation of algorithms. The R code consists of a single function that validates and 

organizes input data, calls the C code as a dynamic link library (Windows) or shared object 

(Linux), and then returns results to the user in the form of an R dataframe. 

The C program AstroCalc4R.c is a modified version of AstroCalc.c which was written by 

A. Seaver and used at the Northeast Fisheries Science Center (NEFSC) to analyze bottom trawl 

survey data for marine fish and invertebrates (Azarovitz 1981). The modifications allow 

AstroCalc4R.c to accept more than one input record at a time, make it easier to call from R, and 

handles cases near the poles when days or nights are 24 hours long. With the exception of these 

modifications, documentation for AstroCalc4R.C can also be used for AstroCalc.c. 

BACKGROUND 

Astronomical definitions are based on definitions in Meeus (2009) and Seidelmann 

(2006). The geocentric solar zenith angle is the angle between a line drawn “straight up” from 

 

1

 The PAR algorithm includes a correction for an error in Frouin et al. (1989) that was identified by Jay 

O’Riley (NOAA, Northeast Fisheries Science Center, Narragansett, RI). The correction is based on correspondence 

between O’Riley and Frouin. See the the parcalc function inside myfuncs1.c (Appendix 2) for additional 

information. 

2

 PAR can be calculated for other wavelengths and under terrestrial conditions by substituting values in 

Frouin et al (1989) for constant parameters in the parcalc function inside myfuncs1.c (Appendix 2).

3

 All of the software and computer programs described in this report can be downloaded gratis at 

http://fish.nefsc.noaa.gov/AstroCalc4R. 
2 

the center of the Earth through the observer and a line drawn from the center of the solar disk 

through the observer. The solar zenith angle and all of the solar variables calculated by 

AstroCalc4R depend on latitude, longitude, date and time of day. For example, the solar zenith 

angle at a single time of day varies in NEFSC bottom trawl survey tows due to changes in 

position, date and time (Figure 2). 

Local solar noon is the time of day when the sun reaches its maximum elevation and 

minimum solar zenith angle. Sunrise and sunset occur when the solar zenith angle is 90.83o (90o

50’). This angle occurs when the leading edge of the sun first appears above, or the trailing edge 

disappears below the horizon (0.83o

 accounts for the radius of the sun when seen from the earth 

and for refraction by the atmosphere). Day length is the time in hours between sunrise and 

sunset.4

 

The solar declination and azimuth angles describe the exact position of the sun in the sky, 

relative to an observer and based on an equatorial coordinate system. The equatorial coordinate 

system is formed by projecting the earth’s surface onto a very large theoretical sphere that rotates 

around an axis that is shared by the earth (the axis of the equatorial sphere passes through the 

earth’s poles). The equators of the earth and celestial sphere lie in the same plane. Solar 

declination is the angular displacement of the sun above the equatorial plane. Solar azimuth is 

the position of the sun measured in a clockwise direction from north. The equation of time 

accounts for the relative position of the observer within the time zone. 

PAR is illumination in lux (lx, approximately W m-2) and is calculated based on the solar 

zenith angle. AstroCalc4R calculates PAR as illumination at wavelengths between 400-700 nm 

in the marine environment under average marine conditions (Frouin et al. 1989). However, 

calculations for other wavelengths, terrestrial environments and under other conditions can be 

carried out by substituting parameters from Frouin et al. (1989). Following Frouin et al. (1989), 

PAR is assumed to be zero at solar zenith angles ≥ 90o although some sunlight may be visible in 

the sky when the solar zenith angle is < 108o

. Astronomical twilight occurs by definition and the 

sun contributes negligible illumination to the night time sky when the solar zenith angle is 108o). 

The results of calculations for angles in AstroCalc4R are in degrees although radians are 

used internally for most calculations. Time data and results are in decimal hours (e.g. 11:30 pm = 

23.5 h) local time but internal calculations are in Greenwich Mean Time (GMT). The user must 

specify the local time zone in terms of  hours relative to GMT to link local time and GMT. For 

example, the difference between Eastern Standard Time and GMT is -5 hours. 

SIGNIFICANCE OF SOLAR ZENITH ANGLES AND PAR IN 

ECOLOGICAL RESEARCH 

Diurnal movements are linked to daily changes in illumination by the sun. In marine 

environments, diel movements by plankton, invertebrates and vertebrates are typically off the 

bottom into the water column at night and towards the bottom during the day (Hjellvik et al. 

2001) although reverse diel patterns also occur (Ohman et al. 1983). Survey and fishery bottom 

trawl catch rates for many species are highest during daytime if the organisms are near the 

bottom during the day where bottom trawls operate. 

 

4

 Civil, nautical, and astronomical twilight occurs at solar zenith angles of 96o, 102 o, and 108 o. Details of objects 

become visible and civil twilight. At nautical twilight, only outlines are visible. At astronomical twilight, the sun 

contributes negligible illumination to the nighttime sky. 
3 

Solar zenith angles are useful in interpreting survey and fishery catch rates for species 

that have diel movement patterns. They may be particularly important if survey data are used to 

estimate biomass or abundance directly because diurnal movement patterns reduce survey catch 

rates relative to maximum catch rates during the daytime. Hjellvik et al. (2001) appears to be the 

first published study using the “altitude of the sun” (presumably the solar declination and 

possibly measured in the field) in modeling diel patterns. The software in this report builds on 

Hjellvik et al (2001) and helps scientists relate biological patterns and illumination in terms of 

variables with clear astronomical definitions, and when neither the position of the sun nor actual 

illumination was measured in the field. 

To the extent that illumination governs diel behavior, the solar zenith angle provides a 

mechanistic, biologically based predictor for understanding diurnal behavior patterns. Solar 

zenith angles are more useful than time of day as predictor variables in modeling because 

illumination at the same time of day will vary substantially with latitude and longitude (Figure 

2). Solar zenith angles provide the same information as illumination during the daytime. 

However, solar zenith angles change continuously through the night while illumination is nearly 

zero and constant. Therefore, solar zenith angles can be used to ecological phenomena at night 

that cannot be predicted based on illumination. Zenith angles are functions of and contain 

information about position, time and date so that the latter variables may be omitted in modeling. 

Generalized Additive Models (Wood 2006) and regression tree approaches (Elith et al. 

2008) may be particularly useful for modeling diel effects on survey catch rates or other 

biological phenomena because zenith angles and other environmental effects can be handled in a 

flexible nonparametric fashion. Based on L. Jacobson’s experience, underlying relationships 

between illumination, other environmental variables and survey catch data are difficult to 

represent parametrically (e.g. using polynomials). Moreover, the use of solar zenith data provides 

opportunities to simplify complex models that might otherwise have to include date, time of day, 

latitude and longitude. 

Consider a GAM model with a dummy variable p for positive tows (i.e. p = 1 if the catch 

> 0, otherwise p = 0) and Z for the solar zenith angle. In the R programming language and using 

the mgcv library for R (Wood 2006), the model: 

gam(p ~ s(Z), family=binomial) 

will predict the probability of a positive tow at a particular date, time of day and location, based 

only on the solar zenith angle. If the observed proportion of positive tows changes through the 

night, then the fitted spline should reflect the pattern. If the observed proportion of positive tows 

is constant through the night, then the spline will approximate a constant for nighttime hours. 

Moreover, the spline and the solar zenith angle will capture the transition between day and 

nighttime patterns whether they occur before or after astronomical twilight when illumination 

from the sun is zero. Of course, seasonal, regional, depth, and temperature effects on catch rates 

and interactions can be added if desired or necessary (NEFSC 2011). 

SOFTWARE 

AstroCalc4R was developed and tested using the R statistical programming language 

(version 2.12.1). Earlier versions of R may not work properly. R is available at no cost for 

Windows, Linux and other operating systems (http://www.nefsc.noaa.gov/AstroCalc4R). The 

MinGW compiler (available free at http://www.mingw.org/) was used to compile AstroCalc4R.c 

under Windows. The g++ compiler (distributed with Linux, http://linux.die.net/man/1/g++) was 
4 

used to compile AstroCalc4R under Linux. The MinGW compiler for Windows is included in 

the RTOOLS package for R (http://www.murdoch-sutherland.com/Rtools) and RTOOLS is also 

available for Linux. 

AstroCalc4R.c is the principle C source code, contains complete internal documentation 

for the main algorithms and can be downloaded for free at http://www.nefsc.noaa.gov/AstroCalc4R. 

It can be compiled to make the dynamic link library AstroCalc4R.dll in Windows or the shared 

object AstroCalc4R.so in Linux although the dynamic link library and shared object are also 

available on the website. The C functions in myfuncs1.c are used in AstroCalc4R.c and must be 

in the same directory when it is compiled. The C function parcalc in myfuncs1.cpp computes 

PAR based on the solar zenith angle and is of particular interest. Appendix 1 shows how to use 

the C function AstroCalc4R from R. Programmers can modify our C code for use in other 

applications. 

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS 

Jay O’Riley (NOAA, Northeast Fisheries Science Center, Narragansett, RI) provided 

initial code based on a slightly different algorithm for the solar zenith angle and initial code for 

PAR, in addition to helpful suggestions. Scientists at the U.S. National Institute of Science and 

Technology (NIST) and the U.S. Naval Observatory provided information, references and 

technical advice. Paul Rago (NOAA, Northeast Fisheries Science Center, Woods Hole, 

Massachusetts) initiated solar zenith angle and PAR calculations for Northeast Fisheries Science 

Center bottom trawl survey data in collaboration with O’Riley and others in the course of the 

“The Northeast U.S. Continental Shelf Energy Modeling and Analysis exercise (EMAX)” 

described in Link et al. (2008). Lisa Hendrickson (NOAA, Northeast Fisheries Science Center, 

Woods Hole, MA) supplied useful advice regarding NEFSC bottom trawl surveys. 
5 

REFERENCES 

Azarovitz, T.R. 1981. A brief historical review of the Woods Hole Laboratory trawl survey time 

series. In: Doubleday, W.G. and Rivard, D. (eds.). Bottom trawl surveys. Can. Spec. Publ. Fish. 

Aquat. Sci. 58: 62-67. 

Elith, J., Leathwick, J.R., and Hastie, T. 2008. A working guide to boosted regression trees. J. 

Animal Ecol. 77: 802-813. 

Frouin, R., Lingner, D., Gautier, C., Baker, K. and Smith, R. 1989. A simple analytical formula 

to compute total and photosynthetically available solar irradiance at the ocean surface under 

clear skies. J. Geophys. Res. 94: 9731-9742. 

Hjellvik, V., Godo, O., Thjostheim, D. 2001. Modeling diurnal variation of marine populations. 

Biometrics 57: 189-196. 

Link, J., Overholtz, W., O’Reilly, J., Green, J., Dow, D., Palka, D., Legault, C., Vitaliano, J., 

Guida, V., and Fogarty, M., Brodziak, J., Methratta, L., Stockhausen, W., Col, L., and Griswold, 

C. 2008. The northeast U.S. continental shelf energy modeling and analysis exercise (EMAX): 

Ecological network model development and basic ecosystem metrics. J. Mar. Sys. 74: 453-474. 

Meeus, J. 2009. Astronomical Algorithms, 2nd Edition. Willmann-Bell, Inc., Richmond, VA. 

NEFSC (Northeast Fisheries Science Center). 2011 (in press). 51st Northeast Regional Stock 

Assessment Workshop (51st SAW) Assessment Report. NEFSC Reference Document. 11-00. 

National Marine Fisheries Service, 166 Water Street, Woods Hole, MA 02543-1026. 

Ohman, M.D., Frost, B.W., and Cohen, E.B. 1983. Reverse diel vertical migration: an escape 

from invertebrate predators. Science 222: 1404-1407. 

Seidelmann, P.K. 2006. Explanatory Supplement to the Astronomical Almanac. University 

Science Books, Sausalito, CA. 

Wood, S.N. 2006. Generalized additive models. An introduction with R. Chapman and 

Hall/CRC, NY. 

 
6 

Figure 1. Photosynthetically available radiation (PAR) and solar zenith angles at 40o N Lat. and 72o

W Long. on March 15, 2010 during the spring NEFSC bottom trawl survey. PAR is illuminance at 

wavelengths of 400-700 nm at the surface of the ocean under average marine atmospheric 

conditions and computed from the solar zenith angle as described by Frouin et al. (1989). 

 
7 

Figure 2. Relationships between solar zenith angles, predicted photosynthetically available 

radiation (PAR), and time of day for NEFSC spring and fall bottom trawl survey tows. There is 

more variability in the data for fall (right side) because fall survey data included tows in the 

northern Georges Bank and Gulf of Maine areas. 

0 5 10 15 20

0 50 100 150

Spring

Zenith angle (degrees)

0 5 10 15 20

0 50 100 150

Fall

0 5 10 15 20

0 100 200 300 400

Time (EST)

PAR (lx)

0 5 10 15 20

0 100 200 300 400

Time (EST)
8 

APPENDIX: INSTRUCTIONS FOR USING ASTROCALC4R 

FROM R 

1. Find or compile the appropriate library (AstroCalc4R.dll in Windows or AstroCalc4R.so 

in Linux). All source code, complied code and R code are available for free at 

http://fish.nefsc.noaa.gov/AstroCalc4R. The steps depend on your compiler. However, if 

R and the Rtools software (free at www.murdoch-sutherland.com/Rtools/) are installed on 

your Windows or Linux system, then you probably have all of the software required to 

compile and link the AstroCalc4R.c program code. 

a. To make a new library, open a command window, and then navigate to the 

directory containing AstroCalc4R.c and myfuncs1.c . Use the Rtools command: R 

CMD SHLIB AstroCalc4R.c to make the library. 

2. The easiest way to use our software from a library file is probably from the R 

programming language (version 2.12.1 or later) using our R function (also called 

AstroCalc4R). The dynamic link library or shared object can be called from other 

software, such as spreadsheets, but the procedures for doing so are not covered here. 

3. The first step is to either paste the AstroCalc4R.r script into the R command window or 

read the script from a file using the R source function. 

4. The arguments passed to AstroCalc4Rs in R may be a single numbers or vectors. 

However all of the arguments must be the same length. The R function AstroCalc4R will 

check the input data extensively to be sure it is valid and internally consistent, and stop 

with a warning message if problems are found. 

5. After calculations are completed by the C library, the AstroCalc4R function in R will 

check to see if any results are for locations near the poles during the polar day (day length 

= 24 hours, times at sunrise and sunset undefined) or polar night (day length = 0 hours, 

sunrise and sunset undefined). If calculations for polar night or day are found, the R 

function gives a warning message and makes sure that results are correct. This is done in 

the R function because the C library does not completely handle these exceptions. The 

AstroCalc4R function in R returns a dataframe (if the number of observations > 1) or a 

vector (if the number of observations =1). The dataframe will include the input data and 

results or the results only (depending on the argument withinput, see below). 

6. The input data supplied to the AstroCalc4R function in R are: 

a. day, month and year: Day, month and year in the local time zone (integers). 

b. hour: Local time for each observation (decimal hours, e.g. 11:30 PM is 23.5, real 

numbers). All of these input data must be supplied. 

c. timezone: The difference in hours between local time and Greenwich Mean Time 

(integers). For example, use -5 for local time EST. All of these input data must be 

supplied. 

d. lat: Latitude for each observation in decimal degrees (0o

 to 90 o in the northern 

hemisphere and -90 o to 0 o degrees in the southern hemisphere, real numbers). For 

example, 42o

 30’ N is 42.5 o and 42o 30’ S is -42.5o. All of these input data must 

be supplied. 

e. lon: Longitude for each observation (-0 o to 180 o in the western hemisphere and 

0o

 to 180 o degrees in the eastern hemisphere, real numbers). For example, 110o

15’ W is -110.25 o and 110o

 15’ E is 110.25 o. All of these input data must be 

supplied. 
9 

f. withinput: T or TRUE if you want the output dataframe to include the input data 

and F or FALSE otherwise (logical or integer 0=FALSE, 1=TRUE). The default 

value is FALSE if the argument is missing. 

g. path: The location of the AstroCalc4R.dll or AstroCalc4R.so library file on your 

computer (quoted string using single or double quotes). For example, if you keep 

the library in \Codes\Diel in Windows, use path=”\\Codes\\Diel” or 

path=”/Codes/Diel” (R in Windows does not accept the single “ \” character 

between directory names). In Linux use path=”/Codes/Diel”. Note that slashes are 

not required on the end of the path variable. If you do not specify the path, then it 

will default to the current R working directory. You may set the working directory 

prior to calling AstroCalc4R using the R function setwd. Use getwd to determine 

what the current working directory is. 

7. The output from AstroCalc4R (all real numbers) consists of the following variables. All 

time values are in decimal hours, local time. 

a. noon: Time at local noon. 

b. sunrise: Time at sunrise (in the morning when the solar zenith is 90.83o

) . 

c. sunset: Time at sunset (in the evening when the solar zenith is 90.83o). 

d. azimuth: Solar azimuth angle (decimal degrees). 

e. zenith: Solar zenith angle (decimal degrees). 

f. eqtime: Equation of time (decimal minutes). 

g. declin: Solar declination angle (decimal degrees).daylength: Time in hours 

between sunrise and sunset. 

8. The .C function in R can be used access the dynamic link library or shared object directly 

but AstroCalc4R.r is the easiest apprach. See AstroCalc4R.r code for .C function 

examples. 

9. Short examples calculations with the R AstroCalc4R function are given on the next page. 
10

#Work from the directory with the AstroCalc4R software to avoid 

# specifying the location of the software in the argument called path. 

> setwd("C:\\New_Papers\\DielRefDoc-1\\AstroCalc4R_C_code\\Version1_0") 

 

#Example with one input and output record. The result is a vector. 

> AstroCalc4R(day=12,month=9,year=2000,hour=12, 

+ timezone=-5,lat=49.9,lon=-110,withinput=T) 

 tzone day month year hhour xlat xlon noon sunrise sunset azimuth zenith 

1 -5 12 9 2000 12 49.9 -110 14.26824 7.874134 20.66235 136.5367 54.24775 

 eqtime declin daylight PAR 

1 3.905575 3.871410 12.78821 261.2365 

 

#Example with > 1 input and output record. The output is a data frame. 

> AstroCalc4R(day=c(1,2,3,12),month=c(1,12,2,9), 

+ year=c(1900,1950,2000,2050),hour=c(0,7,12,23), 

+ timezone=c(-7,-9,9,12),lat=c(3,60,-49.9,0), 

+ lon=c(-105,-120,0,100),withinput=F) 

 noon sunrise sunset azimuth zenith eqtime declin daylight 

1 12.059396 6.084082 18.034709 182.3910 159.94132 -3.563757 -23.040114 11.950627 

2 12.822631 9.606956 16.038306 103.5928 107.57462 10.642146 -21.932818 6.431349 

3 5.230462 -2.243980 12.704904 250.6278 84.58528 -13.827698 -16.552014 14.948884 

4 -1.733546 -7.789217 4.322125 288.7017 11.60033 4.012744 3.696747 12.111342 

 PAR 

1 0.00000 

2 0.00000 

3 16.78328 

4 470.70795 

>
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Science Center (NEFSC) supports the NMFS mission by “conducting ecosystem-based research and assessments of living marine resources, with a focus on the Northeast Shelf, to promote the recovery and long-term 

sustainability of these resources and to generate social and economic opportunities and benefits from their use.” 

Results of NEFSC research are largely reported in primary scientific media (e.g., anonymously-peer-reviewed 

scientific journals). However, to assist itself in providing data, information, and advice to its constituents, the 

NEFSC occasionally releases its results in its own media. Currently, there are three such media:

NOAA Technical Memorandum NMFS-NE -- This series is issued irregularly. The series typically includes: data reports of 

long-term field or lab studies of important species or habitats; synthesis reports for important species or habitats; annual reports 

of overall assessment or monitoring programs; manuals describing program-wide surveying or experimental techniques; literature 

surveys of important species or habitat topics; proceedings and collected papers of scientific meetings; and indexed and/or annotated 

bibliographies. All issues receive internal scientific review and most issues receive technical and copy editing.

Northeast Fisheries Science Center Reference Document -- This series is issued irregularly. The series typically includes: data 

reports on field and lab studies; progress reports on experiments, monitoring, and assessments; background papers for, collected 

abstracts of, and/or summary reports of scientific meetings; and simple bibliographies. Issues receive internal scientific review and 

most issues receive copy editing.

Resource Survey Report (formerly Fishermen’s Report) -- This information report is a regularly-issued, quick-turnaround report on 

the distribution and relative abundance of selected living marine resources as derived from each of the NEFSC’s periodic research vessel surveys of the Northeast’s continental shelf. This report undergoes internal review, but receives no technical or copy editing.

TO OBTAIN A COPY of a NOAA Technical Memorandum NMFS-NE or a Northeast Fisheries Science Center Reference Document, 

either contact the NEFSC Editorial Office (166 Water St., Woods Hole, MA 02543-1026; 508-495-2350) or consult the NEFSC webpage 

on “Reports and Publications” (http://www.nefsc.noaa.gov/nefsc/publications/). To access Resource Survey Report, consult the Ecosystem 

Surveys Branch webpage (http://www.nefsc.noaa.gov/femad/ecosurvey/mainpage/).

ANY USE OF TRADE OR BRAND NAMES IN ANY NEFSC PUBLICATION OR REPORT DOES NOT IMPLY ENDORSEMENT.

MEDIA

 MAIL