Industry-Based Monkfish Survey in the Northwest Atlantic, 2009

A 2009 survey developed by the Northeast Fisheries Science Center (NEFSC) to address industry concerns about monkfish habitat coverage and gear efficiency in the northeast shelf. The program was suspended after the 2009 survey when the NEFSC's new vessel and advanced trawl provided greater coverage and increased capture efficiency. The dataset is provided by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Department of Commerce.

Use Cases

• Assess historical monkfish distribution based on the survey's broader area coverage.
• Compare commercial gear efficiency for monkfish capture based on the survey's design.
• Analyze changes in survey methodology and coverage for deep-water habitats.
• Study the transition from industry-based surveys to standardized NEFSC trawl surveys.

Strengths

• Survey designed with direct input from industry leaders to address specific concerns.
• Utilized commercial gear specifically designed for monkfish capture.
• Data originates from the authoritative NOAA and NEFSC.

Limitations

• Row count is unknown, which may limit suitability assessment.
• Column-level documentation is absent; field semantics must be inferred after download.
• Data collection was suspended after 2009, limiting temporal scope.

Provenance

Source

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Department of Commerce

Collection Method

Industry-based survey utilizing commercial gear designed to catch monkfish.

Time Range

2009

Freshness

Last updated 2026-03-14 22:48:11.333371; freshness should be verified.

Geography

Northeast shelf and break of the Northwest Atlantic