NOAA Technical Memorandum NMFS-AFSC-6

U.S. DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

National Marine Fisheries Service

Alaska Fisheries Science Center

February 1993

by

Robert J. Wolotira, Jr., Terrance M. Sample,

Sandra F. Noel, and Constance R. lten

Geographic and Bathymetric

Distributions for Many Commercially

Important Fishes and Shellfishes Off

the West Coast of North America,

Based on Research Survey and

Commercial Catch Data, 1912-84
NOAA Technical Memorandum NMFS

The National Marine Fisheries Service’s Alaska Fisheries Science Center uses

the NOAA Technical Memorandum series to issue informal scientific and

technical publications when complete formal review and editorial processing are

not appropriate or feasible. Documents within this series reflect sound

professional work and may be referenced in the formal scientific and technical

literature.

The NMFS-AFSC Technical Memorandum series of the Alaska Fisheries Science

Center continues the NMFS-F/NWC series established in 1970 by the Northwest

Fisheries Center. The new NMFS-NWFSC series will be used by the Northwest

Fisheries Science Center.

This document should be cited as follows:

Wolotira, R. J., Jr., T. M. Sample, S. F. Noel, and C. R. Iten. 1993.

Geographic and bathymetric distributions for many commercially important

fishes and shellfishes off the West Coast of North America, based on

research survey and commercial catch data, 1912-84. U.S. Dep.

Commer., NOAA Tech. Memo. NMFS-AFSC-6, 184p.

Reference in this document to trade names does not imply endorsement by the

National Marine Fisheries Service, NOAA.
NOAA Technical Memorandum NMFS-AFSC-6

Geographic and Bathymetric Distributions

for Many Commercially Important Fishes

and Shellfishes Off the West Coast of

 North America, Based on Research Survey

and Commercial Catch Data, 1912-84

by

Robert J. Wolotira, Jr.1, Terrance M. Sample,

Sandra F. Noel, and Constance R. lten

Resource Assessment and Conservation Engineering Division

Alaska Fisheries Science Center

7600 Sand Point Way N.E., BIN C-15700

Seattle, WA. 98115-0070

1Strategic Environmental Assessments Division

Office of Resource Conservation and Assessment

National Ocean Service

6001 Executive Blvd.

Rockville, MD. 20852

U.S. DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

Barbara Hackman Franklin, Secretary

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

John A. Knauss, Administrator

National Marine Fisheries Service

William W. Fox, Jr., Assistant Administrator for Fisheries

February 1993
Notice to Users of this Document 

This document is being made available in .PDF format for the convenience of users; however, the 

accuracy and correctness of the document can only be certified as was presented in the original hard 

copy format. 

ii

CONTENTS

Introduction .......................................................................................................................... 1

Methods Followed to Develop Maps ...................................................................................... 3

Description of the Data .................................................................................................. 3

Consolidation of Catch Data for Mapping ........................................................................ 5

Development of Distribution Maps ................................................................................. 6

Methods Used to Evaluate Maps ............................................................................................. 13

Results of Evaluating the Maps .............................................................................................. 15

Conclusions ......................................................................................................................... 19

Species Maps and Depth Distribution Tables

Pacific cod .................................................................................................................... 21

Pacific whiting ............................................................................................................... 25

Walleye pollock ............................................................................................................. 29

Sablefish ...................................................................................................................... 33

Lingcod ....................................................................................................................... 37

Atka mackerel ............................................................................................................... 41

Pacific ocean perch ....................................................................................................... 45

Widow rockfish ................................................................................................................ 49

Bocaccio ....................................................................................................................... 53

Arrowtooth flounder .......................................................... . 57

Petrale sole .................... .............................................................................................. 61

Rex sole ....................................................................................................................... 65

Flathead sole ................................................................... . ....................................... . .... 69

Pacific halibut ............................................................................................................... 73

Rock sole ...................................................................................................................... 77

Yellowfin sole ............................................................................................................... 81

Dover sole ..................................................................................................................... 85

English sole ................................................................................................................. 89

Starry flounder .............................................................................................................. 93

Alaska plaice ................................................................................................................. 97

Greenland turbot ......................................................................................................... 101

Spiny dogfish ............................................................................................................... 105

Tanner crab (Chionoecetes bairdi) ........... . .................................................................... 109

Tanner crab (C. opilio) ................................................................................................... 113

Red king crab ............................................................................................................... 117

Blue king crab ............................................................................................................... 121

Golden or brown king crab ............. . .............................................................................. .125

Dungeness crab ........................................................................................................... 129

Northern pink shrimp ..................................................................................................... 133

Coonstripe shrimp ....................................................................................................... .137

Ocean pink shrimp ............................. . ......................................................................... .141

Spot shrimp ................................................ . .145

Sidestripe shrimp .......................................................................................................... 149

Weathervane scallop ................................................ . .................................................... 153
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CONTENTS (Continued)

Maps of Commercial Harvests for Other Species

Pacific herring ............................................................................................................... 156

Pink salmon .................................................................................................................. 157

Chum salmon ............................................................................................................... 158

Coho salmon ............................................................................................................... .159

Sockeye salmon ........................................ ................................................................... 160

Chinook salmon ............................................................................................................ 161

Acknowledgments . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 163

References . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 165

Appendix A: Methodology for combining catch information from various

trawl types for mapping relative abundance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 171

Appendix B: Listings of data sets . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 173
1

INTRODUCTION

From 1984 to 1989, elements of the National Marine Fisheries Service’s (NMFS) Alaska

Fisheries Science Center (AFSC) collaborated with the National Ocean Survey’s Strategic

Environmental Assessment (SEA) Division in developing a data atlas for marine resources off the west

coast of North America. The document, the West Coast of North America Coastal and Ocean Zones

Strategic Assessment: Data Atlas (NOAA, 1990), summarizes important information on marine

resources of the region, including descriptions of their utilization and their association with other

human activities. A major component of the atlas is the synthesis of scientific information on over 100

species of marine mammals, birds, fishes, and invertebrates. The synthesis includes life history

descriptions and extensive distribution maps for all species, along with details about recent

commerical and recreational harvests for fish and invertebrates. Information was incorporated into a

digitized data base that, through computer graphics, portrays spatial distribution of resources and

harvest areas.

The large volume of collected information presented a problem in the development of the living

marine resources portion of the data atlas. While the atlas is a thorough condensation of salient

features for various resources, its format restricts the quantity of information presented for each

species, and the cartographic rendition limits mapping detail. Important information on geographic

distribution and human utilization, acquired through computer mapping of various data, simply could

not be incorporated. Consequently, atlas project participants from the AFSC’s Resource Assessment

and Conservation Engineering (RACE) Division chose to present certain information for fish and

invertebrates separately in this report. The report also documents computer procedures used to

generate the maps and tables, describes information sets used to develop them, and evaluates their

“representativeness” for depicting species distributions.

The following maps and tables that provide distribution information on 34 species of commercially

important demersal fish and invertebrates found along the west coast of North America. They include

such information as distributional range within the study region, relative abundance, presence by

depth and region, frequency of occurrence by body size and depth, and locations of relatively recent

(1981-83) commercial harvests. In addition to this information on demersal species, commercial

harvest maps are also presented for six pelagic or anadromous fishes.
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3

METHODS FOLLOWED TO DEVELOP MAPS

Information in this report represents a consolidation of fishery research data and commercial

harvest statistics from several sources within and outside the AFSC. The purpose of this data

consolidation was to utilize as much information as possible for describing temporal and spatial

distributions of commercially important species.

All computer mapping was conducted at the AFSC Sand Point facility located in Seattle,

Washington, using RACE Division mapping software (Mintel and Oda 1983) as well as additional

material specifically developed for producing computer maps for the West Coast of North America . . .

Data Atlas. One such addition was the incorporation of an adequate base map. A Lambert Conformal

Conic projection was selected because of its relatively undistorted presentation of the large area

addressed in the atlas. Incorporation of this projection into mapping subroutines on the AFSC

Burroughs 7800 computer system and CALCOMP plotter was achieved using algorithms acquired

from the SEA Division in Rockville, Maryland,

Description of the Data

The region encompassed by the West Coast of North America...Data Atlas includes coastal and

open ocean areas from arctic Alaska to northern Mexico. The focus is the Exclusive Economic Zones

or synonomous areas for the United States, Canada, and Mexico. Data used for portraying species

distributions in this region are largely from trawl surveys, although a minor amount of trap, pot, and

long-line information is also utilized (Table 1). The following is a description of data sets used for

mapping distributions.

AFSC RACE Division Surveys

This data set is the cornerstone of distribution analyses performed for most species in the

data atlas. RACE Division’s resource assessment data is one of the most extensive sets of fishery

research information in the world and includes decades of fishery data from throughout the

northeast Pacific Ocean. The data base (RACEBASE) contains catch information (number and

weight per species per sample or sampling location) and various biological data (e.g., size

composition, length-weight-age, maturity) for hundreds of surveys performed off Alaska and the

U.S. West Coast from 1953 through the present. Information from 1953 to 1984 was used.

Puke Bay Biological Laboratory Groundfish Surveys

The AFSC's Auke Bay Laboratory conducts periodic, coastal, bottom trawl surveys in

northern Southeast Alaska. This data set contains unquantified catch information and sampling

locations for nearly 60 surveys conducted from 1969 to 1982.
Table 1.-- Information on research data sets used for mapping distributions of fish and invertebrates off the west coast of North America.

(1) Samples are trawl hauls, pot lifts, longline sets, etc.

(2) Shrimp trap data were used only for mapping spot and coonstripe shrimps, and scallop dredge data only for weathervane scallops.
5

Canada Department of Fisheries and Oceans (CDFO) Fishery Resource Assessment

This data set contains quantified trawl catch information for over 60 Canadian trawl surveys

conducted in British Columbia waters and the western Gulf of Alaska. These data were obtained

from numerous Canadian publications and represent a subset of Canadian resource assessment

data for 1963-79. It does not include information from joint U.S.-Canada surveys already

contained in RACEBASE.

Alaska Department of Fish and Game Trawl Surveys

This data set contains quantified trawl catch information from crab assessment surveys

conducted in the western Gulf of Alaska during 1982 and 1983.

Historic AFSC-archived Exploratory Fishing and Gear Research (EF&GR) Surveys 

This data set contains quantified trawl, crab pot, shrimp pot, and longline data gathered by

the Bureau of Commerical Fisheries EF&GR Bases in Juneau, Alaska and Seattle, Washington.

during surveys conducted in Alaskan and U.S. West Coast waters from 1950 to 1970. This data

set represents early survey information in addition to that already contained in RACEBASE.

Southern California Coastal Water Research Project (SCCWRP) Trawl Surveys

This data set contains enumerated trawl catch information (numbers caught per

station or trawl haul) gathered by the SCCWRP in Southem California Bight from 1912 to 1977.

NMFS and State/Federal Cooperative Scallop Surveys

This data set contains quantified scallop dredge data gathered during assessments of

scallop stocks conducted in the Gulf of Alaska during 1968-69, and off Oregon in 1980.

In addition to research surveys, commercial harvests were also mapped to enhance descriptions

of species distribution. Information on species harvest by statistical subarea during the period 1981-

83 was obtained from several publications (e.g., Brown et al. 1984, Canada Department of Fisheries

and Oceans 1985, and International Pacific Halibut Commission 1986, and others) and from catch

summaries from the Alaska Department of Fish and Game, Washington Department of Fisheries,

Oregon Department of Fisheries and Wildlife, the Pacific Fisheries Information Network (PacFIN), and

the NMFS Foreign Fishery Observer Program.

Consolidation of Catch Data for Mapping

Survey information was converted into data records compatible with RACEBASE. For example,

survey data were coded according to two file types: “haul-position” files containing location

information for each sample, and “catch” files containing catch data (number and weight caught) for

each species in the sample or catch, with a cross-referencing survey/haul identifier. Specific

information in haul-position records included a survey number, haul or sample number, date/time
6

identifier, latitude and longitude coordinates, water depth, and gear type. Catch records usually

included a survey/haul/sample number, species code, and weight and number caught. Some survey

catch data were-not quantified since the original data listed catches as “few” or “many,” and required

special treatment for compatability with subroutines used to analyze the information. This special

treatment did not affect data integrity, as this information was only incorporated into analyses for

presence/absence, and not for relative abundance. After all non-RACE survey data were converted

to RACEBASE format, these data were combined with the RACE information in all-inclusive files.

Commercial catch data were handled somewhat differently. Maps of statistical subareas were

obtained from each agency providing commercial catch information. The perimeter for each harvest

subarea was then sketched onto a nautical chart overlaid with grid lines drawn at every 10 minutes of

latitude and 20 minutes longitude. All cells within a statistical subarea were assigned to that subarea;

large subareas were often associated with several cells, whereas several small subareas were

sometimes found within the same cell. Yearly subarea catches were apportioned equally into cells

associated with that subarea.

Commercial catch information from foreign fleets was acquired from the NMFS Foreign Fishery

Observer Program. This program records catches by areas of 30 minutes of latitude by 60 minutes of

longitude. Consequently, commercial catch maps that contained both foreign and domestic data

used the smallest common area, 30 minutes latitude by 60 minutes longitude, for presentation of the

data. 

Development of Distribution Maps

Information from over 33,500 hauls or samples was derived from consolidating the various data

sets. Distribution maps and figures were developed for

--overall range,

--range by stage of life stage (juveniles and adults),

--current relative abundance,

-distribution and relative abundance based on commercial harvests, and

--depth distribution by geographic region.

Geographic range maps and depth distribution profiles were generated through a simple

“presence/absence” analysis of the combined data. Relative abundance or resource density was

depicted using more detailed examinations of specific data subsets. The following describes how

each distribution map/table was assembled.

Overall Range

The combined set of research survey data was reorganized to examine the occurrence of a

species by geographic location. This was performed using the general utility program, DMS III, which
Figure 2.--The distribution of sampling effort in all 10 minute latitude by 20 minute longitude cells containing samples used in mapping

species range.
selects a subset of records that correspond, to another subset. (A description of this program is found

in Mintel and Smith 1981). Two files were created for each species:, a sample with catch or “presence”

file, and a sample without catch, or “absence” file.

Mapping species presence required further refinement since numerous samples were often

taken at or near the same location (Fig. 1). The utility mapping program, UNDERPLOT, was employed’

to eliminate confusing over-plotting. This program combines all information from a defined area into a

single data point (e.g., the sum, the mean value, or the initial value). The presence-absence fileswere

combined into cells of 10 minutes of latitude by 20 minutes of longitude (Fig. 2). All “presence”

records were assigned a value of “1, ” and “absence” records were assigned zero. For maps shown in

this report, values for all records in a cell were summed and those cells with values greater than zero

were assigned a symbol and plotted on the range maps. It should be noted that other procedures

also were used, such as dividing the sum of occurrences in a cell by the cell’s total samples to identify

the frequency of occurrence for a cell. In this case the frequency of species occurrence was indicated

by symbol size. The frequency of occurrence data are not shown in this report because of the

reduced size of the printed maps; symbols were too condensed and confusing.

Range by Life Stage

Maps of the distribution of juveniles and adults were developed only for certain fish species.

These maps were developed in a manner similar to that used for the overall range maps. However,

rather than using the master catch file, geographic occurrence by life stage was developed from the

RACEBASE biological data file (Table 2). A similar, although much smaller, set of size composition

data from SCCWRP surveys was also used. Once a size group was identified for a species, the

biological data files were searched for data records in that size group. The selected records within

each grid cell were condensed into a single data point using UNDERPLOT.

Size categories included in the two mapped life stages were based on size at maturity information

in the literature. Since size at maturity varies by sex and occurs over a range of sizes, data for

intermediate size intervals containing both adults and juveniles were eliminated. Consequently, the

range maps focus on fully “adult” and “juvenile” distributions.

Relative Abundance

A subset of RACEBASE was used to develop maps of approximate population density. Only data

from trawl surveys for 1980 through 1984 were used, as they were the most recent 5-year time series

available during initial preparation of the atlas. Relative abundance was expressed in a standarized

weight caught per unit area fished (kilograms per hectare). The area fished was based on the average

measured width of a trawl and the distance fished during a trawl haul. Catch from the trawl haul was

then divided by the total area fished.

Before weight caught per area data could be mapped, catch rates for each type of trawl were

adjusted to a standard. A net’s relative fishing power for a species, or species group, was determined
Table 2 .--Summary of length information used from data bases.

(1) Values for West Coast include measurements taken during Southern California Coastal Water Research Project surveys;

all other measurements are from RACEBASE.

(2) Includes measurements that were extrapolated from smaller samples; actual measurements likely less than one million.
10

through documented gear comparison studies (Craig Rose, AFSC, pers.commun., August 1988)

and by relating the effective fishing area of the net (i.e., the measured width and height of the trawl

while fishing) to that of a selected standard trawl type. This simple approach was not designed to

identify the precise magnitude of the resource, but rather to relate catches from an array of different

nets to identify areas of relatively high or low density. The method of standardization and fishing

power values are presented in Appendix A.

Once the data were standardized, they were averaged for each grid cell. Several levels of

density were defined, based on the range of relative abundance values for a species; lightest shading

was used for lowest density, darkest shading for the highest.

Distribution and Relative Abundance Based on Commercial Harvests

Relative abundance was also portrayed by mapping the locations of commercial harvests. This

was performed in a manner similar to that described in the previous section, but with commercial catch

data instead of research survey information. Catches of-a species were summed for all fishing gears

and years in each map cell.

Depth Distribution by Geographic Region

Mapping information by area grid cells does not always provide a clear image of species

distribution. The occurrence of a species is often depth dependent, and much of the atlas region

contains steep seabed profiles. Consequently, a “frequency of occurrence by depth interval” table

was developed for each species. Frequencies of occurrence (ratios of the number of samples

containing a species to the total number of samples) were determined for nine depth intervals in six

major geographic areas: Bering Sea, Aleutian Islands, Gulf of Alaska, Southeast Alaska, British

Columbia, and the U.S. West Coast (fig. 3).
Figure 3.--Geographic location of the six regions used in describing species depth distribution by region. The ".

"s indicate all 10 minute

latitude by 20 minute longitude ceils where data are present.
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13

METHODS USED TO EVALUATE MAPS

These maps and tables are depictions of species distributions based on the assembled data,

and they are only as good as the information used to create them. The adequacy of these-data for

addressing species distribution depends on several factors, such as the economic value of the

species, its abundance, distribution by life stage, substrate preference, and its depth distribution.

Each of these factors influences data availability or representativeness as follows.

Economic Value

Most information in the data-sets was obtained during research surveys that focused on.

demersal species of high economic interest. These surveys were designed to locate targeted

species and identify their distributions, abundances, and biological characteristics. Examples of

species with high economic values and resulting high data volumes are walleye pollock (Theragra

chalcogramma), Pacific cod (Gadus macrocephalus), Pacific halibut (Hippoglossus stenolepis) and

red king crab (Paralithodes camtschaticus). Another aspect of economic value is the availability of

harvest statistics. Even if a species is not targeted by research surveys, substantial information about

distribution may be available through catch statistics. These harvest data often reflect distribution and

abundance through where, when and how much is taken. Pacific herring. (Clupea pallasi) and salmon

(Oncorhynchus spp.) are examples of species that infrequently occur in our survey data, but a wealth

of information about their distributions can be obtained from commercial catch statistics.

Abundance

Substantial information is sometimes acquired for species that are not economically important,

but are highly abundant and have distributions which match those of targeted species. Arrowtooth

flounder (Atheresthes stomias) is a demersal fish of low economic value. However, it is abundant,

widely distributed, and frequently encountered during surveys for desirable species such as several

other flatfishes, Pacific cod, sablefish (Anoplopoma fimbria), and walleye pollock.

Distribution by Life Stage

Some species are accessible to demersal sampling gear throughout most of their juvenile and

adult lives. Others are accessible only at certain times, and the extent of their availability affects the

magnitude of data gathered on them. An example is Atka mackerel (Pleurogrammus monopterygius).

It is usually found on or near the bottom as adults, but juveniles inhabit epipelagic, oceanic waters.

Other pelagic species, such as Pacific herring and salmon, are available to the sampling gear of our

data sets in very limited amounts at any life stage.

Substrate preference

Most sampling gears used in research surveys (except for traps or longlines) are designed for

use on relative smooth bottoms. Consequently, organisms that occur mostly in rocky or steep

habitats are not likely to be extensively surveyed, and they are infrequently present in our combined
14

data sets. Golden (or brown) king crab (Lithodes aequispina) is a species that prefers a steep slope

habitat rarely sampled during surveys. Also, rockfishes often occur over rocky, difficult-to-sample

substrates.

Depth distribution

Some species occur at depths shallower or deeper than most waters surveyed. Hence, their

incidence in survey catches may be low even if they are abundant. Examples of this distribution

pattern include Dungeness crab (Cancer magister) and starry flounder (Platichthys stellatus) in

shallow water, and sablefish and Dover sole (Microstomus pacificus) in deep water.

We examined the accuracy and completeness of the developed maps and depth occurrence

information by assessing how much data likely was available on each species and then rating each

map and depth distribution table. An assessment of data content by species was accomplished by

relating to each species the above listed factors that influence data availability. This was done by

subjectively assigning high, moderate, or low values of data availability to each factor for every

species. These values were represented numerically (3 = high, 2 = moderate, 1 = low) and an overall

rating of data adequacy was derived by summing the factor scores. One factor, distribution by life

stage, was evaluated separately for adults and for juveniles; consequently, the highest data adequacy

score for a species was 18 (i.e., 3 x 6 factors). A score of 18 meant that our assembled data bases

likely had sufficient quantity and quality of information to adequately depict the distribution of that

species. Scores of 14 to 17 meant that slightly fewer data were available for our geographic and

depth analyses, but information content was still adequate to depict distributions of species

associated with those scores. Finally, scores of 11 to 13 meant that only marginally adequate data

were probably available for our distribution analyses of species associated with those scores. No

scores below 11 were identified.

After data content was assessed for each species, a rating was assigned to every map and

depth distribution table: 3 to those judged very good for portraying geographic or depth distributions,

2 to those judged good, and 1 for those judged as marginal or poor.
15

RESULTS OF EVALUATING THE MAPS

Results of the evaluations suggest that our maps and tabular information are adequate for

describing the distribution of species that are economically important, highly abundant, and readily

available to the survey sampling gear (Table 3). Nine species fell into this category: Pacific whiting

(Merluccius productus), cod, and halibut; walleye pollock; yellowfin sole (Pleuronectes asper);

Chinoecetes bairdi and C. opilio Tanner crabs; and red and blue (Paralithodes platypus) king crabs.

Except for juveniles-of some of those species, nearly all maps and tables represented thorough

descriptions of distribution (Table 4). The few occurrences of C. opilio Tanner crab and blue king

crab off Kodiak Island, and the latter species also in the Aleutian Islands region, are likely

misidentifications or errors in recording species codes or sampling location. Occasional incorrect

locations could occur throughout the data base; however, these errors are specifically mentioned

because of the obvious gaps between a few isolated occurrences of blue king crab and all other

occurrences of that species.

Information for 19 species was judged slightly less substantial than that for the previous group,

but still adequate to generally describe their distributions (Table 3). Fishes and invertebrates in this

category included sablefish; lingcod (Ophidon elongatus); Pacific ocean perch (Sebastes alutus);

widow rockfish (S. entomelas); arrow-tooth and starry flounders (Platichthys stellatus); Dover, English

(Pleuronectes vetulus), flathead (Hippoglossoides elassodon), petrale (Eopsetta jordani), rex (Errex

zachirus), and rock (P. bilineatus) soles; Alaska plaice (P. quadrituberculatus); Greenland turbot

(Reinharditius hippoglossoides); northern and ocean pink shrimps (Pandalus borealis, P. jordani);

sidestripe and coonstripe shrimps (Pandalopsis dispar, Pandalus hypsinotus); and weathervane

scallop (Patinopecten caurinus). In most instances a reduced overall rating occurred because the

species were not sufficiently valuable economically or abundant enough to warrant directed surveys.

Several individual maps and tables that were rated less than “high” (Table 4) lacked data for juveniles

or complete species breakdowns in the catch statistics (e.g., “other flounders” rather than individual

species). The lower ratings for the distribution information about two abundant species, flathead sole

and arrowtooth flounder, were not due to a lack of data, but rather to a likely misidentification of

species. Both fishes co-occur with very similar-looking species in the eastern Bering sea: flathead

sole with Bering flounder (Hippoglossoides robustus), and arrowtooth flounder with Kamchatka

flounder (Atheresthes evermani) (Allen and Smith 1988). Similar misidentifications of flathead sole as

petrale sole are probable causes for the existence of a few records of the latter species in the western

Gulf of Alaska, and for a reduced rating of the general range map for petrale sole.

Adequacy of the maps and tabular material for presenting details of species distributions was

judged marginally adequate for the following species: Atka mackerel; bocaccio (Sebastes

paucispinis); spiny dogfish (Squalus acanthias); golden king crab; Dungeness crab; and coonstripe
16

Table 3.-Evaluations of quantity and quality of information used to describe spatial and depth distributions of selected

invertebrate and fish species that occur off the west coast of North America.

3 = high; 2 = moderate; 1 = low.

*availability due to substrate preference by species
Table 4.--Rating of each map and table in this report for “completeness” or accuracy in depicting the distribution of a species.
18

coonstripe and sidestripe shrimps. Reduced availability to the sampling gear was a common problem

(Table 3). For example, Atka mackerel can be meso-benthopelagic as adults (Rutenberg 1962,

Gorbunova 1962) and often oceanic, epipelagic as juveniles (e.g., some have been caught 900 km

offshore (Fisheries Research Institute 1989)). Similar oceanic, epipelagic distributions occur with all

salmon species. Other factors that reduced species occurrence in survey samples were low

abundance (e.g., golden king crab), shallow-water distribution (e.g., Dungeness crab), and substrate

preference. Despite these drawbacks, certain maps were judged as adequate representations of

distribution. Examples are the general range maps for lingcod, bocaccio, spiny dogfish, and

sidestripe and spot (Pandalus platyceros) shrimps, and the commercial harvest maps for Atka

mackerel, all five salmon species (Oncorhynchus kisutch, O. keta O. gorbuscha, O. nerka and O.

tshawytscha). Pacific herring, spiny dogfish, and golden king and Dungeness crabs (Table 4).
19

CONCLUSIONS

Computer mapping of research data and catch statisticsis a valuable technique for describing

invertebrate and fish resources off the west coast of North America. We initiated this activity to map

distributions of invertebrate and fish species at levels of detail not possible in other regional NOAA

atlases. Our efforts were usually successful. An evaluation of the completeness or accuracy of the

maps and depth occurrence tables provided the following conclusions.

?? The combined data sets were often adequate for presenting general information such

as overall range, area and bathymetric ranges for large adult fish, relative abundance,

areas of commercial harvest, and overall depth distribution by region.

?? The commercial harvest maps were also very good for describing distribution and

areas of relative abundance when individual species information was available in the

catch statistics.

?? Computer mapping of the research surveys data was useful for depicting distributions

of any species and was especially valuable for mapping demersal species that are

commercially important or highly abundant.

. Accurate depictions of distributions for pelagic species was not always possible, in part

because these maps were developed solely from commercial catch data.

?? Although some catch statistics maps conveyed accurate images of distribution for

certain pelagic species, those maps only showed the locations of those species when

they were available to commercial fishing gear (e.g., salmon are typically caught only

while returning to parent streams to reproduce).

. For shallow-occurring invertebrates, neither the research surveys nor commercial

harvest data was sufficient for thoroughly mapping distributions.

?? Levels of data adequacy varied across information categories for a species and across

species for a given category of information (e.g., range, commercial harvest, depth

distribution, etc.).

. Presentations of the range of juveniles and the depth distributions of both large and

small fish were usually judged lower in quality than those for all sizes combined.

Species maps and depth distributions to follow.
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Figure 4.--The overall range of Pacific cod off the west coast of North America based on an analysis of several resource assessment data

bases for 1912-84.
Figure 6.--The relative abundance of Pacific cod off the west coast of North America, 1980-84, based on catch information from various

NMFS trawl surveys.
Figure 8.--The range of large (30 cm or larger) Pacific cod off the west coast of North America based on data from several resource

assessment data bases for 1912-84.
24

Table 5.--Total numbers of samples (hauls) and numbers of samples containing Pacific cod by

depth interval and geographic region from resource assessment surveys off the west

coast of North America during 1912-84.

Figure 9.--Frequency of occurrence by depth interval by region for Pacific cod off the

North America based on presence or absence in samples from resource

assessment surveys during 1912-84.

west coast of
Figure 10.--The overall range of Pacific whiting off the west coast of North America based on an analysis of several resource assessment

data bases for 1912-84.
Figure 12.--The relative abundance of Pacific whiting off the west coast of North America 1980-84, based on catch information from various

NMFS trawl surveys.
Figure 14.--The range of large (30 cm or larger) walleye pollock Off the west coast of North America based on data from several resource

assessment data bases for 1912-84.
Table 6.--Total numbers of samples (hauls) and numbers of samples containing Pacific whiting by

depth interval and geographic region from resource assessment surveys off the west

coast of North America during 1912-84.

Figure 15.--Frequency of occurrence by depth interval by region for Pacific whiting off the west

coast of North America based on presence or absence in samples from resource

assessment surveys during 1912-84.
Figure 16.--The overall range of walleye pollock off the west coast of North America based on an analysis of several resource assessment

data bases for 1912-84.
Figure 18.--The relative abundance of walleye pollock off the west coast of North America, 1980-84, based on catch information from

various NMFS trawl surveys.
Figure 20.--The range of large (30 cm or larger) walleye pollock Off the west coast Of North America based on data from several resource

assessment data bases for 1912-84.
32

Table 7.--Total numbers of samples (hauls) and numbers of samples containing walleye pollock by

depth interval and geographic region from resource assessment surveys off the west

coast of North America during 1912-84.

Figure 21 .--Frequency of occurrence by depth interval by region for walleye pollock off the west

coast of North America based on presence or absence in samples from resource

assessment surveys during 1912-84.
Figure 22.--The overall range of sablefish off the west coast of North America based on an analysis of several resource assessment data

bases for 1912-84.
Figure 24.--The relative abundance of sablefish off the west coast of North America, 1980-84, based on catch information from various

NMFS trawl surveys.
Figure 25.--The range of small (50 cm or less) sablefish off the west coast of North America based on data from several resource

assessment data bases for 1912-84.

Figure 26.--The range of large (60 cm or larger) sablefish off the west coast of North America based on data from several resource

assessment data bases for 1912-84.
36

Table 8.--Total numbers of samples (hauls) and numbers of samples containing sablefish by depth

interval and geographic region from resource assessment surveys off the west coast of

North America during 1912-84.

Figure 27.--Frequency of occurrence by depth interval by region for sablefish off the west coast of

North America based on presence or absence in samples from resource

assessment surveys during 1912-84.
Figure 28.--The overall range of lingcod off the west coast of North America based on an analysis of several resource assessment data

bases for 1912-84.
Figure 29.--Location of commercial harvests of lingcod off the west coast of North America, 1981-83; domestic, foreign and joint venture

harvests combined.

Figure 30.--The relative abundance of lingcod off the west coast of North America, 1980-84, based on catch information from various

NMFS trawl surveys.
39

Table 9.--Total numbers of samples (hauls) and numbers of samples containing lingcod by depth

interval and geographic region from resource assessment surveys

off the west coast of North America during 1912-84.

Figure 31.--Frequency of occurrence by depth interval by region for lingcod off the west coast of

North America based on presence or absence in samples from resource

assessment surveys during 1912-84.
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Figure 32.--The overall range of Atka mackerel off the west coast of North America based on an analysis of several resource assessment

data bases for 1912-84.
Figure 33.--Location of commercial harvests of Atka mackerel off the west coast Of North America, 1981-83; domestic, foreign and joint

venture harvests combined.

Figure 34.--The relative abundance of Atka mackerel off the west coast of North America, 1980-84, based on catch information from

various NMFS trawl surveys.
Figure 36.--The range of large (30 cm or larger) Atka mackerel off the west coast of North America based on data from several resource

assessment data bases for 1912-84.

Figure 35.--The range of small (20 cm or less) Atka mackerel off the west coast of North America based on data from several resource

assessment data bases for 1912-84.
44

Table 10.--Total numbers of samples (hauls) and numbers of samples containing Atka mackerel by

depth interval and geographic region from resource assessment surveys off the west

coast of North America during 1912-84.

Figure 37.--Frequency of occurrence by depth interval by region for Atka mackerel off the west

coast of North America based on presence or absence in samples from resource

assessment surveys during 1912-84.
Pacific ocean perch

d

Figure 38.--The overall range of Pacific ocean perch off the west coast of North America based on an analysis of several resource

assessment data bases for 1912-84.
 Figure 39.--Location of commercial harvests of Pacific ocean perch off the west coast of North America, 1981-83; domestic, foreign and

joint venture harvests combined.

Figure 40.--The relative abundance of Pacific ocean perch off the west coast of North America, 1980-84, based on catch information from

various NMFS trawl surveys.

48

Table 11 .--Total numbers of samples (hauls) and numbers of samples containing Pacific ocean

perch by depth interval and geographic region from resource assessment surveys

off the west coast of North America during 1912-84.

Figure 43.--Frequency of occurrence by depth interval by region for Pacific ocean perch off the

west coast of North America based on presence or absence in samples from resource

assessment surveys during 1912-84.
Figure 44.--The overall range of widow rockfish off the west coast of North America based on an analysis of several resource assessment

data bases for 1912-84.
Figure 45.--Location of commercial harvests Of widow rockfish off the west coast of North America, 1981-83; domestic, foreign and joint

venture harvests combined.

Figure 46.--The relative abundance of widow rockfish off the west coast of North America, 1980-84, based on catch information from

various NMFS trawl surveys.
Figure 47.--The range of small (30 cm or less) widow rockfish off the west coast of North America based on data from several resource

assessment data bases for 1912-84.

Figure 48.--The range of large (40 cm or larger) widow rockfish off the west coast of North America based on data from several resource

assessment data bases for 1912-84.
52

Table 12.--Total numbers of samples (hauls) and numbers of samples containing widow rockfish by

depth interval and geographic region from resource assessment surveys off the west

coast of North America during 1912-84.

Figure 49.--Frequency of occurrence by depth interval by region for widow rockfish off the west

coast of North America based on presence or absence in samples from resource

assessment surveys during 1912-84.

Figure 51.--The relative abundance of bocaccio off the west coast of North America, 1980-84, based on catch information from various

NMFS trawl surveys.

56

Table 13.--Total numbers of samples (hauls) and numbers of samples containing bocaccio by

depth interval and geographic region from resource assessment surveys off the west

coast of North America during 1912-84.

Figure 54.--Frequency of occurrence by depth interval by region for bocaccio off the west coast of

North America based on presence or absence in samples from resource assessment

surveys during 1912-84.
Figure 55.--The overall range of arrowtooth flounder off the west coast of North America based on an analysis of several resource

assessment data bases for 1912-84.
Figure 56.--The relative abundance of arrowtooth flounder off the west coast of North America, 1980-84, based on catch information from

various NMFS trawl surveys.
Figure 57.--The range of small (20 cm or less) arrowtooth flounder off the west coast of North America based on data from several resource

assessment data bases for 1912-84.

Figure 58.--The range of large (30 cm or larger) arrowtooth flounder off the west coast of North America based on data from several

resource assessment data bases for 1912-84.
60

Table 14.--Total numbers of samples (hauls) and numbers of samples containing arrowtooth

flounder by depth interval and geographic region from resource assessment surveys

off the west coast of North America during 1912-84.

Figure 59.--Frequency of occurrence by depth interval by region for arrowtooth flounder off the

west coast of North America based on presence or absence in samples from resource

assessment surveys during 1912-84.

Figure 61 .--Location of commercial harvests of petrale sole off the west coast of North America, 1981-83; domestic, foreign and joint

venture harvests combined.

Figure 62.--The relative abundance of petrale sole off the west coast of North America, 1980-84, based on catch information from various

NMFS trawl surveys.
63

Table 15.--Total numbers of samples (hauls) and numbers of samples containing petrale sole by

depth interval and geographic region from resource assessment surveys off the west

coast of North America during 1912-84.

Figure 63.--Frequency of occurrence by depth interval by region for petrale sole off the west coast

of North America based on presence or absence in samples from resource

assessment surveys during 1912-44.
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Figure 64.--The overall range of rex sole off the west coast of North America based on an analysis of several resource assessment data

bases for 1912-84.
Figure 65.--The relative abundance of rex sole off the west coast of North America, 1980-84, based on catch information from various

NMFS trawl surveys.
Figure 66.--The range of small (20 cm or less) rex sole off the west coast of North America based on data from several resource

assessment data bases for 1912-84.

Figure 67.--The range of large (30 cm or larger) rex sole off the west coast of North America based on data from several resource

assessment data bases for 1912-84.
68

Table 16.--Total numbers of samples (hauls) and numbers of samples containing rex sole by depth

interval and geographic region from resource assessment surveys off the west coast of

North America during 1912-84.

Figure 68.--Frequency of occurrence by depth interval by region for rex sole off the west coast of

North America based on presence or absence in samples from resource

assessment surveys during 1912-84.
69
Figure 70.--Location of commercial harvests of flathead sole off the west coast of North America, 1981-83; domestic, foreign and joint

venture harvests combined.

Figure 71.--The relative abundance of flathead sole off the west coast of North America, 1980-84, based on catch information from various

NMFS trawl surveys.
Figure 72.--The range of small (20 cm or less) flathead sole off the west coast of North America based on data from several resource

assessment data bases for 1912-84.

Figure 73.--The range of large (30 cm or larger) flathead sole off the west coast of North America based on data from several resource

assessment data bases for 1912-84.
72

Table 17.--Total numbers of samples (hauls) and numbers of samples containing flathead sole by

depth interval and geographic region from resource assessment surveys off the west

coast of North America during 1912-84.

Figure 74.--Frequency of occurrence by depth interval by region for flathead sole off the west

coast of North America based on presence or absence in samples from resource

assessment surveys during 1912-84.
Figure 75.--The overall range of Pacific halibut off the west coast of North America based on an analysis of several resource assessment

data bases for 1912-84.
Figure 76.--Location of commercial harvests of Pacific halibut off the west coast of North America, 1981-83; domestic, foreign and join

venture harvests combined.

Figure 77.--The relative abundance of Pacific halibut off the west coast of North America, 1980-84, based on catch information from various

NMFS trawl surveys.
Figure 78.--The range of small (70 cm or less) Pacific halibut off the west coast of North America based on data from several resource

assessment data bases for 1912-84.

Figure 79.--The range of large (80 cm or larger) Pacific halibut off the west coast of North America based on data from several resource

assessment data bases for 1912-84.
76

Table 18.--Total numbers of samples (hauls) and numbers of samples containing Pacific halibut by

depth interval and geographic region from resource assessment surveys off the west

coast of North America during 1912-84.

Figure 80.--Frequency of occurrence by depth interval by region for Pacific halibut off the west

coast of North America based on presence or absence in samples from resource

assessment surveys during 1912-84.
77
Figure 82.--The relative abundance of rock sole off the west coast of North America, 1980-84, based on catch information from various

NMFS trawl surveys.
Figure 83.--The range of small (20 cm or less) rock sole off the west coast of North America based on data from several resource

assessment data bases for 1912-84.

Figure 84.--The range of large (30 cm or larger) rock sole off the west coast of North America based on data from several resource

assessment data bases for 1912-84.
80

Table 19--Total numbers of samples (hauls) and numbers of samples containing rock sole by

depth interval and geographic region from resource assessment surveys off the

west coast of North America during 1912-84.

Figure 85.--Frequency of occurrence by depth interval by region for rock sole off the west coast of

North America based on presence or absence in samples from resource assessment

surveys during 1912-84.
Figure 86.--The overall range of yellowfin sole off the west coast of North America based on an analysis of several resource assessment

data bases for 1912-84.
Figure 87.--Location of commercial harvests of yellowfin sole off the west coast of North America, 1981-83; domestic, foreign and joint

venture harvests combined.

Figure 88.--The relative abundance of yellowfin sole off the west coast of North America, 1980-84, based on catch information from various

NMFS trawl surveys.
Figure 89.--The range of small (20 cm or less) yellowfin sole off the west coast of North America based on data from several resource

assessment data bases for 1912-84.

Figure 90.--The range of large (30 cm or larger) yellowfin sole off the west coast of North America based on data from several resource

assessment data bases for 1912-84.
84

Table 20.--Total numbers of samples (hauls) and numbers of samples containing yellowfin sole by

depth interval and geographic region from resource assessment surveys off the

west coast of North America during 1912-84.

Figure 91 .--Frequency of occurrence by depth interval by region for yellow-fin sole off the west

coast of North America based on presence or absence in samples from resource

assessment surveys during 1912-84.

Figure 93.--Location of commercial harvests of Dover sole off the west coast of North America, 1981-83; domestic, foreign and joint

venture harvests combined.

Figure 94.--The relative abundance of Dover sole off the west coast of North America, 1980-84, based on catch information from various

NMFS trawl surveys.
Figure 95.--The range of small (20 cm or less) Dover sole off the west coast of North America based on data from several resource

assessment data bases for 1912-84.

Figure 96--The range of large (30 cm or larger) Dover sole off the west coast of North America based on data from several resource

assessment data bases for 1912-84.
88

Table 21.--Total numbers of samples (hauls) and numbers of samples containing Dover sole by

depth interval and geographic region from resource assessment surveys off the

west coast of North America during 1912-84.

Figure 97.--Frequency of occurrence by depth interval by region for Dover sole off the west coast

of North America based on presence or absence in samples from resource assessment

surveys during 1912-84.
89
Figure 99.--Location of commercial harvests of English sole off the west coast of North America, 1981-83; domestic, foreign and joint

venture harvests combined.

Figure 100.--The relative abundance of English sole off the west coast of North America, 1980-84, based on catch information from various,

NMFS trawl surveys.
Figure 101 .--The range of small (20 cm or less) English sole off the west coast of North America based on data from several resource

assessment data bases for 1912-84.

Figure 102.--The range of large (30 cm or larger) English sole off the west coast of North America based on data from several resource

assessment data bases for 1912-84.
92

Table 22.--Total numbers of samples (hauls) and numbers of samples containing English sole by

depth interval and geographic region from resource assessment surveys off the’

west coast of North America during 1912-84.

Figure 103.--Frequency of occurrence by depth interval by region for English sole off the west

coast of North America based on presence or absence in samples from resource

assessment surveys during 1912-84.
Figure 104.--The overall range of starry flounder off the west coast of North America based on an analysis of several resource assessment

data bases for 1912-84.
Figure 105.--Location of commercial harvests of starry flounder off the west coast of North America, 1981-83; domestic, foreign and joint

venture harvests combined.

Figure 106.--The relative abundance of starry flounder off the west coast of North America, 1980-84, based on catch information from

various NMFS trawl surveys.
Figure 107.--The range of small (20 cm or less) starry flounder off the west coast of North America based on data from several resource

assessment data bases for 1912-84.

Figure 108.--The range of large (30 cm or larger) starry flounder off the west coast of North America based on data from several resource

assessment data bases for 1912-84.
96

Table 23.--Total numbers of samples (hauls) and numbers of samples containing starry flounder by

depth interval and geographic region from resource assessment surveys off the

west coast of North America during 1912-84.

Figure 109.--Frequency of occurrence by depth interval by region for starry flounder off the west

coast of North America based on presence or absence in samples from resource

assessment surveys during 1912-84.
Figure 110.--The overall range of Alaska plaice off the west coast of North America based on an analysis of several resource assessment

data bases for 1912-84.
Figure 111 .--The relative abundance Of Alaska plaice off the west coast of North America, 1980-84, based on catch information from

various NMFS trawl surveys.
Figure 112.--The range of small (20 cm or less) Alaska plaice off the west coast of North America based on data from several resource

assessment data bases for 1912-84.

Figure 113.--The range of large (30 cm or larger) Alaska plaice off the west coast of North America based on data from several resource

assessment data bases for 1912-84.
100

Table 24.--Total numbers of samples (hauls) and numbers of samples containing Alaska plaice by

depth interval and geographic region from resource assessment surveys off the

west coast of North America during 1912-84.

Figure 114.--Frequency of occurrence by depth interval by region for Alaska plaice off the west

coast of North America based on presence or absence in samples from resource

assessment surveys during 1912-84.
Figure 115.--The overall range of Greenland turbot off the west coast of North America based on an analysis of several resource

assessment data bases for 1912-84.
Figure 116.--The relative abundance of Greenland turbot off the west coast of North America, 1980-84, based on catch information from

various NMFS trawl surveys.
Figure 117.--The range of small (20 cm or less) Greenland turbot off the west coast of North America based on data from several resource

assessment data bases for 1912-84.

Figure 118.--The range of large (30 cm or larger) Greenland turbot off the west coast of North America based on data from Several resource

assessment data bases for 1912-84.
104

Table 25.--Total numbers of samples (hauls) and numbers of samples containing Greenland turbot

by depth interval and geographic region from resource assessment surveys off the

west coast of North America during 1912-84.

Figure 119.--Frequency of occurrence by depth interval by region for Greenland turbot off the

west coast of North America based on presence or absence in samples from

resource assessment surveys during 1912-84.
Figure 120.--The overall range of spiny dogfish off the west coast of North America based on an analysis of several resource assessment

data bases for 1912-84.
Figure 121.--Location of commercial harvests of spiny dogfish off the west coast of North America, 1981-83; domestic, foreign and joint

venture harvests combined.

Figure 122.--The relative abundance of spiny dogfish off the west coast of North America, 1980-84, based on catch information from

various NMFS trawl surveys.
107

Table 26.--Total numbers of samples (hauls) and numbers of samples containing spiny dogfish by

depth interval and geographic region from resource assessment surveys off the

west coast of North America during 1912-84.

Figure 123.--Frequency of occurrence by depth interval by region for spiny dogfish off the west

coast of North America based on presence or absence in samples from resource

assessment surveys during 1912-84.
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Figure 124.--The overall range of bairdi Tanner crab off the west coast of North America based on an analysis of several resource

assessment data bases for 1912-84.
Figure 125.--Location of commercial harvests of bairdi Tanner crab off the west coast of North America, 1981-83 combined.

Figure 126.--The relative abundance of bairdi Tanner crab off the west coast of North America, 1980-84, based on catch information from

various NMFS trawl surveys.
111

Table 27.--Total numbers of samples (hauls) and numbers of samples containing bairdi Tanner crab

by depth interval and geographic region from resource assessment surveys off the

west coast of North America during 1912-84.

Figure 127.--Frequency of occurrence by depth interval by region for bairdi Tanner crab off the

west coast of North America based on presence or absence in samples from

resource assessment surveys during 1912-84.
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Figure 128--The overall range of opolio Tanner crab off the west coast of North America based on an analysis of several resource

assessment data bases for 1912-84.
Figure 129.--Location of commercial harvests of opilio Tanner crab off the west coast of North America, 1981-83 combined

Figure 130.--The relative abundance of opilio Tanner crab off the west coast of North America, 1980-84, based on catch information from

various NMFS trawl surveys.
115

Table 28.--Total numbers of samples (hauls) and numbers of samples containing opilio Tanner crab

by depth interval and geographic region from resource assessment surveys off the

west coast of North America during 1912-84.

Figure 131 .--Frequency of occurrence by depth interval by region for opilio Tanner crab off the

west coast of North America based on presence or absence in samples from

resource assessment surveys during 1912-84.
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Figure 132.--The overall range of red king crab off the west coast of, North America based on an analysis of several resource assessment

data bases for 1912-84.
Figure 133.--Location of commercial harvests of red king crab off the west coast of North America, 1981-83 combined.

Figure 134.--The relative abundance of red king crab off the west coast of North America, 1980-84, based on catch information from

various NMFS trawl surveys.
119

Table 29.--Total numbers of samples (hauls) and numbers of samples containing red king crab by

depth interval and geographic region from resource assessment surveys off the

west coast of North America during 1912-84.

Figure 135.--Frequency of occurrence by depth interval by region for red king crab off the west

coast of North America based on presence or absence in samples from resource

assessment surveys during 1912-84.
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123

Table 30.--Total numbers of samples (hauls) and numbers of samples containing blue king crab by

depth interval and geographic region from resource assessment surveys off the

west coast of North America during 1912-84.

Figure 139.--Frequency of occurrence by depth interval by region for blue king crab off the west

coast of North America based on presence or absence in samples from resource

assessment surveys during 1912-84.
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Figure 140.--The overall range of brown or golden king crab off the west coast of North America based on an analysis of several resource

assessment data bases for 1912-84.
Figure 141.--Location of commercial harvests of brown or golden king crab off the west coast of North America, 1981-83.
127

Table 31.--Total numbers of samples (hauls) and numbers of samples containing brown king crab

by depth interval and geographic region from resource assessment surveys off the

west coast of North America during 1912-84.

Figure 142.--Frequency of occurrence by depth interval by region for brown or golden king crab off

the west coast of North America based on presence or absence in samples from

resource assessment surveys during 1912-84.
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Figure 144.--Location of commercial harvests of Dungeness crab off the west coast of North America, 1981-83.
131

Table 32.--Total numbers of samples (hauls) and numbers of samples containing Dungeness crab

by depth interval and geographic region from resource assessment surveys off the

west coast of North America during 1912-84.

Figure 1451--Frequency of occurrence by depth interval by region for Dungeness crab off the west

coast of North America based on presence or absence in samples from resource

assessment surveys during 1912-84.
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133 
Figure 147.--Location of commercial harvests of northern pink shrimp off the west coast of North America, 1981-83.
Table 33.--Total numbers of samples (hauls) and numbers of samples containing northern pink

shrimp by depth interval and geographic region from resource assessment surveys

off the west coast of North America during 1912-84.

Figure 148.--Frequency of occurrence by depth interval by region for northern pink shrimp off the

west coast of North America based on presence or absence in samples from

resource assessment surveys during 1912-84.
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Figure 149.--The overall range of coonstripe shrimp off the west coast of North America based on an analysis of several resource

assessment data bases for 1912-84.
Figure 150.--Location of commercial harvests of coonstripe shrimp off the west coast of North America, 1981-83.
139

Table 34.--Total numbers of samples (hauls) and numbers of samples containing coonstripe shrimp

by depth interval and geographic region from resource assessment surveys off the

west coast of North America during 1912-84.

Figure 151.--Frequency of occurrence by depth interval by region for coonstripe shrimp off the

west coast of North America based on presence or absence in samples from

resource assessment surveys during 1912-84.’
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Figure 152.--The overall range of ocean pink shrimp off the west coast of North America based on an analysis of several resource

assessment data bases for 1912-84.

143

Table 35.--Total numbers of samples (hauls) and numbers of samples containing ocean pink

shrimp by depth interval and geographic region from resource assessment surveys

off the west coast of North America during 1912-84.

Figure 154.--Frequency of occurrence by depth interval by region for ocean pink shrimp off the

 west coast of North America based on presence or absence in samples from

resource assessment surveys during 1912-84.
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Figure 155.--The overall range of spot shrimp off the west coast of North America based on an analysis of several resource assessment

data bases for 1912-84.
Figure 156.--Location of commercial harvests of spot shrimp off the west coast of North America, 1981-83 domestic.
147

Table 36.--Total numbers of samples (hauls) and numbers of samples containing spot shrimp by

depth interval and geographic region from resource assessment surveys off the

west coast of North America during 1912-84.

Figure 157.--Frequency of occurrence by depth interval by region for spot shrimp off the west

coast of North America based on presence or absence in samples from resource

assessment surveys during 1912-84.
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149
Figure 159.--Location of commercial harvests of sidestripe shrimp off the west coast of North America, 1981-83.
151

Table 37.--Total numbers of samples (hauls) and numbers of samples containing sidestripe shrimp

by depth interval and geographic region from resource assessment surveys off the

west coast of North America during 1912-84.

Figure 160.--Frequency of occurrence by depth interval by region for sidestripe shrimp off the

west coast of North America based on presence or absence in samples from

resource assessment surveys during 1912-84.
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Figure 161 .--The overall range of weathervane scallop off the west coast of North America based on an analysis of several resource

assessment data bases for 1912-84.
Figure 162.--Location of commercial harvests of weathervane scallop off the west coast of North America, 1981-83.
155

Table 38.--Total numbers of samples (hauls) and numbers of samples containing weathervane

scallop by depth interval and geographic region from resource assessment surveys

off the west coast of North America during 1912-84.

Figure 163.--Frequency of occurrence by depth interval by region for weathervane scallop off the

west coast of North America based on presence or absence in samples from

resource assessment surveys during 1912-84.
Figure 164.--Location of commercial harvests of Pacific herring off the west coast of North America, 1981-83.
Figure 165.--Location of commercial harvests of pink salmon off the west coast of North America, 1981-83; U.S. and Canadian catches.
Figure i66.--Location of commercial harvests of chum salmon off the west coast of North America, 1981-83; U.S. and Canadian catches.
Figure 167.--Location of commercial harvests of coho salmon off the west coast of North America, 1981-83; U.S. and Canadian catches.
Figure 168.--Location of commercial harvests of sockeye salmon off the west coast of North America, 1981-83; U.S. and Canadian

catches.

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163

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

We wish to express our appreciation to those persons who provided extensive data sets for

inclusion in our work. Dick Carlson of the NOAA/NMFS Auke Bay Laboratory at Auke Bay, Alaska,

provided original data from Auke Bay Laboratory’s coastal groundfish trawl surveys for Southeast

Alaska. Jeff Cross of the Southern California Coastal Water Research Project in Long Beach,

California, provided data files and raw forms from SCCWRP’s coastal trawl surveys in the Southern

California Bight. Acquisition of these two data sets greatly enhanced our maps and depth occurrence

summaries. Lastly, we wish to thank Susan Farady for her assistance in final preparation of this report.
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165

REFERENCES

Alaska Department of Fish and Game (ADF&G). [1985a]. Commercial catches of salmon by species and statistical

subarea for Alaska, 1981-83. Computer printout compiled and provided by Carmine DiCostanzo, Chief,

Computer Services Section, Alaska Dep. Fish and Game, P.O. Box 3-2000, Juneau, AK 99802.

ADF&G. [1985b] Commercial domestic catches of groundfish by statistical subarea for Alaska, 1981-83. Computer

file compiled and provided by Fritz Funk, Alaska Dep. Fish and Game, P.O. Box 3-2000, Juneau, AK 99802.

ADF&G. [1985c]. Commercial harvests of herring by year, statistical subarea, and fishery 1981-83, 30 p. Computer

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171

APPENDIX A: Methodology for combining catch information from various trawl types to

map relative abundance.

Correction factors were needed to relate catches from different sized and designed trawls for

mapping relative abundance. Catches from all trawl types used in NMFS resource assessment surveys

during 1980-84 were related to a standard: a “noreastern” demersal trawl (code number 161 in the RACE

Division data base). The basis for this relationship was a simple ratio between the effective fishing area of

a trawl (i.e., width and height of the trawl’s mouth while fishing) and that of a standard trawl.

Regardless of net size, some trawl designs are more effective than others at capturing different

species groups, and additional catch adjustments were needed. These adjustments were calculated

using results from fishing power experiements conducted by NMFS in i983 (Craig Rose, AFSC, pers.

commun., August 1988) and applying assumptions to that information.

Several results of the gear experiments were pertinent to our correction factors, such as:

•Flatfish catch rates between trawls equipped and not equipped with roller gear

differed significantly;

•When footropes were the same length, a trawl with a high mouth opening caught

similar amounts of Pacific cod as a trawl with a lower vertical opening, suggesting

that Pacific cod were close enough to the bottom to be equally available to both

trawl types;

•When footropes were the same length, trawls with high& mouth openings caught

greater amounts of walleye pollock than trawls with lower vertical openings;

• When footropes were the same length, trawls without roller gear caught more

flatfishes and crabs than trawls with roller gear by a factor of 1.36; and

•Bottom trawls with and without roller gear caught similar amounts of Pacific cod

and other semidemersal roundfishes (e.g., sablefish, lingcod, etc.).

Several assumptions were developed from results of the gear experiments. First, catches of

semidemersal and pelagic species were assumed proportional to the area of a trawl's

mouth opening (i.e., the effective trawl width X the effective trawl height). For example,

the standard “noreastern” trawl with a mouth opening of 92.4 m2 was 4.4 times more effective at catching

pollock than a trawl with an opening of only 20.7 m

2

Second, the effective fishing width of a

pelagic trawl equalled its effective fishing height (unless otherwise specified). Third, a

bottom trawl without roller gear opened an average width of 0.66 of its headrope

length. And lastly, a bottom trawl with roller gear opened an average width of 0.56 of its

headrope length.

Table A-l is a listing of information for all gear types with catches that were incorporated into the

relative abundance maps.
Table A-l. Summary of Information associated with. fishing power factors calculated from 1980 lo 1994 NMFS resource assessment survey data for mapping relative abundance,

* Includes species such as Pacific cod, sablefish, rockfishes, lingcod, etc.

** Numbers in shaded blocks are approximate and based on assumptions listed in this appendix.
173

Appendix B: Listings of data sets.

Table B-l. Log of NMFS-AFSC resource assessment surveys.

Table B-2. Summary of data from Auke Bay Laboratory resource assessment surveys.

Table B-3. Summary of data from Canada Department of Fisheries and Oceans surveys (in

addition to data already in RACEBASE).

Table B-4. Summary of data from Alaska Department of Fish and Game surveys.

Table B-5. Summary of data from Juneau Exploratory Fishing and Gear Research Base surveys

(shrimp pot work is listed at end).

Table B-6. Summary of data from Seattle Exploratory Fishing and Gear Research Base surveys.

Table B-7. Summary of data from Southern California Coastal Water Research Project surveys.

Table B-8. Summary of data from NMFS and federa/state cooperative scallop surveys.
Table B-1. Log of NMFS-AFSC resource assessment surveys.
1 7 5

Table B-1. Log of NMFS-AFSC resource assessment survey (Continued).
176

Table El. Log of NMFS-AFSC resource assessment survey (Continued).
177

Table B-1. Log of NMFS-AFSC resource assessment survey (Continued)
178

Table B-1. Log of NMFS-AFSC resource assessment survey (Continued)
1 7 9

Table B-2. Summary of data from Auke Bay Laboratory resource assessment surveys.
180

Table B-3. Summary of data from Canada Department of Fisheries and Oceans surveys (in addition to

data already in RACEBASE).
181
182

Table B-6. Summary of data from Seattle Exploratory Fishing and Gear Research Base surveys.
183

Table B-7. Summary of data from Southern California Coastal Water Research Project surveys.
184

Table B-7. Summary of data from SCCWRP surveys (Continued).

Table B-8. Summary of data from NMFS and federal/state cooperative scallop surveys.
RECENT TECHNICAL MEMORANDUMS

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AFSC5 GUTTORMSEN, M., R. NARITA, J. GHARRETT, G. TROMBLE, and J. BERGER. 1992. Summary

of observer sampling of domestic groundfish fisheries in the northeast Pacific Ocean and Eastern Bering

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4 GUTTORMSEN, M., R. NARITA, and J. BERGER. 1992. Summary of U. S. observer sampling

of joint venture fisheries in the northeast Pacific Ocean and Eastern Bering Sea, 1990, 78 p. NTIS No.

PB93-127546.

3 JOHNSON, P. A., S. D. RICE, and M. M. BABCOCK (compilers). 1992. Impacts of oil pollution

and Prince William Sound studies: Bibliography of 1960-91 publications and reports, Auke Bay Laboratory,

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2 KAJIMURA, H., and E. SINCLAIR. 1992. Fur seal investigations, 1990, 192 p. NTIS No. PB93-

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of Steller sea lions (Eumetopias jubatus) in southeast Alaska, the Gulf of Alaska, and Aleutian Islands

during June and July 1991, 41 p. NTIS No. PB92-235928. 

F/NWC216 ZENGER, H. H., JR., and M. F. SIGLER. 1992. Relative abundance of Gulf of Alaska sablefish

and other groundfish based on National Marine Fisheries Service longline surveys, 1988-90, 

103 p. NTIS No. PB92-222843.

215 KINOSHITA, R. K., B. M. K. BROOKE, L. E. QUEIROLO, and J. M. TERRY. 1992. Economic status of

the groundfish fisheries off Alaska, 1990, 99 p. NTIS No. PB92-187699.

214 ANTONELIS, G. A. 1992. Northern fur seal research techniques manual, 47 p. NTIS No. PB92-191824.

213 BAKKALA, R. G., W. A. KARP, G. F. WALTERS, T. SASAKI, M. T. WILSON, T. M. SAMPLE,

A.M. SHIMADA, D. ADAMS, and C. E. ARMISTEAD. 1992. Distribution, abundance, and biological

characteristics of groundfish in the eastern Bering Sea based on results of U.S.-Japan bottom trawl and

hydroacoustic surveys during June-September 1988, 362 p. NTIS number pending. 

212 WILSON, M. T., and C. E. ARMISTEAD. 1991. 1989 bottom trawl survey of the eastern Bering Sea

continental shelf, 212 p. NTIS No. PB92-135607.

211 LOW, L-L. (editor). 1991. Status of living marine resources off Alaska as assessed in 1991, 

95 p. NTIS No. PB92-145713.

210 LOW, L-L. (editor). 1991. Status of living marine resources off the Pacific coast of the United States as

assessed in 1991, 69 p. NTIS No. PB92-145705.

209 KINOSHITA, R. K., D. A. COLPO, and J. M. TERRY. 1991. Oregon, Washington, and Alaska exports of

edible fishery products, 1990, 48 p. NTIS No. PB92-115971.