Sf. 30? :A& I ALASKA Fisheries Science Center Digitized by the Internet Archive in 2012 with funding from LYRASIS Members and Sloan Foundation http://archive.org/details/alaskafisheriessOOunit Alaska FISHERIES SCIENCE CENTER THE Alaska Fisheries Science Center (AFSC) is responsible for National Marine Fisheries Service research in the marine waters and rivers of Alaska and the west coast of the United States. This region of nearly 3 million square miles includes the northeast Pacific Ocean and the eastern Bering Sea which support some of the most important commercial fisheries in the world— walleye pollock, Pacific cod, Pacific salmon, sablefish, soles, flounders, and shellfish— with a total biomass of more than 26 million metric tons. Exploitation of these stocks provides about two-thirds of the ton- nage and nearly half of the value of the total U.S. catch in the nation's Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ). The region's waters also support the popular sport fisheries for Pacific salmon, halibut, and steelhead trout, and are home to an array of marine mammal spe- cies—the growing gray whale and California sea lion populations, the recovering Arctic bowhead whale population, and the depleted populations of northern fur seals and Steller sea lions. The mis- sion of the AFSC is to plan, develop, and manage scientific re- search programs designed to generate the best scientific data available for the better understanding and management of the region's aquatic resources and the environmental quality essential for their existence. PASSAGE of the Magnuson Fishery Conservation and Manage- ment Act of 1976 and establishment of the U.S. 200-mile EEZ gave further impetus to the Center to conduct research for the Aerial view of the Sand Point facility located on Lake Washington. Seattle. The Center Director's Office, RACE and REFM Divisions, and the NMML are based in this building. ALASKA FISHERIES SCIENCE CENTER conservation and management of the nation's fishery resources. Once dominated by foreign fishing fleets, the wealth of groundfish stocks in the northeast Pacific Ocean and eastern Bering Sea yielded a domestic catch with an ex-vessel value worth $428 million in 1989. As "Americanization" of and competition for the region's fishery resources grow, Center sci- entists have increased responsibility to provide information for the efficient utilization, management, and protection of the area's living marine resources. A KEY role of the Center is to provide scientific data and technical advice to two U.S. Fishery Management Councils, to the NMFS Alaska Regional Office, to U.S. representatives par- ticipating in international fishery negotiations, and to the fishing industry and its constituents. The AFSC also coordinates fisheries research with other federal and state agencies, academic institutions, and foreign nations. To accomplish these tasks, the Center is staffed with 319 men and women trained in the biological and physical sciences, economics, statistics, computer sciences, electronics, engineering, and other disciplines. SCIENTISTS at the Center study approximately 40 species of fish and crab that inhabit the northeast Pacific Ocean and eastern Bering Sea. They estimate the size and value of the commercial fishery resources and advise fishery managers of changes in stock abundance. Specialists at the Center compile and analyze broad data bases on fishery, oceanography, marine mammal, and environmental research to develop policies and strategies for fisheries management within the EEZ. They also monitor fishing operations for the incidental catch of protected species of fish, crab, and marine mammals, and provide scientific data required by the Marine Mammal Protection Act of 1972 for the protection of depleted marine mammal populations. Center researchers assess the impacts of chemical contaminants and physical alterations on select organisms and marine habitats and have been integral to the scientific investigation of the effects of the 1989 Exxon Valdez oil spill. THE Alaska Fisheries Science Center is made up of the Auke Aukc Bay Seattle Newport Bay Laboratory, National Marine Mammal Laboratory, Resource Assessment and Conservation Engineering Division, Resource Ecology and Fisheries Management Division, and Center Director's Office which includes the Marine Entanglement Re- search Program, Office of Fisheries Information Systems, four libraries, and support services. Program objectives are carried out from the Sand Point facilities on Lake Washington in Seattle, at the Auke Bay Laboratory in Alaska, and at smaller field stations at Little Port Walter and Kodiak, Alaska. Resource assessment and conservation engineering division Fishing vessels fill the small boat harbor on Kodiak Island, Alaska — the leading U.S. port in fish landings (by value) In 1988. Below top: Setting a conical trap for capture of sablefish. Below middle: Domestic commercial catch from waters of the northeastern Pacific Ocean. Marine fish are identified as part of a "Status of Stocks" program. Bottom: Samples of marine life obtained by a bottom trawl. The Resource Assessment and Conservation Engineering (RACE) Division gathers information on the abundance of harvestable fish and crab stocks within the U.S. EEZ off the coast of the western United States and Alaska. Information from resource assessment surveys and life history studies is provided to the commercial fishing industry and to fishery management groups to establish optimum levels of harvest Division scientists study approximately 40 stocks that live in the EEZ, with an annual harvest of 2 million metric tons. Because of the diverse habits of these stocks, the RACE Division uses a variety of sampling gear to measure abundance or relative density offish. Monitoring the abundance of crab stocks has been an essential part of the RACE Division's research. Annual surveys have shown a tenfold rise and fall of these stocks and have provided a base for forecasting crab abundance and availability to the fisheries. The Division uses a computerized fishery acoustic system with simultaneous midwater trawls to sample midwater schooling fish for identification and size. This method is used for fish such as Pacific whiting off the Washington-Oregon-California coast and walleye pollock in Alaskan waters. These resources comprise nearly 60% of the total annual yield of fish in the northeastern Pacific and Bering Sea. Deepwater bottom fish are difficult to catch with trawl nets; baited traps or longlines with multihooks are fished in a standard way to sample population abundance. To develop an understanding of the spawning and early life history of important fish species, the RACE Division conducts surveys to measure the distribution and abundance of eggs, larvae, and juvenile fish. These early life stages are sampled with fine mesh plankton nets and small trawls. The paramount importance of accurate population estimates makes the improvement of population assessment techniques a continuing and challenging activity for Division researchers. In gear studies, RACE researchers examine fish behavior in response to various equipment. Division personnel have been involved in numerous man-in-the-sea programs in which fish behavior studies have been conducted from submersible and underwater laboratories. As part of one study, the RACE Division produced the award-winning documentary film "Longlines— An Undersea Investigation." Scientists of the RACE Division also develop modifications of fishing gear to reduce the take of nontargeted species. In the mid-1 970's, Division personnel cooperated with other researchers and gear specialists to bring about a greater than 90% reduction in the mortality of incidentally-caught porpoises in the California-based tuna purse seine fishery. During 1986-87, Division scientists cooperated with the Bering Sea fishing industry to evaluate the effectiveness of experimental bottom trawl nets designed to capture flatfish and reduce the incidental catch and retention of king and snow (Tanner) crabs. In 1980, RACE Division scientists discovered a large concentration of walleye pollock eggs in Shelikof Strait, Alaska, near Kodiak Island. This discovery led to a major pollock fishery there in 1983. In subsequent years researchers measured the amount of spawn produced and traced the movements of the eggs and larvae. This research has expanded into the Fisheries Oceanography Coordinated Investigations (FOCI) program, a joint effort with NOAA scientists at the Pacific Marine Environmental Laboratory. The FOCI program studies the process by which the young fish eventually recruit to the adult population. Scientists hope to improve the estimated status of the resources and the recommendations of appropriate harvest levels to industry and management bodies. An intensive scuba-diving program conducted at Kodiak, Alaska, during the middle 1980's has begun to unlock some of the secrets of red king crab behavior and their habitat requirements. The photographic sequence (this page) documents a previously unknown daily ritual in the lives of young red king crab. During most daylight hours, juvenile crabs (1-2 years old) remain tighdy agggregated in dome-shaped formations called "pods." Each evening the pods break up and the crabs forage all night. Around daybreak each morning, the young crabs methodically reconstruct the intricate pod, often in the exact location they left the night before. This behavior pattern may make red king crabs difficult to find and to be recognized as prey by a randomly searching, daytime predator relying on visual cues. Left: Resting red king crab pod shortly before breakup. 12 February 1988, about 1 hour after sunset. Bottom left: Rapid breakup of the pod. Bottom right: Nocturnal feeding aggregation soon after pod breakup (while quadrant is 0.5 rrr). Resource ecology and fisheries management division Biologists and economists of the Resource Ecology and Fisheries Management (REFM) Division assist the North Pacific and Pacific Fishery Management Councils in managing fishery resources within the U.S. EEZ. Scientists in the REFM Division study the life history, trophic interactions, population dynamics, and harvest of the region's marine resources. The Division uses data collected by the Center's Auke Bay Laboratory and RACE Division to determine the status of fish stocks and to evaluate the economic and biological impacts of alternative management strategies. Division activities are organized under the U.S. Fisheries Observer Program, Age and Growth Studies, Resource Ecology and Ecosystems Modeling, Status of Stocks, and Socioeconomic Assessments. Fisheries Observer Program — The REFM Division has primary responsibility for implementing the U.S. Fisheries Observer Program which requires all vessels fishing in the EEZ of the northeast Pacific Ocean and eastern Bering Sea to provide accommodation for a U.S. observer if requested by the United States. Observers collect data for NMFS to manage in-season fisheries and to evaluate and develop future management strategies. Observers also monitor compliance with U.S. fishing regulations and provide information for the U.S. fishing industry. Age and Growth Studies — This group provides age and growth information about commercially important fish species by counting and measuring annual rings found on fish scales and otoliths, an "earstone" found in the internal ear of fishes. (This technique is similar to that used in forestry, where the number of growth rings indicate a tree's age.) These data are used by REFM Division scientists studying age composition offish populations such as Pacific Ocean perch and walleye pollock. Since age determination for fish is often complex, REFM staff have developed computer-assisted methods for determining the age offish and estimating individual growth rates. In addition, scientists continue to search for Left: U.S. fisheries observers sorting walleye pollock for studies of fish size, age, and abundance. Bottom left: Using break-and-bum techniques to increase accuracy when ageing walleye pollock — scientists estimate this fish to be 17 years or older. Bottom right: Surface examination of this otolith from a Pacific cod revealed that the fish was 4 years old. improvements on age determination techniques. The importance of valid age determination is reflected in the example of the Pacific ocean perch. Biologists once thought these fish lived no more than 30 years; recent information suggests that these animals may attain ages of 80 years or more. Pacific ocean perch are not only long-lived but slow growing; therefore, the time scale for stock recruitment differs gready from that on which management originally was based. Resource Ecology and Ecosystems Simulation Task — Using the Center's data base of biological and oceanographic information, scientists within this Task use numerical simulation techniques to study the dynamics offish populations and their environments. Under a trophic interactions program, REFM scientists collect and examine information on key fish predators, including marine mammals and seabirds. Status of Stocks — The Status of Stocks group is responsible for determining the condition of fisheries resources in the EEZ (using data collected by the ABL and RACE Division) and developing strategies for managing those resources. Their research focuses on updating information on Right: Biologists examining fish stomachs from commer- cially important species for studies on diet preference. Below: An echogram from an NMFS scientific echo sounder which disclosed a large school of wallleye pol- lock spawning in Shelikof Strait Alaska. population dynamic trends, estimation of biological yields, and management strategies. Socioeconomic Assessment— Economists from the REFM Division provide socioeconomic data and analyses to NMFS and fishery management councils to aid in policy and management decisions. The importance of this research increases as the efficient utilization of domestic fishery resources in die northeast Pacific and eastern Bering Sea becomes imperative to optimal socioeconomic benefits to the nation. A major emphasis has been the identification of effective procedures for fishery management in areas where stock information is limited. U— 5 minutes— »| 20m 60 100 140 l 1 * ' -M.&.'' • ji IS-.Jw airi 1 '^^^ iBtj^ ■ i^ij"i ro P2208 haAiK^^j^^. 6 |260| 1 ^ iH 1 CD H 1 CO ■ SpdWini H.! 8 * - \"dV «•> 4*** f- ■ pol "sc ock tool" Hilil Ifr**'** ..jjmthiiam^ iiti nut i^.mj.^. .•:.. ... j^u^i,. ,.»■ ■,/wj,,'.,. jij.il i„s Wfe>i#IU<*,* tUKSsrtto, ii£&ui ..:,, .-.*. *- Bottom 1 1 1 1 |«— 0.8 miles — »| 1 5? T " r AUKE BAY LABORATORY Auke Bay, Alaska, with Mendenhall Glacier in the background. The Auke Bay Laboratory is at bottom center the University of Alaska Fisheries and Ocean Science Center 1 is to the right. The Auke Bay Laboratory (ABL) conducts research to support international treaty negotiations concerning interceptions of U.S salmon, the nation's most valuable fishery in terms of dollars. Scientists at the laboratory also examine ways to enhance depressed salmon stocks, provide information on the status of groundfish fisheries in the eastern Gulf of Alaska, and investigate the impact of industrial development on fish and shellfish production in Alaska. U.S.-Canada Salmon Interceptions — The Auke Bay Laboratory provides data to meet U.S. responsibilities to die Pacific Salmon Treaty between the United States and Canada. Through coordinated research with state and Canadian fishery agencies, ABL biologists estimate salmon interception by country of origin and identify salmon stocks from international boundary areas. In the field, ABL researchers use vessels and aircraft to sample fish in mixed- stock fisheries and remote areas and employ radio telemetry with satellite communications to determine salmon distribution in transboundary rivers. In the laboratory, they analyze large data bases for resource assessment and genetic stock identification of Pacific salmon. As part of these studies, ABL staff developed a statistical model to predict stock composition in commercial fisheries which is now used by the State of Alaska for in-season salmon management. International Salmon Negotiations — In cooperation with other elements at the Center, ABL scientists provide data for international negotiations with Japan, Taiwan, and the Republic of Korea regarding the interception of U.S salmon and entanglement of marine animals in foreign high-seas salmon and drift-net fisheries. As part of this research, scientific observers are placed on foreign fishing vessels to monitor catches and report their findings to the International North Pacific Fisheries Commission and the U.S. Department of State. Although interception of U.S. salmon has declined about 95% over the past three decades of negotiations, foreign gill-net fleets from Pacific Rim nations continue to take about 1 million North American salmon and steelhead each year. Enhancing Chinook Salmon Fisheries — Biologists at the Little Port Walter Field Station are developing techniques to enhance depressed chinook salmon stocks which are at 10 historically low levels from southeastern Alaska to California. With joint federal-state funding, Little Port Walter's research program is aimed at developing methods to optimize the contribution of chinook salmon brood stocks to commercial and recreational fisheries which are operating at reduced annual quotas. Results of these studies are used by state and nonprofit fish hatchery operators and by fishery managers, particularly the Pacific Salmon Commission. Assessing Status of Gulf of Alaska Groundfish Stocks — Biologists from the Laboratory monitor Alaska's groundfish resources to alert users and managers of these resources to changes in the abundance of stocks. ABL staff monitor sablefish annually at five offshore sites in southeastern Alaska and participate with members of the Center's Resource Assessment and Conservation Engineering Division in annual cooperative longline surveys for sablefish throughout the entire Gulf of Alaska. They also participate in triennial trawl surveys to estimate the abundance and size composition of Pacific ocean perch and other groundfish in the U.S. EEZ off southeastern Alaska. Additional studies cover groundfish, particularly sablefish, including age and growth, migration, and early life history. Protecting Fish Habitat — Laboratory and field studies are used to examine the impacts of human-induced and natural stresses on select organisms and ecosystems in Alaska. The grounding of the oil tanker Exxon Valdez in March 1989 dramatized the Auke Bay Laboratory's important role in monitoring fish habitat while resources in Alaska are developed. Information provided by die laboratory's research is used to regulate timber cutting along streams, siting of log dumps in bays, use of toxic antifoulants for aquaculture nets, outer continental shelf oil leasing in environmentally sensitive areas, and the discard of net fragments by high-seas fishing vessels. Middle: Sampling adult salmon lor radio tagging with a lish wheel in the transboundary Taku River, Alaska Bottom; Scientists taking mud samples at Prince William Sound. Alaska, to monitor hydrocarbons. Salmon net-pens at Little Port Walter field station, Baranof Island, southeastern Alaska. 11 National marine mammal laboratory The National Marine Mammal Laboratory (NMML) is the principal federal laboratory responsible for conducting research on marine mammals and their interaction with fisheries. Research includes die life histories and population dynamics of whales, small cetaceans, seals, and sea lions. Scientists at the NMML provide information and recommendations to meet national and international commitments under the Marine Mammal Protection Act, die Endangered Species Act, die Fur Seal Act, the International North Pacific Fisheries Commission, die International Whaling Commission, and odier rulings. Antarctic Ecosystem Program — NMML research in the Antarctic is conducted under the auspices of the NMFS National Antarctic Marine Living Resources Program to meet the objectives of the Commission for the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources. Under this program, Antarctic marine mammals are studied to understand their relationship to krill resources. Arctic Ecosystem Program — Scientists at the NMML are responsible for investigating the recovery of the bowhead whale population which was severely reduced by commercial whalers at the turn of die 20th century. As part of the Arctic Ecosystem Program, NMML staff provide biological data to the International Whaling Commission on the recoveiy of the bowhead population. Program members are also responsible for helping manage the species to prevent the whale population's decline. In addition, staff members monitor petroleum development along the migratory path of the whales to study die potential effects of this development on die bowhead population. Bering Sea-Gulf of Alaska Ecosystems Program — NMML scientists are also studying the significant decline of northern fur seal and Steller sea lion populations which are considered depleted under the Marine Mammal Protection Act. Scientists at the NMML investigate the impact of fisheries on these species by examining species competition, incidental take, entanglement, and possible ecosystem alteration. Magnitude of interference of killer whales on the long-line sablefish fishery in the Bering Sea is also studied. California Current Ecosystem Program — NMML staff study pinniped and cetacean community ecology and the effects of interactions with fisheries to determine the level of competition between marine predators and fishing activities. Most pinniped populations along the U.S. west coast are growing, some quite rapidly. Seals and sea lions in the California Current rely heavily on Pacific whiting, herring, anchovy, and rockfish as food resources. Individual studies within diis NMML research program address such issues as steelhead predation by "Herschel," the sea lion at the Hiram M. Chittenden Locks in Seattle; California sea lion and harbor seal predation in Northwest salmon fisheries; and incidental take of pinnipeds and harbor porpoise in Washington. Lett: Bowhead whale. Lower left: Computerized image enhancer used tor bowhead whale identification. Bottom right: Sea lions captured to test methods for preserving endangered steelhead runs. These mammals were transported to breeding grounds in California waters: however, most returned to Puget Sound in less than 2 months. 12 Ecosystem and Population Assessment Program — Scientists at the NMML use simulation models to describe changes in marine mammal population and the dynamics of fishery-marine mammal interactions. Staff design models of the role marine mammals play in the ecosystem and assess whale stocks for the International Whaling Commission. Under the Endangered Species Act, the NMML is responsible for assessing the status of endangered cetacean stocks every 5 years. The Laboratory also manages NOAA's Platforms of Opportunity Program which provides data on marine mammal sightings. High-seas Fisheries Interactions Program — Biologists study the incidental take and effects of high-seas drift-net fisheries on marine mammals, particularly the Dall's porpoise, and assist with studies on seabirds. Members of this research program compile data on the life history, behavior, and pelagic ecology of marine species in areas potentially influenced by drift-net fisheries, as well as information on derelict debris found in the pelagic environment. Right: Scientist gluing VHF radio lag on a Steller sea lion lor studies of foraging behavior Below: Marine biologists counting Steller sea lion pups on Seguam Island. Alaska. 13 Center director's office 1VVVVI1IIW A0000175fi3503 Marine Entanglement Research Program — Members of the marine entanglement research program work in consultation with the Environmental Protection Agency, Department of Transportation, and other agencies to develop public awareness programs to control marine debris. The program manager acts as Federal Program Officer for research under the Saltonstall-Kennedy Act and serves as coordinator for operations under The Drift-net Impact Monitoring, Assessment, and Control Act of 1987. Office of Fisheries Information Systems — This office provides computer services to process and analyze information collected in fishery, oceanography, marine mammal, and environmental research. It is also responsible for the synthesis of manageable and comprehensive information to develop policies and strategies for fisheries management in the 200-mile U.S. EEZ. Libraries — The Center's four libraries hold collections on fisheries science, marine biology, zoology, chemistry, biochemistry, microbiology, oceanography, as well as the technological applications of science. All four libraries have online access to national library computer networks. The Mondake Library in Seattle, with the largest collection of monographs and bound journals, has 40,000 volumes, subscriptions to 250 scientific and technical journals, 5,000 reprints, 5,000 translations, and a computer link to the library networks DIALOG and OCLC. The National Marine Mammal Laboratory Library collection at the Center's Sand Point facilities holds approximately 2,500 volumes, 13,000 reprints, subscriptions to approximately 100 journals, and a special collection of historical documents and rare books pertaining to early marine mammal research. The Auke Bay Library in Alaska holds 30,000 volumes, 200 periodicals, 2,500 reprints, and 2,300 translations. The Thompson Memorial Library collection in Kodiak, with some of the earliest research literature on Alaskan fish, holds 3,000 volumes, 1,200 reprints, 300 translations, and subscriptions to approximately 50 journals. Above: Fur seal pup entangled with marine debris. Right NMFS facility at Kodiak, Alaska. 14 /* ^ TOf c 0a \ e. THE NAIKNAL ^ A /^ J ^k j The oceans are a vast and complex , V 1/ \Ivtl \| ■ / source of food, energy, recreation F^J T I i\j I j 1 ^>> and knowledge. They are wonderful „ J^/, „ | | ,> | \ ft p «A_x and bountiful, a self-renewing re- S. |jf\ /li L source - ^ ^y are usec * an< ^ „ „^lL V. V -1V^->1— /♦ enjoyed with care and good judge- ment. This is a primary concern of the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS). Its purpose is to assist in development, use and protection of living resources in the sea. In 1970, the NMFS was organized as a component of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration from the Bureau of Commercial Fisheries and the Marine Game Fish Research Programs. The current NMFS organization consists of headquarter' s offices, five Regional Offices and five regional Fisheries Science Centers. The Centers provide scientific information required for decisions relating to conservation, manage- ment and development of marine fishery resources, protection of habitats, marine mammals and endangered species in each of the respective regions. Their goal is to provide knowledge and to increase understanding about life in the oceans. This pamphlet briefly describes some of the work done by the Alaska Fisheries Science Center. 1 ooo Oi VI 7 «3<; 3 NATIONAL OCEANIC AND ATMOSPHERIC ADMINISTRATION