The National Marine Mammal Laboratory (NMML), a division of NOAA's Alaska Fisheries Science Center (Seattle, WA) and Cascadia Research Collective (Olympia, WA), conducted aerial and small boat line transects to estimate the abundance of harbor porpoises in waters of Oregon, Washington, and British Columbia, Canada. This dataset contains line transect survey data with effort (line length) and sighting data (species, group size, distance/angle) and associated covariate data.

From 2007-2016, CA Collaborative Fisheries Research Program (CCFRP) scientists and fishermen have conducted hook-and-line surveys within three Central Coast State Marine Reserves (Point Lobos, Piedras Blancas (2008 only), and Point Buchon, SMRs) and a State Marine Conservation Area (Año Nuevo, SMCA), along with nearby reference sites (Figure 1). The Año Nuevo, Point Lobos, Piedras Blancas, and Point Buchon MPAs encompass areas of 10.2 mi2, 5.4 mi2, 10.4 mi2, and 6.7 mi2 respectively. Reference sites were based on the criteria that they shared similar size, habitat, and oceanographic conditions with the nearby MPAs. Within the boundaries of each MPA and reference site, 500 m x 500 m grid cells were created and used to randomly select sampling locations. The grid cells were positioned in nearshore rocky habitats, in water less than 40 meters deep (to limit fishing mortality from barotrauma), in areas that had been identified by fishermen as having suitable habitat for nearshore fishes. A total of 22 grid cells in Año Nuevo, 17 cells in Point Lobos, 57 cells in Piedras Blancas, and 22 cells in Point Buchon were generated (Figure 2). On a given survey day, four of these cells were selected at random and sampled. In 2008 and 2009, surveys were also completed in (then) proposed North Central Coast SMRs (Point Reyes, and North and Southeast Farallon Islands) and near Bolinas/ Duxbury Reef. These surveys utilized the CCFRP hook-and-line survey protocols with the exception that sampling was not completed within 500m x 500m grid cells. These trips provided an opportunity to evaluate the areas in order to locate optimal fishing areas and create grid cells for future surveys. Duxbury Reef, an open area, will serve as a project reference area because this area has been surveyed since 2005.

From 2007-2016, CA Collaborative Fisheries Research Program (CCFRP) scientists and fishermen have conducted hook-and-line surveys within three Central Coast State Marine Reserves (Point Lobos, Piedras Blancas (2008 only), and Point Buchon, SMRs) and a State Marine Conservation Area (Año Nuevo, SMCA), along with nearby reference sites (Figure 1). The Año Nuevo, Point Lobos, Piedras Blancas, and Point Buchon MPAs encompass areas of 10.2 mi2, 5.4 mi2, 10.4 mi2, and 6.7 mi2 respectively. Reference sites were based on the criteria that they shared similar size, habitat, and oceanographic conditions with the nearby MPAs. Within the boundaries of each MPA and reference site, 500 m x 500 m grid cells were created and used to randomly select sampling locations. The grid cells were positioned in nearshore rocky habitats, in water less than 40 meters deep (to limit fishing mortality from barotrauma), in areas that had been identified by fishermen as having suitable habitat for nearshore fishes. A total of 22 grid cells in Año Nuevo, 17 cells in Point Lobos, 57 cells in Piedras Blancas, and 22 cells in Point Buchon were generated (Figure 2). On a given survey day, four of these cells were selected at random and sampled. In 2008 and 2009, surveys were also completed in (then) proposed North Central Coast SMRs (Point Reyes, and North and Southeast Farallon Islands) and near Bolinas/ Duxbury Reef. These surveys utilized the CCFRP hook-and-line survey protocols with the exception that sampling was not completed within 500m x 500m grid cells. These trips provided an opportunity to evaluate the areas in order to locate optimal fishing areas and create grid cells for future surveys. Duxbury Reef, an open area, will serve as a project reference area because this area has been surveyed since 2005.

The California Current Integrated Ecosystem Assessment (CCIEA) is a joint project between staff at the NWFSC, SWFSC, NMML, ONMS, and WCRO to provide managers and policy makers with integrated science products in support of ecosystem-based management of marine resources. Key products include: conceptual models; ecosystem indicator suites, status and trend reports, and related analyses; risk assessments; and analyses of management scenarios in ecosystem models. Major clients include the Pacific Fishery Management Council, the West Coast Region, National Marine Sanctuaries along the West Coast, and the West Coast states. Data and model output gathered and generated by the California Current Integrated Ecosystem Assessment team.

Vector datasets of CWHR range maps are one component of California Wildlife Habitat Relationships (CWHR), a comprehensive information system and predictive model for Californias wildlife. The CWHR System was developed to support habitat conservation and management, land use planning, impact assessment, education, and research involving terrestrial vertebrates in California. CWHR contains information on life history, management status, geographic distribution, and habitat relationships for wildlife species known to occur regularly in California. Range maps represent the maximum, current geographic extent of each species within California. They were originally delineated at a scale of 1:5,000,000 by species-level experts and have gradually been revised at a scale of 1:1,000,000. For more information about CWHR, visit the CWHR webpage (https://www.wildlife.ca.gov/Data/CWHR). The webpage provides links to download CWHR data and user documents such as a look up table of available range maps including species code, species name, and range map revision history; a full set of CWHR GIS data; .pdf files of each range map or species life history accounts; and a User Guide.

Goal 1: Improve understanding of salmon ocean ecology by integrating stock-specific distribution patterns over space and time with biological and environmental data. Goal 2: Integrate multiple disciplines to develop and apply new scientific technology to improve fisheries management strategies across geo-political boundaries. Goal 3: Improve economic opportunities for fishermen and coastal communities. The Oregon Salmon Commission, California Salmon Council, and Washington Trollers Association lead the Collaboration. Partners include Oregon Sea Grant, Community Seafood Initiative, Columbia River Inter-Tribal Fish Commission, University of California Santa Cruz, Oregon State University, Oregon and Washington Departments of Fish and Wildlife, California and Idaho Departments of Fish and Game, National Marine Fisheries Service Northwest, and Southwest Fisheries Science Centers. Fishermen sample Chinook salmon at sea. Genetic Stock Identification (GSI) analysis is used to determine stock of origin. Scales are examined to determine age, and other biological and physical data are taken. The purpose is to develop Fishery information system with multiple goals. The target audience is the Pacific Fishery Management Council (PFMC) and Pacific Salmon Commission (PSC) Management, as well as fishermen, scientists, marketers, educators, and the general public. This is a stand-alone project, with one principal point of contact in NMFS. This project is ongoing. Chinook genetics for stock identification.

Aerial surveys were conducted to produce abundance estimates for the three Alaska stocks of harbor porpoise. Surveys occurred from May to July 1997 for the Southeast Alaska stock, May to July 1998 for the Gulf of Alaska stock, and June to July 1999 for the Bering Sea stock. Two primary observers observed from bubble windows on the left and right side of the plane. A belly window observer with a view directly down along the trackline collected sightings that were matched to the side observers and used to estimate a correction factor for perception bias that was specific to harbor porpoise in Alaskan waters.

This layer is intended to represent information collected during NOAA Fisheries’ California Current Ecosystem Survey. The California Current Ecosystem Survey started in 2006 and is led by NMFS Southwest Fisheries Science Center. This survey monitors West Coast coastal pelagic fish species (CPS) including the northern and central sub-populations of Northern Anchovy, the northern subpopulation of Pacific Sardine, Jack Mackerel, Pacific Mackerel, Pacific Herring, their prey items, and the biotic and abiotic environments of the California Current Ecosystem. These data are used to estimate the distribution, biomass, and demographics of species of interest to inform stock assessments. The CCES survey typically occurs annually between July and September on the West Coast of the U.S. and Canada, with a recent expansion into Mexico thanks to a collaboration with the Instituto Mexicano Investigación en Pesca y Acuacultura Sustentables (IMIPAS, formerly INAPESCA). During the day multifrequency, scientific echosounders, a continuous underway fish egg sampler (CUFES), and an underway conductivity-temperature-depth (UCTD) probe are all used to collect data. At night, surface trawls are conducted in locations where coastal pelagic species were observed acoustically during the day. The trawls serve to estimate the species composition and demographics of the fishes sampled acoustically during the day. In recent years, sampling from NOAA ships has been augmented with acoustic sampling by unmanned surface vehicles (Saildrone USVs), and with acoustic and purse-seine sampling from industry fishing vessels off WA, OR, and CA. The sampling from fishing vessels expands the survey into areas that are inhabited by CPS but are too shallow for the NOAA ships to safely navigate.

This layer is intended to represent the geographic extent of NOAA Fisheries’ California Current Cetacean and Ecosystem Assessment Survey. The California Current Cetacean and Ecosystem Assessment Survey started in 1991 and is led by NMFS Southwest Fisheries Science Center. This survey includes ship-, aerial-, and land-based surveys of marine mammals throughout the California Current Large Marine Ecosystem. Survey data have been used to estimate cetacean population size and trends, delineate cetacean population stock structure, describe cetacean and seabird distributions and hotspots, develop species distribution models, and inform marine mammal stock assessment reports pursuant to statutory requirements under the Marine Mammal Protection Act (MMPA). Research vessels conduct line-transect surveys, typically every three years, in summer and fall and span waters out 300 nautical miles offshore, from the US-Canada to US-Mexico border. NOAA research vessels (David Starr Jordan, McArthur, McArthur II, Reuben Lasker, Bell M. Shimada) collect visual sightings data for cetaceans and seabirds, passive acoustic (e.g., towed or drifting array) data for cetaceans, tissue biopsy sampling used for genetics analysis, and oceanographic sampling.