NEFSC Food Habits Database: Fish Stomach Contents from Northwest Atlantic Surveys

The Northwest Atlantic Ocean, specifically the Northeast US Continental Shelf from Cape Hatteras to Georges Bank, is the geographic scope. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's Northeast Fisheries Science Center maintains this database, which contains stomach content data from fish predators collected during bottom trawl surveys and specific process-oriented cruises. The data includes prey composition, weights, volumes, and lengths, and is associated with predator information.

Use Cases

• Modeling fish trophic ecology based on stomach content composition and prey weight data
• Analyzing predator-prey interactions based on prey fields from associated zooplankton and benthic surveys
• Studying feeding ecology and distribution patterns based on data from continuous fall and spring sampling surveys

Strengths

• Data originates from the standard NEFSC Bottom Trawl Surveys Program, described as the most extensive source
• Includes multiple data types: stomach content composition, total and individual prey weights or volumes, and prey length
• Integrates information from associated prey field databases covering zooplankton, ichthyoplankton, and benthic surveys

Limitations

• Column-level documentation is absent; field semantics must be inferred after download
• Row count is unknown, which may limit suitability assessment
• Description metadata is limited; actual data quality requires manual inspection after download

Provenance

Source

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Department of Commerce, Northeast Fisheries Science Center

Collection Method

Collected during standard NEFSC Bottom Trawl Surveys and periodic 'process-oriented' cruises focused on feeding ecology.

Time Range

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Freshness

Last updated 2026-03-14 22:47:01.233364; freshness should be verified

Geography

Northwest Atlantic Ocean, Northeast US Continental Shelf from Cape Hatteras to Georges Bank