2019 Ross Sea shelf survey results and notification for research in 2020

The time series of relative abundance and age structure from the Ross Sea shelf survey is an important input to the Ross Sea stock assessment. The annual survey has been conducted since 2012, with a revised proposal presented in 2017 for five years (2018–2022). The objectives of the survey included monitoring the abundance and age structure of sub-adult (≤ 110 cm TL) toothfish in the south of SSRUs 881.J and 881.L in the southern Ross Sea (Strata A–C) using standardised gear in a standardised manner; and monitoring trends in larger (large sub-adult and adult) toothfish in two areas (both situated in SSRU 881.M) of importance to mammalian toothfish predators: McMurdo Sound in 2018, and Terra Nova Bay surveyed in 2019. The estimated relative biomass index of toothfish showed an increase to the highest in the survey time series. Among the other survey objectives, the survey also released Popoff Satellite Archival Transmitters (PSATs) on toothfish throughout the survey area and tested a remote underwater camera to document benthic habitats where fishing occurs. Notification of research for the 2020 fixed-effort survey is included with the agreed catch limit of 45 t.