This report is preliminary and has not been reviewed for conformity with U.S. Geological Survey editorial standards or with the North American Stratigraphic Code. Use of trade, product, or firm names in this report is for descriptive purposes only and does not imply endorsement by the U.S. Government. Statistical sampling studies suggest that seafloor characteristics and bathymetry affect the distribution, abundance and behavior of benthic species. This report discusses geophysical data collected within the park in 1998. The geophysical surveying done in this and previous studies will be combined with existing population and sonic-tracking data sets as well as future sediment sampling, scuba, submersible, and bottom video camera observations to better understand Dungeness crab and Pacific halibut habitat relationships.
Commercial fishing is one of the major sources of income in the adjacent communities.
There is also an economically important recreational fishery in the area. But, significant questions have been raised in Congress as to whether fishing should be allowed in Glacier Bay Park. Mapping of the benthic habitat will result in improved management of the fisheries resources in the area, Klein 2000 Sidescan Surveying System A Klein 2000 sidescan system was used for geophysical surveying. Two sonar channels each were devoted to 100 KHz and 500 KHz sidescan data and a fifth sonar channel was used for 4KHz subbottom profiling. At times during the cruise, differential signal was interrupted.