NEFSC Apex Predators Longline Survey (DE0407, EK500). The fishery independent survey of Atlantic large and small coastal sharks is conducted bi-annually in U.S. waters. Its primary objective is to conduct a standardized, systematic survey of the shark populations off the U.S. Atlantic coast to provide unbiased indices of relative abundance for species inhabiting the waters from Florida to the Mid-Atlantic. This survey also provides an opportunity to tag sharks with conventional and electronic tags as part of the NEFSC Cooperative Shark Tagging Program, inject with OTC for age validation studies, and to collect biological samples and data used in analyses of life history characteristics (age, growth, reproductive biology, trophic ecology, etc.) and other research of sharks in U.S. coastal waters including the collection of morphometric data for size conversions. The time series of abundance indices from this survey is critical to the evaluation of coastal Atlantic shark species.

NEFSC 2004 Atlantic Herring Acoustic/Midwater Trawl Survey (DE0413, EK500). The NEFSC Atlantic herring acoustic survey is a fisheries independent survey that provides scientific data for Atlantic herring assessments in the U.S. mid-Atlantic and New England regions. The survey is conducted in the fall on pre-spawning and spawning herring primarily in the Georges Bank region, but with other historical sites in the Gulf of Maine surveyed. The survey is a systematic design with parallel transects oriented perpendicular to bathymetric features. Midwater trawl sites are selected on an ad hoc basis to sample acoustic backscatter attributed to Atlantic herring as well as backscatter by other organisms. The primary gear is multifrequency Simrad echosounders, but midwater trawl, CTD, and a host of other scientific sensor data are collected ancillary to the acoustic data.

NEFSC 2003 Atlantic Herring Acoustic/Midwater Trawl Survey (DE0308, EK500). The NEFSC Atlantic herring acoustic survey is a fisheries independent survey that provides scientific data for Atlantic herring assessments in the U.S. mid-Atlantic and New England regions. The survey is conducted in the fall on pre-spawning and spawning herring primarily in the Georges Bank region, but with other historical sites in the Gulf of Maine surveyed. The survey is a systematic design with parallel transects oriented perpendicular to bathymetric features. Midwater trawl sites are selected on an ad hoc basis to sample acoustic backscatter attributed to Atlantic herring as well as backscatter by other organisms. The primary gear is multifrequency Simrad echosounders, but midwater trawl, CTD, and a host of other scientific sensor data are collected ancillary to the acoustic data.

NEFSC 2002 Atlantic Herring Acoustic/Midwater Trawl Survey (DE0208, EK500). The NEFSC Atlantic herring acoustic survey is a fisheries independent survey that provides scientific data for Atlantic herring assessments in the U.S. mid-Atlantic and New England regions. The survey is conducted in the fall on pre-spawning and spawning herring primarily in the Georges Bank region, but with other historical sites in the Gulf of Maine surveyed. The survey is a systematic design with parallel transects oriented perpendicular to bathymetric features. Midwater trawl sites are selected on an ad hoc basis to sample acoustic backscatter attributed to Atlantic herring as well as backscatter by other organisms. The primary gear is multifrequency Simrad echosounders, but midwater trawl, CTD, and a host of other scientific sensor data are collected ancillary to the acoustic data.

Northern Right Whale Survey (DE0306, EK500). The right whale and cetacean survey primarily focuses on right whales in the coastal and continental shelf areas, with the following objectives: 1) Develop a better understanding of right whale habitat use and site fidelity for abundance and monitoring of critical areas, 2) Determine the distribution and relative abundance of plankton and prey species, 3) When possible, collect identification photographs and biopsy samples.

NEFSC 2002 Surfclam and Ocean Quahog Survey (DE0206, EK500). The 2002 region-wide survey for Atlantic surfclam (Spisula solidissima) and Ocean Quahog (Arctica islandica) was conducted in continental shelf waters, from Delmarva Peninsula to Georges Bank aboard the FRV DELAWARE II. The survey, conducted by the NMFS Northeast Fisheries Science Center, provides indices of abundance and recruitment for both species. In addition, tows were made at 25 non-random sites during the survey to support on-going scientific studies.

Halifax Sound Range Trials (DE0301, EK500). Radiated sound measurements of vessels are important for monitoring the noise characteristics of fishing and research vessels. A vessel's radiated noise can have behavioral effects on marine life which in turn can influence abundance and distribution estimates collected by these vessels. During this cruise, acoustic data were collected on the transit to and from Halifax, Nova Scotia.

NEFSC 2008 Atlantic Herring Acoustic/Midwater Trawl Survey (DE0809, EK500). The NEFSC Atlantic herring acoustic survey is a fisheries independent survey that provides scientific data for Atlantic herring assessments in the U.S. mid-Atlantic and New England regions. The survey is conducted in the fall on pre-spawning and spawning herring primarily in the Georges Bank region, but with other historical sites in the Gulf of Maine surveyed. The survey is a systematic design with parallel transects oriented perpendicular to bathymetric features. Midwater trawl sites are selected on an ad hoc basis to sample acoustic backscatter attributed to Atlantic herring as well as backscatter by other organisms. The primary gear is multifrequency Simrad echosounders, but midwater trawl, CTD, and a host of other scientific sensor data are collected ancillary to the acoustic data.

Cetacean Abundance Survey (DE0410, EK500). The right whale and cetacean survey primarily focuses on right whales in the coastal and continental shelf areas, with the following objectives: 1) Develop a better understanding of right whale habitat use and site fidelity for abundance and monitoring of critical areas, 2) Determine the distribution and relative abundance of plankton and prey species, 3) When possible, collect identification photographs and biopsy samples.

NEFSC 2005 Atlantic Herring Acoustic/Midwater Trawl Survey (DE0512, EK500). The NEFSC Atlantic herring acoustic survey is a fisheries independent survey that provides scientific data for Atlantic herring assessments in the U.S. mid-Atlantic and New England regions. The survey is conducted in the fall on pre-spawning and spawning herring primarily in the Georges Bank region, but with other historical sites in the Gulf of Maine surveyed. The survey is a systematic design with parallel transects oriented perpendicular to bathymetric features. Midwater trawl sites are selected on an ad hoc basis to sample acoustic backscatter attributed to Atlantic herring as well as backscatter by other organisms. The primary gear is multifrequency Simrad echosounders, but midwater trawl, CTD, and a host of other scientific sensor data are collected ancillary to the acoustic data.