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NOAA technical memorandum NMFS NOAA-TM-NMFS-SWFSC ; 625

NOAA Technical Memorandum NMFS-SWFSC ; 603

The biomass of the northern stock of sardine during spring 2015 was estimated using the acoustic-trawl method (ATM) to be 29,048 metric tons (t), CV = 29.9%. The stock comprised two modal lengths. The larger sardine are primarily the remnant of a stronger than average recruitment from 2010, and the smaller ones were likely sardine spawned in 2014. The ATM-estimated sardine biomass during summer 2015 was 15,870 t, CV = 80.2%. In addition to the dominant 2010 and 2014 year-classes observed in the spring, the stock also included recruits from 2015. In summer 2015, the biomass of the northern stock of sardine was the lowest, and the extent of the summer migration was the shortest since the ATM surveys began in 2006.

Remotely operated vehicle (ROV) surveys were conducted from NOAA’s state-of-the-art Fisheries Survey Vessel (FSV) Bell M. Shimada during a six-day transit November 1-5, 2010 between San Diego, CA and Seattle, WA. The objective of this survey was to locate and characterize deep-sea coral and sponge ecosystems at several recommended sites insupport of NOAA’s Coral Reef Conservation Program. Deep-sea corals and sponges were photographed and collected whenever possible using the Southwest Fisheries Science Center’s (SWFSC) Phantom ROV ‘Sebastes’ (Fig. 1).The surveyed sites were recommended by National Marine Sanctuary (NMS) scientists at Monterey Bay NMS, Gulf of the Farallones NMS, and Olympic Coast NMS (Fig. 2). The specific sites were: Sur Canyon, The Football, Coquille Bank, and Olympic Coast NMS. During each dive, the ROV collected digital still images, video, navigation, and along-track conductivity-temperature-depth (CTD), and optode data. Video and high-resolution photographs were used to quantify abundance of corals, sponges, and associated fishes and invertebrates to the lowest practicable taxonomic level, and also to classify the seabed by substrate type. A reference laser system was used to quantify area searched and estimate the density of benthic fauna.