Nearshore Groundfish Trap Survey Data from a 2012 Pilot Study

A 2012 pilot study evaluated a fishery-independent sampling method for nearshore groundfish, focusing on rockfish species. Fish catch was processed by cruise, set, and trap, with species identification, fork length measurement, and sex recorded. The study was conducted by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, with otoliths retained for age and growth studies.

Use Cases

• Analyze species composition and abundance based on trap catch data
• Study fish size distributions based on fork length measurements
• Investigate sex ratios within nearshore groundfish populations
• Support age and growth studies using retained otolith samples
• Assist genetic studies using collected tissue samples

Strengths

• Focuses on untrawlable habitat in depths between 10 and 60 meters, a gap in existing surveys
• Includes detailed biological processing: species identification, fork length measurement, and sexing
• Otoliths were retained for age and growth studies, adding a longitudinal dimension

Limitations

• Row count is unknown, which may limit suitability assessment
• Column-level documentation is absent; field semantics must be inferred after download
• Data is from a single-year pilot study in 2012, limiting temporal scope

Provenance

Source

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Department of Commerce

Collection Method

Cooperative trap survey sampling in untrawlable nearshore habitat

Time Range

2012

Freshness

Last updated 2026-03-14 23:06:03.017084; freshness should be verified

Geography

U.S. West Coast nearshore waters, likely Central California