Gear Effects and Habitat Studies

In the Georges Bank Closed Areas

Frank AlmeidaPopulation Biology Branch

Northeast Fisheries Science CenterWoods Hole Laboratory

GEORGES BANK CLOSED AREAS

70.5 70.0 69.5 69.0 68.5 68.0 67.5 67.0 66.5 66.040.0

40.5

41.0

41.5

42.0

42.5

100m

Cape Cod, MA

Open15 Jun-12 Nov 199915 Jun-14 Aug 2000

ClosedArea II

Open15 Aug-30 Sep 2000

Nantucket LightshipClosed Area

Open1 Oct-31 Dec 2000

Closed Area I

HAPC

COLLABORATORS

Woods Hole LaboratoryJ.J. Howard Laboratory, Sandy Hook, NJNortheast Regional Office

University of Connecticut

Woods Hole Field Center

SAMPLING PROTOCOL

• Video Drift with Still Images- 20 minute Drift with Still Images every 60 seconds

• Bottom Sampler- At site where Video Drift ends- 3 Replicates (sampling gear depending on bottom type)

• Hydrography- CTD

• Fish Tow- 15 minutes- Gear depending on bottom type

• Sidescan Sonar surveys 6-12 hr duration

SEABOSSSeabed Observation and Sampling System

Monitoringvideo display

Deployment from Albatross IV

• 1 forward & 1 downward looking Hi8 video camera• 1 35mm still camera • Laser height sensors • Van Veen bottom grab

More information on the SEABOSS at - http://woodshole.er.usgs.gov/operations/seaboss/seaboss.html

Used to assess relative abundance of microhabitats

BOTTOM SAMPLING

Smith-McIntyreGrab Sampler

Van Veen mounted on SEABOSS

Bottom grab samplesused to evaluate diversity and densityof benthic infauna inclosed vs. open areas.

Cores for Total Organic Carbon and Grain Sizeanalyses

CLOSED AREA II1999 CRUISE OBJECTIVES (AL 99-05)

Paired inside/outside stationsPlan:

To monitor the recovery of the benthic habitat after four years of closure prior to the southern portion of the area (south of 41o30'N) being opened to scallop fishing on 15 June 1999.

Objectives:

1-11 JuneDates:

Cruise AL 99-05 1-11 June 1999

67.50 67.25 67.00 66.75 66.50 66.2540.75

41.00

41.25

41.50

41.75

2A1A

2B1B

2C1C

MMS1/2D1D

2E1E

1F

1G 2G

2F

3G

3F

3E GN3/4E

4F

4G MMS2/5G

5F 6F

6G

MMS3/6H

7G

7F8F

8E 9E

9D8D

GN4/8C10C

9B8B

8A

7AG56B

7C

6D

7E5E

4D

4B

Closed Area II

CLOSED AREA II2000 CRUISE OBJECTIVES (AL 00-03)

Monitor the recovery of the benthic habitat and fish productivity in CA-II one year after the southern portion of the area was opened to scallop fishing (15 June – 12 November 1999)

Objectives:

19-29 JuneDates:

67.50 67.25 67.00 66.75 66.50 66.2540.75

41.00

41.25

41.50

41.75

Boat Speed (knots) 0 to 3.5 3.6 to 5 5.1 to 18.91

VMS SCALLOP VESSEL TRACKING VESSEL ACTIVITY during 25-31 OCTOBER 1999

Cruise AL 00-03 19-29 June 2000

67.50 67.25 67.00 66.75 66.50 66.2540.75

41.00

41.25

41.50

41.75

4G7G

4F 7F

8EGN3/4E 6E 7E

4D 8D5D 6D 7D

GN4/8C7C

8B6B4B

G5

2A1A

2B1B

Closed Area II

60m

80m

100mSea scallop

Placopecten magellanicus

60m

80m

100mBarndoor skate

Dipturus laevis

SPECIES DISTRIBUTION in CA-II 1999“Low energy sand” species

60m

80m

100mWinter flounder

Pleuronectes americanus

60m

80m

100mWindowpane

Scopthalmus aquosus

SPECIES DISTRIBUTION in CA-II 1999“High energy sand” species

60m

80m

100mHaddock

Melanogrammus aeglefinus

60m

80m

100mYellowtail Flounder

Limanda ferruginea

SPECIES DISTRIBUTION in CA-II 1999“Intermediate” species

PRELIMINARY RESULTS FROM Southern CA-II-PRIOR TO FISHERY-

• Species diversity similar inside and immediately outside the Closed Area

• Haddock and yellowtail flounder abundance (in numbers and biomass) greaterinside the Closed Area

• Other groundfish species abundance very similar, some higher, outside

• Fish distribution in and around the Closed Area similar, related to sediment

• Size distribution of fish and mega-invertebrates similar except sea scallops,which were significantly larger inside the Closed Area

• Total organic carbon levels generally higher inside the closed area, may varywith sediment grain size

• Emergent sponge epifauna significantly more abundant inside the Closed Area

Analyses of the benthic infauna, chemistry, and fish stomachs still underway

Cruise AL 99-08 6-10 July 1999

40.67

40.92

41.17

41.42

69.42 69.17 68.92 68.67 68.42

E2

E1

G8G2

D2D1

C2C1

A1

B1B2

A2

G1G3

J2

J1

I1I2

60m

80m

100m

Closed Area I

CA-I / NLCA2000 CRUISE OBJECTIVES (AL 00-03)

• CA-I: Re-sample stations from 1999 cruise• NLCA: Sample area prior to scheduled

opening

Plan:

To monitor the benthic habitat in CA-I and the Nantucket Lightship Closed Area (NLCA) after 5 years of closure prior to portions of each area being opened to scallop fishing

Objectives:

19-29 JuneDates:

Cruise AL 00-03 19-29 June 2000

ResearchArea Site

Alternative #3

Closed Area I

Nantucket Lightship Closed Area

70.50 70.25 70.00 69.75 69.50 69.25 69.00 68.75 68.50 68.2540.00

40.25

40.50

40.75

41.00

41.25

41.50

41.75

42.00

J2GT5GT4

F1

G1A2

C2G2D2

NL3NL4

NL5

NL6

Sidescan Sonar Track

I2/GT7GT6

GT3GT2

GT1GT0

NL1

NL2

CA-I / NLCA / HAPC2000 CRUISE OBJECTIVES (DE 00-10)

• Monitor the recovery of the benthic habitat and fish productivity in the northwestern portion of the NLCA one month after the area was open to scallop fishing

• Continue to monitor the recovery of the habitat inside the HAPC in comparison to a fished site outside the HAPC

• Sample a region in the Great South Channel adjacent to CA-I under consideration as a NEFMC, EFH Technical Team Habitat Closed Area Alternative

Objectives:

• Nantucket Lightship Closed Area • Eastern Georges Bank in and around the HAPC in

CA-II• Great South Channel adjacent to CA-I

Operations:

2-15 NovemberDates:

Cruise DE 00-10 2-15 November 2000

70.5 70.0 69.5 69.0 68.5 68.0 67.5 67.0 66.5 66.040.0

40.5

41.0

41.5

42.0

42.5

NL4

NL7

NL1

SSA18

SSA17

Nantucket LightshipClosed Area

ClosedArea IICape Cod, MA

HAPC

Closed Area I

Sidescan Survey Track

WHAT’S NEXT?

Closed Area II

Complete sample processing from 1999 and 2000 cruisesComplete data analyses from before and after 1999 fisheryRe-sample sites after 2000 fishery (June 2001)

Closed Area I

Re-sample sites after 2000 fishery (June 2001)

Nantucket Lightship Closed Area

Complete data analyses from before and after 2000 fishery

Large-scale Ocean Mapping of the Gulf of Maine

Geological Survey Canada

Marine Habitat Characterization and Mapping Workshop21-23 October 2001 in Sebasco Estates, Maine

Sponsored by NOAA and Gulf of Maine Council for the Marine Environment.

Inter-disciplinary

Team

NationalPlan

NationalProgram

DemonstrationProjectsTechnologyLegislative

Framework

Canada: Leader in Ocean ManagementCanada: Leader in Ocean Management

Inter-disciplinary

Team

NationalPlan

NationalProgram

LegislativeFramework

DemonstrationProjectsTechnology

Sampling Strategy

PointsSlowStill photographyCores and grabs

Fine

TransectsModerateVideoSide-scan sonar

Medium

CompleteRapidME bathymetry, AerialAcoustic backscatter

LargeDensitySpeedMethodsResolution

OrganizationOrganization

Data ProductServices

SurveyServices

Applications &Product

Development

R & D OutreachServices

Training &Education

GoMAP

Steering Committee

Research &TechnicalAdvisory

Committees

Regional AdvisoryCommittees

NOAA

USGS

Academia, Others

DFO

GSC

State Agencies

Steering Committee

Implementation Implementation -- Phase 1Phase 1

5 –year Strategic Plan

Preliminary ReportPreliminary Report

Gulf of Maine CouncilPartner AgenciesOcean CommissionOthers

Scope ResourcesEndorsement Scope InterestsStakeholders Stakeholders

Funding Agencies

Review & RevisionGOMC

Partner Agencies

Some Technologies Discussed

1.1. NearshoreNearshore

1. Satellite

2. Tidepool vounteer monitoring

3. Compact Airborne Spectrographic Imager (CASI)

4. Light Detection and Ranging (LIDAR)

2.2. OffshoreOffshore

1. Multibeam

2. Sidescan

3. Laser Line Scan

4. Video

Habitat Map Production

Bathymetry

Backscatter

Sediment Grain Size

Benthic Taxonomy

Kostylev et al., MEPS 2001

Economic Economic andand Environmental ImpactsEnvironmental Impacts

1998Before

Multibeam

1999After

Multibeam

Scallop quotaTime on bottomDistance towedHours lostLost gearFuel useEquipment

13,640 kg162 hr

1176 km15

$10,00027,697 LHeavy

13,640 kg43 hr

311 km00

17,545 LLight

Workshop RecommendationsInterest in establishing a largeInterest in establishing a large--scale mapping project in the Gulf of Maine is so scale mapping project in the Gulf of Maine is so

strong that proposals to do so are imminent.strong that proposals to do so are imminent.

Workshop RecommendationsWorkshop Recommendations

Core group of agencies including NOAA, USGS, DFO and GSC initiate a strategy for near-shore and offshore habitat mapping of the entire Gulf of Maine

State agencies and academia, e.g. CMER, essential

Dept. of Defense and/or Homeland Security could be a main stakeholder

Short executive summary to be prepared describing the impetus and suggested first steps needed for such an

Support of the Gulf of Maine Council necessary with presentation at the forthcoming GOMC meeting in St. Andrews, Canada, in early December.