National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS)

Mid-Atlantic Research Set-Aside Program

 

Proposal Number

Title

Description

Recipient

 Principal Investigator

Project Period

Final Report

2002 Fishing Year

 

 

 

 

 

 

01-RSA-005

The Effect of Circle and Square Escape Vents on Discard Reduction in the Black Sea Bass Trap Fishery

To evaluate the effectiveness of various sizes of escape vents, both of circular and square vent designs, in reducing discards as part of the black sea bass fishing mortality rate reduction strategy.

Virginia Institute of Marine Science

Robert Fisher

1/1/02 - 12/31/02

Full Text

01-RSA-011

Loligo Squid Gear Modification Study

To compare the 5.5” mesh square extension escapement panel and the standard 1 7/8” mesh without the extension for reducing bycatch of scup in the offshore winter Loligo fishery within and outside the Gear Restricted Areas (GRA).

National Fisheries Institute

Eric Powell

3/1/02 - 3/31/03

Full Text

01-RSA-012

Evaluation of Catch Efficiency and Size Selectivity of Inshore New England Fish Pots for Black Sea Bass and Scup as a Function of Escape Vent Size

To investigate the efficiency of four escapement vent sizes ranging from 2.38 to 3.4 inches in reducing the bycatch of sub-legal black sea bass and scup, while minimally affecting the catch of legal fish.

William Gell

Laura Skrobe

1/1/02 - 12/31/02

Full Text

2003 Fishing Year

 

 

 

 

 

 

02-RSA-001

Loligo Squid: Extension of Gear Modification Study Through Scup Migratory Season

To test the effectiveness of the 5.5” square mesh extension, and/or other gear configurations recommended for reducing bycatch of scup (and potentially whiting) in the Loligo fishery during scup migration; 2) collect additional catch, discard and length-frequency data on black sea bass, summer flounder, whiting and other important commercial species; and 3) use of a Loligo study fleet to identify locations of high scup discarding for directed gear experimentation.

National Fisheries Institute

Daniel Cohen

4/1/03 - 5/31/04

Full Text

02-RSA-002

Development of a Supplemental Finfish Survey Targeting Mid-Atlantic Migratory Species

To supplement the survey database with information on the migratory behaviors of recreationally and commercially important species, so that the influence of this ever-changing spatial distribution can be included in the stock assessment.

National Fisheries Institute

Eric Powell

4/1/03 - 12/31/03

Full Text

02-RSA-005

Effects of Increasing Mesh Size in the Summer Flounder Fishery in Southern New England Inshore Rhode Island Waters

This project is designed to investigate the mesh size selectivity of summer flounder for 4 codend mesh sizes and shapes, 6.5 and 7.0 inch diamond, and 7.0 and 8.0 inch square.

University of Rhode Island

David Beutel

4/1/03 - 10/31/03

Full Text

2004 Fishing Year

 

 

 

 

 

 

03-RSA-001

Fishery Independent Scup Survey of Selected Areas in Southern New England Waters

To develop a fishery independent scup survey that utilizes unvented fish traps fished on hard bottom areas in southern New England (SNE) waters to characterize the size composition of the population.

Charles Borden

Laura Skrobe

5/1/04 - 11/30/04

Full Text

03-RSA-003

Development of a Supplemental Finfish Survey Targeting Mid-Atlantic Migratory Species

To obtain second year support for the development/refinement of a commercial-vessel based survey program in the Mid-Atlantic region that tracks the migratory behavior of selected recreationally and commercially important species.

National Fisheries Institute

Eric Powell

1/1/04 - 12/31/04

Full Text

03-RSA-005

Evaluation of the Effect of Vent Size and Shape on Black Sea Bass Behavior and Escapement from Pot Gear

With the use of experimental pots and underwater video, various escape vent configurations will be investigated to help evaluate gear escapement and fish behavior. The project will also explore black sea bass mortality in pots left fishing during closed quota periods, and will also develop a sea sampling and dockside sampling program for black sea bass and supplement the NMFS black sea bass tagging program.

Cornell Cooperative Ext. of Suffolk County

Emerson Hasbrouck

4/1/04 - 12/31/04

 Full Text

2005 Fishing Year

 

 

 

 

 

 

04-RSA-002

Loligo Squid Mesh Selectivity Study to Reduce Bycatch of Juvenile Loligo Squid and other Species

This project will address the need to increase escapement of submarket size silver hake, butterfish, and Loligo in the Loligo fishery using larger cod end mesh sizes. Codend mesh sizes to be tested are 2” (51mm), 2.375” (60mm), and 2.75” (70mm).

National Fisheries Institute

Sarah King

1/1/05 - 2/28/07

Full Text 

04-RSA-003

Development of a Supplemental Finfish Survey Targeting Mid-Atlantic Migratory Species

To obtain third year support for the development/refinement of a commercial-vessel based survey program in the Mid-Atlantic region that tracks the migratory behavior of selected recreationally and commercially important species.

National Fisheries Institute

Eric Powell

1/1/05 - 12/31/05

Full Text

04-RSA-005

2005 Fishery Independent Survey of Selected Hard Bottom areas in Southern New England

This project continues efforts to develop a fishery independent scup survey that utilizes unvented fish traps fished on hard bottom areas in southern New England waters to characterize the size composition of the population.

Charles Borden

Laura Skrobe

5/1/05 - 12/31/05

Full Text 

2006 Fishing Year

 

 

 

 

 

 

05-RSA-003

2006 Fishery Independent Survey of Selected Hard Bottom areas in Southern New England

This project continues efforts to develop a fishery independent scup survey that utilizes un-vented fish traps fished on hard bottom areas in southern New England waters to characterize the size composition of the population.

Charles Borden

Laura Skrobe

5/1/06 - 12/31/06

  Full Text 

05-RSA-005

Evaluating Size and Bag Limits in the Summer Flounder Recreational Fishery

To determine, through a combination of field experiments, angler surveys, and numerical modeling, if changes in size and bag limits can reduce discard mortality and increase angler satisfaction while reaching management goals of meeting recreational harvest limits, ensuring sustainability of populations, and sustaining a robust age/size structure.

Fisheries Conservation Trust

Eleanor Bochenek

1/1/06 - 12/31/06

 

05-RSA-007

Development of a Supplemental Finfish Survey Targeting Mid-Atlantic Migratory Species

To obtain forth year support for the development/refinement of a commercial-vessel based survey program in the Mid-Atlantic region that tracks the migratory behavior of selected recreationally and commercially important species.

National Fisheries Institute

Eric Powell

1/1/06 - 12/31/06

Full Text 

05-RSA-008

An Evaluation of Size Selectivity and Relative Efficiency of Black Sea Bass, Centropristis strata Habitat Pots Equipped with large Mesh Panels.

To 1) estimate the selectivity of an experimental design of black sea bass habitat pot comprised of large mesh panels on the top, bottom and posterior end of the pot (opposite the bridal). Three different sizes of large mesh panel will be tested (2”, 2.5” and 3”) and compared to a pot conforming to current regulations at the time of study; and 2) to compare the catch-per-unit-effort of the three experimental pot variations and legal pot.

Virginia Institute of Marine Science

David Rudders and Robert Fishers

1/1/06 - 12/31/06

  Full Text 

2007 Fishing Year

 

 

 

 

 

 

06-RSA-001

Development of a Supplemental Finfish Survey Targeting Mid-Atlantic Migratory Species

To supplement the survey database with information on the deep-water extent and migratory behavior of important species by developing a supplemental multispecies survey program. This project is now entering its fourth year.

National Fisheries Institute

Eric Powell

1/1/07 - 12/31/07

 Full Text 

06-RSA-002

Bycatch Reduction and Gear Development in the Mid-Atlantic: Evaluation of Optimal Codend Mesh Size in the Loligo Fishery

This project will address discards in the small-mesh Loligo squid fishery by evaluating intermediate codend mesh sizes above the present legal size of 1.875” and below 2.5”. Researchers will also attempt to determine the influence of these intermediate mesh sizes on the catch of other species such as butterfish and silver hake and accompanying bycatch species.

National Fisheries Institute

Eric Powell

1/1/07 - 12/31/07

  Full Text 

06-RSA-005

Evaluation of Summer Flounder Discard Mortality in the Bottom Trawl Fishery

This project will implement a program to improve information relative to discard mortality of summer flounder in the bottom trawl fishery. Legal and sub-legal size summer flounder discard will be measured, tagged and kept in a live holding pen for mortality monitoring. Extended mortality and migration information will be collected upon recapture of tagged fish.

Cornell Cooperative Ext. of Suffolk County

Emerson Hasbrouck

1/1/07 - 12/31/07

 

06-RSA-007

2007 Fishery Independent Survey of Selected Hard Bottom areas in Southern New England

This project involves a fishery independent scup survey of ten separate hard bottom sites in Southern New England and two sites located on the scup spawning grounds in Vineyard Sound using fish pots.

Charles Borden

Laura Skrobe

5/1/07 - 12/31/07

  Full Text 

2008 Fishing Year

 

 

 

 

 

 

08-RSA-001

Discard Mortality in the Summer Flounder Fishery: A New Approach to Evaluation

The goal of this project is to determine the discard mortality for summer flounder in the trawl fishery in the Mid - Atlantic Bight as it varies with length, age, reproductive status, and relative to predation. The rate of discard mortality will be determined with a combination of mortality estimates 1) on the deck of a fishing vessel after haul-back and the catch has been retrieved from the trawl, 2) as a result of tagging and tracking and 3) the result of diver observations.

National Fisheries Institute

Kenneth Able, Thomas Grothues, and Eleanor Bochenek

04/01/08 - 3/31/09

 

08-RSA-002 Data collection and analysis in support of single and multispecies stock assessments in the Mid-Atlantic: Northeast Area Monitoring and Assessment Program Near Shore Trawl Program This survey will follow the design for a new Mid-Atlantic near-shore trawling program (NEAMAP) for a spring and fall trawl survey in shallow waters between Gayhead, MA and Cape Hatteras, NC. This project plans to provide stock assessment data improvements for species including summer flounder, scup, black seabass, Loligo squid, butterfish, and Atlantic bluefish, and assessment-quality data for weakfish, Atlantic croaker, spot, skate and ray species, smooth dogfish, horseshoe crab, and several unmanaged but important forage species. Virginia Institute of Marine Science Christopher Bonzek 04/01/08 - 3/31/09  
08-RSA-009 2008 Fishery Independent Scup Survey of Hard Bottom Areas in Southern New England Waters This project is a continuation of a fishery-independent survey to collect scup from ten hard bottom sites in Southern New England, and two additional sites located on the scup spawning grounds in Vineyard Sound. The length frequency distribution of the catch will be compared statistically to each of the other collection sites, to finfish trawl data collected by the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), and to data collected during previous survey efforts. Charles Borden and Eric Rodegast Laura Skrobe 05/01/08 - 12/31/08