Spring2021 NOAA Technical Memorandum NMFS-AFSC-518

Spring2022 NOAA Technical Memorandum NMFS-AFSC-522

Spring2023 NOAA Technical Memorandum NMFS-AFSC-523

Spring2024 NOAA Technical Memorandum NMFS-AFSC-524

Pacific cod satellite tagging results from Gulf of Alaska deployments: Spring 2021

ABSTRACT

In March 2021 the Pacific Cod Tagging Team, a collaboration among the Aleutians East Borough, Kingfisher Marine Research, and NOAA’s Alaska Fisheries Science Center, conducted a Pacific cod (Gadus macrocephalus) research tagging cruise in the western Gulf of Alaska (GOA) (170°W to 159°W).

The scientific and vessel crews tagged and released 25 Pacific cod with Wildlife Computers miniPAT pop-up satellite tags and 960 cod with Floy conventional T-bar tags. This was the first Pacific cod satellite tagging study in the western GOA to take place. Additionally, 155 biological samples were collected from non-tagged Pacific cod that included length, weight, sex, maturity stage, otoliths for age estimation, and tissue samples for genetic analyses.

Of the 25 satellite tags deployed from the western GOA, 23 successfully transmitted data with pop-up locations from the western GOA (n=10), central GOA (defined as 159°W to 147°W) (n=1), eastern Bering Sea (n=6), northern Bering Sea (n=4), US Chukchi Sea (n=1), and Russia (n=1). This technical memorandum presents a general overview of methods, key contextual results, and each individual fish’s reconstructed movement path during its time at liberty.

Pacific cod satellite tagging results from Gulf of Alaska deployments: Spring 2022

ABSTRACT

In April 2022, the Pacific Cod Tagging Team, a collaboration among the Aleutians East Borough, Kingfisher Marine Research, and NOAA’s Alaska Fisheries Science Center, conducted a Pacific cod (Gadus macrocephalus) tagging cruise in the western Gulf of Alaska (GOA) (170°W to 159°W).

The scientific and vessel crews tagged and released 28 Pacific cod with Wildlife Computers miniPAT pop-up satellite tags, 37 Pacific cod were released with archival Lotek tags (internally implanted) and 760 cod were released with Floy conventional T-bar tags. Additionally, 186 biological samples were collected from non-tagged Pacific cod that included length, weight, sex, maturity, otoliths for age estimation, and tissue subsamples for genetic analyses.

Of the 28 satellite tags deployed from the western GOA, 26 provided pop-up locations and 24 provided enough data for geolocation. Pop-up locations transmitted from the western GOA (n=21), eastern Bering Sea (n=4) and northern Bering Sea (n=1). There were no fish recovered with Lotek tags. This technical memorandum presents a general overview of methods, key contextual results, and each individual fish’s reconstructed movement path during its time at liberty.

Pacific cod satellite tagging results from Gulf of Alaska deployments: Spring 2023

ABSTRACT

In March and July 2023, the Pacific Cod Tagging Team (PACT), a collaboration among the Aleutians East Borough, Kingfisher Marine Research, and NOAA’s Alaska Fisheries Science Center, conducted a Pacific cod (Gadus macrocephalus) research tagging cruise in the western (170°W–159°W) and central (159°W–147°) Gulf of Alaska (GOA).

During the March cruise, 50 Pacific cod were tagged with Wildlife Computers miniPAT pop-up satellite tags (PSATs), four with microPAT tags (PSATs), and 620 with conventional Floy T-bar tags. In addition, biological data (length, weight, sex, maturity, otoliths, and tissue samples) were collected from 292 non-tagged Pacific cod. An additional 10 PSATs were deployed in July in the western GOA.

Of the 54 PSATs deployed in March (western GOA n=19; central GOA n=35), 52 provided pop-up locations and 48 of those provided enough data for geolocation. Western GOA deployments surfaced in the western GOA (n=8), and eastern Bering Sea of methods and key results. (n=11). Central GOA deployments surfaced primarily in the central GOA (n=30) with some surfacing from the western GOA (n=3). Of the 10 PSATs deployed in July, six provided pop-up locations, all from the western GOA, and five of those provided enough data for geolocation.

This Technical Memorandum presents reconstructed movement paths for each fish during its time at liberty, along with a general overview of methods and key results.

Pacific cod satellite tagging results from Gulf of Alaska deployments: Spring 2024

ABSTRACT

In March and May/June 2024, the Pacific Cod Tagging Team (PACT), a collaboration among the Aleutians East Borough, Kingfisher Marine Research, and NOAA’s Alaska Fisheries Science Center, conducted a Pacific cod (Gadus macrocephalus) research tagging cruise in the western (170°W–159°W) and central (159°W–147°) Gulf of Alaska (GOA).

During the March cruise, 56 Pacific cod were tagged with Wildlife Computers miniPAT pop-up satellite tags (PSATs) and 932 with conventional Floy T-bar tags across both regions. In addition, biological data (length, weight, sex, maturity, otoliths, and tissue samples) were collected from 300 non-tagged Pacific cod. An additional 20 PSATs were deployed in the western GOA in May (n=10) and June (n=10).

Of the 56 PSATs deployed in March (western GOA n=21, central GOA n=35), 50 provided pop-up locations and 45 of those provided enough data for geolocation. Western GOA deployments surfaced in the western GOA (n=10), central GOA (n=1), eastern Bering Sea (n=7), and northern Bering Sea (n=1). Central GOA deployments surfaced primarily in the central GOA (n=28), with some in the western GOA (n=3). Of the 20 PSATs deployed in May and June, 19 provided pop-up locations and 14 of those provided enough data for geolocation, all from within the western GOA

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This Technical Memorandum presents reconstructed movement paths for each fish during its time at liberty, along with a general overview of methods and key results.

CITATIONS

These documents should be cited as follows:

Rand, K. M., Levy, C., McDermott, S., Nielsen, J., Prohaska, B. K., Haehn-Tam, R., Dawson, E., Dowlin, A., and Markowitz, E. H. 2026. Pacific cod satellite tagging results from Gulf of Alaska deployments: spring 2021. U. S. Department of Commerce, NOAA Technical Memorandum NMFS-AFSC-518, 50 p. LINK
Rand, K. M., Levy, C., McDermott, S., Nielsen, J., Prohaska, B. K., Dawson, E., Dowlin, A., and Markowitz, E. H. 2026. Pacific cod satellite tagging results from Gulf of Alaska deployments: spring 2022. U. S. Department of Commerce, NOAA Technical Memorandum NMFS-AFSC-522, 53 p. LINK
Rand, K. M., Levy, C., McDermott, S., Nielsen, J., Prohaska, B. K., Dawson, E., Dowlin, A., and Markowitz, E. H. 2026. Pacific cod satellite tagging results from Gulf of Alaska deployments: spring 2023. U. S. Department of Commerce, NOAA Technical Memorandum NMFS-AFSC-523, 83 p. LINK
Rand, K. M., Levy, C., McDermott, S., Nielsen, J., Prohaska, B. K., Vinson, A., E., Dowlin, A., and Markowitz, E. H. 2026. Pacific cod satellite tagging results from Gulf of Alaska deployments: spring 2024. U. S. Department of Commerce, NOAA Technical Memorandum NMFS-AFSC-524, 93 p. LINK

The Alaska Board of Fisheries is meeting this week to consider proposals to revise regulations for Chignik and Alaska Peninsula/Aleutian Islands finfish, including salmon, at the Egan Center in Anchorage. The meeting is also broadcast live here. The Aleutians East Borough is actively advocating for proposals that enhance our fisheries and against further restrictions on our local fishermen.

Below are some photos from the meeting that is expected to run through Wednesday February 25th.