Modified dredgecamera systems used to attain gear and behavioral informationTurtle CapturePound net researchFlume tank work

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Protected Species Gear Research

The goal of gear research at the Northeast Fisheries Science Center in Woods Hole is to develop solutions for reducing protected species bycatch through a cooperative effort with industry, non-government organizations, NOAA managers, and others. We believe in a systematic approach to gear work outlined in the NEFSC Gear Research Flowchart.  This flowchart outlines a research approach that has proven successful in effectively devising gear modifications to mitigate the bycatch of protected species as well as those of finfish species.

Recent and on-going projects

Papers and Protected Species Gear Research Reports.
Click on the title to download a full
PDF (not all reports are downloadable)

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WEBPAGE OF OCT 26-27th, 2010 WORKSHOP, OCEAN CITY, MD Mitigating Sea Turtle Bycatch in the Mid-Atlantic and Southern New England Trawl Fisheries

Click here for workshop webpage.

 

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  • Study on mitigating sea turtle bycatch in the bottom trawl fishery.

Status: RFQ posted and closed. Award made to DeAlteris Associates.

  • Study on modifications to the bottom set gillnets to reduce sturgeon bycatch.

Status: Research completed, awaiting revisions to the final report.

  • Study on mitigating harbor porpoise bycatch by testing for difference in bycatch between gillnets hung on the half and gillnets hung on the third..

Status: Contract awarded to AIS who successfully completed two years of research. Final report accepted and posted.

  • Study on catch retention using a large TED and leatherback opening in the summer flounder trawl fishery.

Status: Contract awarded to GMRI. Field work completed. Final report accepted and posted.

  • Development of a data logger to assess tow time durations.

Status: Contract awarded to Onset Computers. We have taken delivery of twelve units that are being tested in the field.

  • Dredge construction and a study on the catch comparison between a new dredge design and the traditional New Bedford scallop dredge.

Status: Contract awarded to Coonamessett Farm. Project completed. Final report received, reviewed and posted.

Turtle being evaluated

 

TED

Click HERE for a file on two flounder TED designs.

We are asking for feedback on research priorities for reducing sea turtle bycatch in trawl fisheries. If you have any suggestions, please submit them to our forum.(Click here to enter forum).

NE Modified TED

Links
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Northeast Regional Office, Protected Resources Division

Southeast Regional Office, Protected Resources Division

Southwest Regional Office, Protected Resources Division

Northwest Regional Office, Protected Resources Division

Alaska Regional Office, Protected Resources Division

Pacific Islands Regional Office, Protected Resources Division

NOAA Fisheries Office of Science and Technology

NOAA Fisheries Office of Protected Resources

NOAA Fisheries Office of Sustainable Fisheries

 

 

2012

  1. DeAlteris J, Parkins C. 2012. Evaluation of a Topless Bottom Trawl Design with Regard to Excluding Sea Turtles. [Report; 29 p.] NOAA NMFS Contract No. EA 133F-10-SE-2491, Mod. 002.
  2. Ronald Smolowitz, Henry O. Milliken & Matthew Weeks. 2012. Design, Evolution, and Assessment of a Sea Turtle Deflector Dredge for the U.S. Northwest Atlantic Sea Scallop Fishery: Impacts on Fish Bycatch. North American Journal of Fisheries Management, 32:1, 65-76

2011

  1. Silva, D. R., J. T. DeAlteris, and H. O. Milliken. 2011. Evaluation of a pound net leader designed to reduce sea turtle bycatch. Marine Fisheries Review. Volume 73(3).
  2. Fox DA, Wark K, Armstrong JL, Brown LM. 2011. Gillnet configurations and their impact on Atlantic sturgeon and marine mammal bycatch in the New Jersey monkfish fishery: year 1. [Final report; 30p.] NOAA NMFS Contract No. EA133F-10-RQ-1160.

2010

  1. A.I.S., Inc. 2010. The effects of hanging ratio on marine mammal interactions and catch retention of commercially important finish species. [Final report; 28 p.] NOAA Contract No. EA133F-08-CN-0240.
  2. DeAlteris J. 2010. Summary of 2010 Workshop on Mitigating Sea Turtle Bycatch in the Mid-Atlantic and Southern New England Trawl Fisheries. [Final report; 16 p.] NOAA Contract No. EA133F10SE2585.
  3. DeAlteris J, Parkins C. 2010. Evaluation of the effect on catch performance of the NMFS flounder Turtle Excluder Device (TED) with a large opening in the Southern New England long fin squid trawl fishery. [Final report; 19 p.] NOAA Contract No. EA133F08CN0182.
  4. Salerno DJ, Eayrs S. 2010. Study on catch retention using a larger TED and opening in the summer flounder trawl fishery. [Revised final report; 33 p.] NOAA Contract No. EA133F-08-CN-0230.
  5. Smolowitz R, Weeks M. 2010. Scallop Dredge Comparison Study. [Final report; 16 p.] NOAA Contract No. NFFM7320-8-26515.

2009

  1. DeAlteris J, Parkins C. 2009. Evaluation of the catch performance of the NMFS flounder Turtle Excluder Device (TED) with a large opening in the Southern New England whiting trawl fishery. [Final Report; 15 p.] NOAA Contract No. EA133F08CN0182.
  2. DeAlteris J, Parkins C. 2009. Evaluation of the catch performance of the NMFS flounder Turtle Excluder Device (TED) with a large opening in the U.S. Mid-Atlantic scallop trawl fishery. [Final Report; 16 p.] NOAA Contract No. EA133F08CN0182.

2008

  1. DeAlteris J, Silva R. 2008. Performance in 2004 and 2005 of an alternative leader design on the bycatch of sea turtles and the catch of finfish in Chesapeake Bay pound nets, offshore Kiptopeake, VA. [Final report; 47 p.] NOAA Contract No. EA1330-04-RQ-0076 and EA133F-05-RQ-1321.
  2. Haas, H., E. LaCasella, R. LeRoux, H. O. Milliken, and B. Hayward. 2008. Characteristics of sea turtles incidentally captured in the U.S. Atlantic sea scallop dredge fishery. Fisheries Research Volume 93, Issue 3, 28 September 2008, Pages 289-295.
  3. Smolowitz R, Weeks M, Morin M. 2008. Assessing the Efficacy of the Coonamessett Farm (Cfarm) Turtle Excluder Sea Scallop Dredge in Reducing Injury to Loggerhead Sea Turtle Carcasses. [Project Report, 30 p.] NOAA Contract No. EN133F07SE3189.

2007

  1. Lawson D, DeAlteris J, Parkins C. 2007. An evaluation of the catch efficiency of the NMFS certified, standard Turtle Excluder Device (TED) required in the Mid-Atlantic summer flounder fishery. [Summary report; 26 p + appendix] NOAA Contract No. EA133F-05-SE-6561. NOTE: Appendix has several odd-sized pages with very small type; use Acrobat's magnification tool (400-600%).
  2. DeAlteris J. 2007. Workshop to discuss bycatch reduction technologies to reduce sea turtle bycatch in Southern New England and mid-Atlantic inshore trawl fisheries. [Summary report; 8 p] NOAA Contract No. EA133F-05-SE6561
  3. NEFSC Reference Document: Evaluation of a Modified Scallop Dredge’s Ability to Reduce the Likelihood of Damage to Loggerhead Sea Turtle Carcasses, by HO Milliken, L Belskis, W DuPaul, J Gearhart, H Haas, J Mitchell, R Smolowitz, W Teas. April 2007

2006

  1. American Underwater Search and Survey, Ltd. 2006.  Sonar survey of crab and whelk pot gear in the lower Chesapeake Bay, Virginia:  May-June 2006.  [Final report; 24 p.] NOAA Contract No. EN133F-05-SE-5190.
  2. DeAlteris Associates Inc. 2006.  Sea turtle-pot fishery interaction survey:  Chesapeake Bay and coastal waters of Virginia.  [Final report; 28 p.] NOAA Contract No. EN133F-05-SE-6758.
  3. Lawson DD, DeAlteris JT. 2006. Evaluation of a turtle excluder device (TED) in the scallop trawl fishery of the mid-Atlantic. [Final report; 145 p] NOAA Contract No. EA133F-05-SE6561
  4. Smolowitz R, Weeks M. 2006. Turtle-scallop dredge interaction study: 2005 field season. [Final report; 44 p] NOAA Contract No. EA133F-05-SE4860

2005

  1. Smolowitz, R. 2005. Sea turtle - scallop dredge interactions. [Videotape accompanying final report; 656 MB.] NOAA Contract No. EA133F04SE0968.
  2. Smolowitz, R.; Harnish, C.; Rudders, D. 2005. Turtle - scallop dredge interaction study. [Final report; 83 p.] NOAA Contract No. EA133F-04-SE0968.
  3. Zollett, E.A.; Rosenberg, A.A.  2005.  A review of cetacean bycatch in trawl fisheries.  [Final report; 35 p.] NOAA Contract No. EN133F04SE1048.

2004

  1. American Underwater Search and Survey, Ltd. 2004. Sonar survey of six pound net leaders off Kiptopeke, Chesapeake Bay, Virginia. [Final report; 6 p.] NOAA Contract No. EA133F04SE0646.
  2. DeAlteris, J.; Chosid, D.; Silva, R.; Politis, P. 2004. Evaluation of the performance of an alternative leader design on the bycatch of sea turtles and the catch of finfish in Chesapeake Bay pound nets, offshore Kiptopeake, Va. [Fin report; 14 p. + app.] NOAA Contract No. EA133F04SE0665.
  3. DuPaul, W.D.; Rudders, D.B., Smolowitz. 2004. Industry trials of a modified sea scallop dredge to minimize the catch of sea turtles. [Final report; Va. Inst. Mar. Sci. Mar. Resourc. report 2004-12; 35 p.] NOAA Contract No. EA133F03SE0235.

We have developed a forum where constructive comments can be posted about NEFSC research. Our goal is to facilitate communications concerning our gear research accomplishments and our proposed research plans, and to receive input on: (1) any innovative gear solutions or conservation engineering approaches; (2) the appropriateness of the work that has been accomplished or is being proposed; and (3) any other approaches or ideas that may help to attain the conservation goals required under the ESA and MMPA.   We plan to post periodic responses to concerns or comments raised in this forum. If you would like to post a comment or view the forum, please click  HERE.

Gear research ideas related to large whales should be sent to the Northeast Regional Office's Gear Research Team -email: John.F.Kenney@noaa.gov

 

NOAA's National Marine Fisheries Service
Northeast Fisheries Science Center
Protected Species Branch
166 Water Street
Woods Hole, MA 02543-1026
Phone: (508) 495-2000
Fax: (508) 495-2258

Contact: Henry Milliken
Henry.Milliken@noaa.gov

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