A Comparison of 2007 and 2013 Macroinvertebrate Surveys of Mud Habitats at Nehalem Bank, Oregon: Changes in Areas with Continued Trawling and those Closed to Trawling in 2006, Information Report 2014-03

Identification Information

Citation

Originator: Hannah, Robert W., Stephen A. Jones, Steve Kupillas, and William Miller

Publish Date: 2014

Online Link: None

BPA Project #:

Contact Information

Agency: Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife

Name: Cedric Cooney

Job Position: Natural Resources Data and Systems Manager

Telephone: 503-947-6094

E-Mail Address: cedric.x.cooney@odfw.oregon.gov

Description

Abstract: In June 2006, in an effort to protect specific seafloor habitats from the negative impacts of bottom trawl gear, the Pacific Fishery Management Council (PFMC) closed a number of areas on the U.S. west coast to bottom trawling, including a section of shelf rocky reef habitat at Nehalem Bank, Oregon (Figure 1, Hannah et al. 2010). The Nehalem Bank trawl closure included both rocky reef and some mud habitat, creating an opportunity to study how the macroinvertebrate populations inhabiting the trawlable mud habitats would change after the areas were closed to all trawling. This was of interest because the trawl fishery for ocean shrimp (Pandalus jordani) is conducted almost exclusively over mud habitat, and little is known about how severely shrimp trawling is impacting the macroinvertebrate populations in the fished areas. Shortly after the Nehalem Bank area was closed to trawling, the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife’s Marine Resources Program (MRP) staff conducted a visual survey of four mud habitat sites (Figure 1) with a remotely operated vehicle (ROV, Hannah et al. 2010). Two of the four sites surveyed were within the new closure area (Figure 1, areas 1A and 2A) and two were located east of the closure in areas that continued to be trawled (1B and 2B), primarily, but not exclusively, by shrimp trawl vessels.

Purpose: The purpose of the 2007 survey was to establish baseline data on macroinvertebrate abundance and distribution in both types of sites so that the recovery process from trawl impacts in closed areas, and the evolving condition of sites where trawling continued, could be better understood.

Time Period of Content: 2006; 2007; 2013

Geographic Extent: Nehalem Bank, Oregon

Status: Final

Use Constraints:

Format: PDF

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Data Information

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Attributes Description: Field attribute information is available in the attached file(s).

Is a physical copy maintained for reference at Headquarters? Unknown