Smooth Bottom Net Trawl Fishing Gear Effect on - New England ...

NOAA/NMFS Unallied Science Project, Cooperative Agreement NA16FL2264 May 2005
<strong>Smooth</strong> <strong>Bottom</strong> <strong>Net</strong> <strong>Trawl</strong> <strong>Fishing</strong> <strong>Gear</strong> <strong>Effect</strong> on the Seabed:
Investigation of Temporal and Cumulative <strong>Effect</strong>s BKAM/CR
bottom habitat because it will help define soft sediment-prey field associations for managed
groundfish species. Current EFH designations are based on presence/absence and relative
abundance of each species from historical trawl survey data. Identifying substrate and prey
species and their relationship to fish populations is one of the next logical steps in improving
EFH designations.
1.3 Project Team
The project team included the same key personnel that participated in the 2001 trawl study “Near
Term Observations of the <strong>Effect</strong>s of <strong>Smooth</strong> <strong>Bottom</strong> <strong>Net</strong> <strong>Trawl</strong> <strong>Fishing</strong> <strong>Gear</strong> on the Seabed.”
(NOAA/NMFS 50-EANF-0-00061, October 2003) which included members of the south shore,
Scituate, MA, fishing community and local consulting scientists with extensive experience
working in the Massachusetts Bay region of the Gulf of Maine.
Mr. Francis Mirarchi, president of Boat Kathleen A. Mirarchi, Inc. and owner of the 62 ft inshore
dragger F/V Christopher Andrew, was the prime contractor for the project and managed the
fishing vessel activities. Other key fishermen involved in the project included Andrew Mirarchi,
John Welch and John Shea owner of the 57 ft F/V Yankee Rose (Photograph 1.3-1 and 1.3-2).
CR Environmental, Inc. of Falmouth, MA, was the lead subcontractor managing field operations,
data processing, and report preparation. CR Environmental, Inc. has worked closely with the
New England fishing community for over 10 years. In 1995, CR was awarded a <strong>Fishing</strong> Industry
Grant (FIG) to train fishermen in the conversion of their vessels for oceanographic research.
One of this grant’s training seminars was held in Scituate, MA and Mr. Mirarchi played a key
role in recruiting fishermen for the project and provided the F/V Christopher Andrew for
equipment demonstrations and training. Since that time the F/V Christopher Andrew and the F/V
Yankee Rose and other New England fishing vessels chartered by CR Environmental have
performed numerous research cruises from Maine to New York.
CR personnel supporting this NOAA Cooperative Research project included: John H. Ryther, Jr.,
oceanographic operations; Christopher Wright, biologist/hydrographer; Christopher Dunbar and
F. Ray Shield, fisheries; and Charlotte Cogswell, ecologist.
Other key technical project personnel included David Stevenson Ph.D. now with NOAA/NMFS;
Barbara Hecker Ph. D. of Falmouth, MA, an expert in the analysis of marine community
structure and quantitative ecology; and Allan Michael Ph.D. of Magnolia, MA, a benthic infauna
expert. For the 2002 study, two new team members played an integral part in the program.
Science Application International Corporation (SAIC) based in Newport R.I. was subcontracted
to perform Sediment Profile Camera (SPI) operations and analyze the SPI images. Raymond
Valente was SAIC’s chief scientist on the project. Donald Rhoads Ph.D. of Falmouth, MA, the
inventor and leading expert in the SPI technology was brought in to review the SAIC data and
other relevant trawl impact studies, and make recommendations for future studies.
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