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Chapter 7 - Demersal FishHighest numbers of summer flounder were found fromthe southern flank of Georges Bank through SouthernNew England and the Mid-Atlantic as far south asPamlico Sound (Figure 7-47a, b). Distinct seasonal patternswere also observed, with highest numbers foundin nearshore coastal waters in the fall and a broaderdistribution out to the shelf/slope break in the spring.Statistical analyses did not identify significant trendsacross the species’ range, though decreasing trends wereobserved across parts of the Mid-Atlantic while increasingtrends were observed in portions of Southern NewEngland (Figure 7-47c, d). Weighted persistence analysesfor summer flounder identified offshore waters along theshelf/slope break extending from east of the Hudson/Raritan Estuary to Pamlico Sound and nearshore watersfrom south of Delaware Bay to Pamlico Sound as importantin the spring, and nearshore waters from Cape cod,Massachusetts and to Cape Henry, Virginia as importantin the fall (Figure 7-48).ABFigure 7-48. Areas with high persistence and abundance over 40 years for summer flounder during the spring andfall seasons.Northwest Atlantic Marine Ecoregional Assessment • Phase 1 Report 7-53