ES60 Water Column Sonar Data Collected During GOA11SS

Scientists of the Groundfish Assessment Program of Alaska Fisheries Science Center's Resource Assessment and Conservation Engineering (RACE) Division conducted the seventh biennial groundfish assessment survey of the Gulf of Alaska during the summer of 2011. These surveys extend the series of surveys, previously conducted every 3 years between 1984 and 1999, which constitute the time series used in stock assessments of Gulf of Alaska groundfish resources. The survey area covered the continental shelf and upper continental slope to 700 m in the Gulf of Alaska from Islands of Four Mountains (170° W long.) and continued eastward approximately 2,800 km across the Gulf of Alaska to Dixon Entrance (133° 25' W long.). The survey was conducted aboard two chartered commercial trawlers, the FV Ocean Explorer and the FV Sea Storm. Trawl haul samples were successfully collected at 670 survey stations using standard RACE Division Poly Nor'Eastern high-opening bottom trawl nets with rubber bobbin roller gear.