John Hayse North Aleutian Basin Information Status and Research Planning Meeting

1. Identifying Information Needs and Research Priorities for the North Aleutian Basin of AlaskaFish and FisheriesWorking Group Report John Hayse North Aleutian Basin Information Status and Research Planning Meeting Minerals Management Service Anchorage, Alaska November 28—December 1, 2006

2. Brenda Konar Chris Stark Jeff Anderson Matthew Eagleton Mike Sigler Diana Evans Paul Gronholdt Ian Yoparil Shelby Boothe Steve Schrof Gunnar Knapp Myra Olsen Kate Wedemeyer Gary Johnson Adelheid Herrmann Dick Jacobsen Tom Ahlfeld Casey Buechler Advisory Panel for Fish and Fisheries

3. Research Priority Identification Process • Identified Information status and needs (Worksheet 5) • Resource and resource attributes of concern • Impacting factors of greatest concern • Level of understanding/knowledge for attribute • Level of understanding/knowledge of effects of impacting factors on attributes • Information needed • Identified potential studies to address resources and resource attributes • 22 potential studies were identified by the group • Prioritized studies and identified highest priority research topics • Cost and effort needed • Timeliness relative to sequence of development activities • Importance relative to information needs • Preliminary study profiles for 5 priority studies and 3 additional studies

4. Potential Studies

5. Priority Studies for Fish and Fisheries • Seasonal evaluations of habitat use, juvenile fish abundance and spawning locations for fish in nearshore areas of the Bering Sea side of the Alaska Peninsula (capelin, sand lance, sandfish, juvenile cod, pollock and other species) • Epipelagic surveys during late spring and early summer to evaluate distribution and abundance of juvenile salmon and young-of-the-year pollock within the North Aleutian Basin • Plankton (especially ichthyoplankton) surveys of pelagic waters in the NAB during May & September • Compilation and statistical evaluation of historical seismic survey information and fishery catch data for the North Aleutian basin • Evaluation of potential for space-use conflicts between fishery activities and oil and gas development activities within the Sale 92 area

6. Priority Studies for Fish and Fisheries • Seasonal evaluations of habitat use, juvenile fish abundance and spawning locations for fish in nearshore areas of the Bering Sea side of the Alaska Peninsula (capelin, sand lance, sandfish, juvenile cod, pollock and other species) • important fishery species and serve as forage for many other species (including some birds and marine mammals) • Shallow (<20 m) nearshore habitats have not been the target of past surveys and the distribution, abundance, and spawning locations for many are poorly known • Variety of gears to be used to accommodate varied habitat types (sand/gravel beaches, eelgrass) • evaluate seasonal use and relative use by habitat type

7. Priority Studies for Fish and Fisheries • Epipelagic surveys during late spring and early summer to evaluate distribution and abundance of juvenile salmon and young-of-the-year pollock within the North Aleutian Basin • Early summer distributions of these species are poorly understood even though they are important fishery species • Target depths of >20 m to 100m • Surface trawling in upper 15 m of the water column • Complements existing surveys conducted during late summer and early fall

8. Priority Studies for Fish and Fisheries • Plankton (zooplankton and ichthyoplankton) surveys of pelagic waters in the North Aleutian Basin • Improve understanding vulnerability of zooplankton and larval fish • Lower trophic level production is critical to energy transfer • Larval fish survival is often a recruitment bottleneck • Spring (May) and fall (September) • Standard plankton sampling gear • Depths <50 m • Complements data collected during other seasons and locations • Coordinate with oceanographic modeling efforts to include distribution/life history information into models of transport

9. Priority Studies for Fish and Fisheries • Evaluation of potential for space-use conflicts between fishery activities and oil and gas development activities within the Sale 92 area • Use available data to identify fishery uses of the area • By target species and gear type, where possible • Low cost, rapid evaluation

10. Priority Studies for Fish and Fisheries • Compilation and statistical evaluation of historical seismic survey information and fishery catch data for the North Aleutian basin • Data available on locations and timing of seismic surveys conducted within the North Aleutian Basin • Overlay the historic seismic data for sale 92 area with available catch per unit effort from same time and place • evaluate whether there is evidence that seismic surveys within the Sale 92 Area of the North Aleutian Basin would affect commercial fishery catches • Relatively low-cost, rapid assessment

11. Other Considerations for Recommended Studies • Opportunities exist for some of the potential studies to be conducted in conjunction with other data collection efforts • Potential for improving information about utilization of forage fish by birds and marine mammals • Potential for cooperative studies • NMFS • AGFD • Local communities • Commercial fisheries