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Making Waves Fall 2020
NEWS & VIEWS out of the NOAA’s Northeast Fisheries Science Center. It captures seasonal changes in the ocean environment, information used for multiple scientific inquiries. Over its 33-year history, some seaAugust 04, 2020 sons have been missed and the number of annuThe Summer Ecosystem Monitoring, Northern al surveys has varied, and methods have been Shrimp, Autumn Bottom-Trawl, and Summer/Fall developed to bridge these data gaps. Plankton surveys have been cancelled for 2020. The Northern Shrimp Survey is conducted aboard Due to the uncertainties created by the COVIDthe R/V Gloria Michelle, a 72-foot ship main19 pandemic and the unique challenges those tained by the Northeast Fisheries Science Center. are creating for NOAA Fisheries, we are cancelA major use of survey data is setting shrimp fishling four research surveys off the East and Gulf ery quotas. The shrimp fishery is closed until Coasts of the United States. The cancelled surveys 2021. include: The Autumn Bottom Trawl Survey, also run out • Autumn Bottom Trawl Survey (NEFSC) of the Northeast Fisheries Science Center, has been conducted since 1963. It provides crucial • Summer Ecosystem Monitoring Survey resource and ecosystem data, especially for fish(NEFSC) ery stock assessments. A future bottom longline survey and new work on industry-based sources • Northern Shrimp Survey (NEFSC) of data may help mitigate data gaps. Summer and Fall Plankton Survey (SEFSC) The Summer/Fall Plankton Survey is run out of These are difficult decisions for the agency as we NOAA’s Southeast Fisheries Science Center. It costrive to balance our need to maintain core mis- vers the entire continental shelf in the Gulf of sion responsibilities with the realities and impacts Mexico region from Brownsville, Texas, to Key of the current health crisis. West, Florida. It is the only fishery independent Since March, we have been rigorously analyzing survey available to measure the spawning capacivarious options for conducting surveys this year ty of the adult population of Gulf of Mexico King and are taking a survey-by-survey, risk-based ap- Mackerel. It is an important supplemental survey proach. After much deliberation, we determined for red snapper and several other reef fish. that we will not be able to move forward with Next Steps these surveys while effectively minimizing risk These cancellations follow similar difficult canceland meeting core survey objectives. lation decisions of the ship-based work we had The Cancelled Surveys planned from April to July. NOAA Fisheries is The Summer Ecosystem Monitoring Survey is run continuing to assess the status of other surveys in
NOAA Fisheries Cancels Four Ecosystem Surveys for 2020
