DFO Central and Arctic Multi-species Stock Assessment Surveys (OBIS Canada)

The DFO Central and Arctic Region multi-species stock assessment surveys began in 1999 and planned to continue indefinitely. Seven study areas are defined within the spatial extents outlined here; northern NAFO 0A, southern NAFO 0A, SFA0, SFA1, SFA3 and western Hudson Strait. The study area surveyed varies from year to year. Details of this specific survey are described below.

Surveys are conducted with the Greenland Institute of Natural Resources' (GINR) research vessel Paamiut using either an Alfredo or Cosmos shrimp trawl depending on the focus species of the particular survey. The target set for the Alfredo trawl is 3.0 knots towed for 30 minutes and for the Cosmos trawl 2.6 knots for 15 minutes. Trawl geometry is monitored for door spread, net height and bottom contact with wing spread introduced in 2009. Environmental data, temperature, salinity and depth, is collected with Seamon, Star-Oddi and Seabird equipment. Surveys are stratified random in design based on stratum area proportions with a two set minimum. Sampling sites are allocated using the buffered random sampling (BRS) protocol of Kingsley et al. 2004. Shrimp surveys sample waters from 100-800m stratified in contours of 100-200, 200-300, 300-400, 400-600 and 600-800m. Greenland halibut surveys sample waters from 400-1500m.

The 2007 multi-species stock assessment survey of SFA3 and RISA was conducted from 12 October to 7 November. Sixty-none of the seventy sets allocated to SFA3 were taken sucessfully with the Cosmos trawl. Seabird 19plus CTD mounted to the headrope was introduced to the survey in 2007. Experimental work was conducted in RISA in two strata south west of Resolution Island looking at the effects of tide/current and survey design on the overall results of the survey. Samples were collected to examine fecundity and stomach contents of both Pandalid species.

This dataset is the OBIS version of the stock assessment survey. These data are for display on the OBIS portal and associated mapping programs and for download for end-user analysis.