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 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’ Northern California Current Ecosystem Survey stations. The Northern California Current Ecosystem Surveys started in 1996 and is led by NMFS Northwest Fisheries Science Center. These surveys expand the biophysical sampling conducted along the Newport Line out to the edge of the U.S. Exclusive Economic Zone. These surveys help us understand lower trophic level responses to environmental variability across the Pacific Northwest and California Current ecosystem. We also incorporate information on the abundance and distribution of mid-trophic level nekton, marine mammals, and birds. These samples inform broad-scale analyses of hydrography, phytoplankton, zooplankton, larval and juvenile fish, and ocean acidification and hypoxia. This survey is also part of a larger collaboration with Oregon State University researchers studying the marine biodiversity and size structure across broad spatial scales in the northern California Current. The Northern California Current Ecosystem Survey samples seasonally from northern Washington to the Oregon/California border, and offshore to 200 nautical miles off Newport, Oregon and 150 nautical miles off Crescent City, California on the NOAA Ship Bell M. Shimada. Seasonal sampling efforts include CTD, acoustic transects, zooplankton, ichthyoplankton, and macro-plankton sampling via bongo and Methot nets, as well as midwater and beam trawls.

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.

This layer is intended to represent the geographic extent of NOAA Fisheries’ Juvenile Salmon and Ocean Ecosystem Survey stations. The Juvenile Salmon and Ocean Ecosystem Survey (JSOES) started in 1998 and is led by NMFS Northwest Fisheries Science Center. This survey is the longest running salmon survey on the U.S. West Coast. The primary goal of our work is to develop a mechanistic understanding of how trophic dynamics and conditions in the ocean and Columbia River plume affect survival of juvenile salmonids. JSOES collects juvenile salmon and other open-ocean animals which allows identification of shifts in abundance, distribution, and growth/condition of migrating juvenile salmon. JSOES has demonstrated correlations between ocean conditions and the distribution, abundance, and survival of juvenile Columbia River salmon in the Northern California Current nearshore ecosystem to provide context for efforts by states, tribes, and others to restore and enhance salmon production. The samples from this survey improve salmon forecasts in a quantitative rather than qualitative manner, and decouple the effects of mitigation efforts in the freshwater environment from the effects of a changing ocean environment. The survey is conducted two times a year (late May and late June) for roughly ten days each. This study utilizes a surface trawl. A surface trawl collects juvenile salmon and other open-ocean animals during sampling.

Fishery Independent Survey System (FINSS) is a national system that characterizes NMFS ocean observation activities, stock and ecosystem data collections during fishery-independent surveys conducted by NMFS Science Centers.

The Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands (CNMI), Division of Fish and Wildlife (DFW) staff conducted shore-based creel surveys which have 2 major sub-surveys; one to estimate participation (fishing effort), and one to provide catch-rate (CPUE), species composition data, and size of fishes. As is the case for all of these shore-based surveys, shore-based means fishing without a powered boat and can include effort such as spearfishing. DFW made early attempts at shore-based creel surveying back in the early years, but many problems existed and there were limited resources available. It is not likely that the older data was converted from the Apple to the PC environment, but this needs to be checked. A new survey design was created and implemented in about 2005 and is continuing. It has mostly focused on the west coast lagoon side of Saipan but recently has been extended to the south and part of the west coast where some shoreline areas are accessible as well. These data are considered confidential.

This layer is intended to represent the geographic extent of NOAA Fisheries’ Pacific Northwest Marine Mammal Survey. The Pacific Northwest Marine Mammal Survey is part of the larger West Coast Marine Mammal Surveys started in 2021 and led by NMFS Alaska Fisheries Science Center. These surveys have a specific focus on small vessel surveys (Class II small vessel, 34-ft LOA) for marine mammals from the western Strait of Juan de Fuca south along the outer coast to Eureka, California. Although focal species vary from year-to-year, surveys have historically prioritized gray whales (Eschrichtius robustus), humpback whales (Megaptera novaeangliae), and Steller sea lions (Eumetopias jubatus) given the program’s long-term survey efforts for these species. Since 2021, surveys from June through September now represent a substantial increase in both spatial coverage and frequency relative to historical surveys, documenting all opportunistic sightings of marine mammals independent of program priorities. Data are used to derive estimates of species-specific occurrence, density, abundance, and resource utilization. As the length of the time series improves, data will be leveraged to better understand environmental drivers of occurrence, abundance and density, phenology of migration, and the health/condition of individuals and populations.The Pacific Northwest Marine Mammal Survey periodically samples marine mammals along coastal, shelf, and shelf edge ecosystems - out to approximately 20 nautical miles offshore - from northern Washington (including the western Strait of Juan de Fuca) to northern California. Periodic sampling efforts include collection of spatially explicit presence/absence data for all marine mammals, mark-resight observations of individually identifiable large whales (including gray whales, humpback whales, killer whales, blue whales, and fin whales) and Steller sea lions (from branded and tagged animals), boat-based tissue sampling of large whales, boat-based UAS surveys for enumerating pinnipeds at haulouts/rookeries along the PNW coast, and UAS-based photogrammetry for measuring body condition in large whales and pinnipeds.

This layer is intended to represent the geographic extent of NOAA Fisheries’ Joint U.S.-Canada Integrated Ecosystem and Pacific Hake Acoustic Trawl Survey trawl samples. The Joint U.S.-Canada Integrated Ecosystem and Pacific Hake Acoustic Trawl Survey started in 1977 and is a collaborative effort between the Northwest Fisheries Science Center and Fisheries and Oceans Canada Pacific Region. This survey produces the Pacific hake biomass estimate that is essential to the management of the west coast fishery. Data collected are used to generate biological information and inform stock assessments made by the Hake Treaty Joint Technical Committee, a body formed by the U.S.-Canada International Hake/Whiting Treaty. The survey is typically conducted on a biennial basis. Because this is an international survey, two research vessels cover the entire U.S. and Canadian West Coasts. The survey design includes 10-nm spaced transects that run approximately perpendicular to the coast for the area that extends from Point Conception, California in the south to the West Coast of Vancouver Island in the north, and 20-nm transects north of WCVI to Dixon Entrance, Alaska. Transects are conducted using a NOAA Fishery Survey Vessel equipped with scientific echosounders and fishing nets to validate fish aggregations identified in the acoustic data. Midwater trawls are also equipped with a stereo camera to assist in determining the species composition of collected organisms.

This layer is intended to represent the geographic extent of NOAA Fisheries’ U.S. West Coast Groundfish Bottom Trawl Survey. The U.S. West Coast Groundfish Bottom Trawl Survey started in 1998 and is led by NMFS Northwest Fisheries Science Center. This survey provides long-term time-series data for the management of West Coast groundfishes as well as coastwide environmental sampling for monitoring change within the California Current Ecosystem. The bottom trawl survey covers West Coast waters (55-1280 meters [30-700 fathoms]) twice annually using a trawl net and a random sampling design, stratified by depth and latitude. The survey collects fishery-independent data on abundance, distribution, and biology of most species included in the west coast groundfish management plan. Weight and measurements are collected from vertebrates and invertebrates alongside various biological samples. Samples collected include otoliths and other structures for aging, finclips for genetics, gonads for reproductive analysis, and stomach contents and tissue samples for diet/stable isotope analysis. Oceanographic sensors are affixed to the trawl net, collecting data such as temperature, salinity, and dissolved oxygen for each trawl at depth.