Finfish distribution and abundance in Subareas 48.1 and 48.2, 2016–2018. Research proposal for the second year

According to the experience gained in the first phase of the research and observations made by WG-SAM-16, a new proposal is provided to determine the distribution and abundance of fish in subareas 48.1 and 48.2. In this opportunity, the study area includes the continental shelf and slope north of Elephant Island and north of South Orkney Islands, between 100 and 500 m of depth (Depth strata: 101-200 m, 201-260 m; 261-320 m, 320-380 m, 381-440, and 441-500 m). The sampling area was divided in daily stages of operation, performed with a midwater trawl, with six random spatially distributed hauls in each stratum depth. With the data obtained in each subarea, the density of fish resources will be determined using the Delta method. Additionally, in a delimited sector north of Elephant Island, the catch composition and performance of the midwater trawl will be compared with the bottom trawl previously used by the US AMLR Program, Southwest Fisheries Science Center, National Marine Fisheries Service, USA. Besides, acoustic information will be continuously recorded in magnetic archives during the whole navigation track between sampling stations, during respective trawls and at night in each sampling operation unit. Likewise, during the cruise, sampling for biological studies (stomachs, gonads and otoliths) of the main species of fish caught will continue.