Results of the 2014 Underwater Camera Survey of the Eastern Bering Slope and Outer Shelf
Abstract
The results of the 2014 Underwater Camera Survey of the Eastern Bering Sea slope and outer shelf are presented here. The 2014 survey was the first comprehensive underwater camera survey of coral and sponge on the Bering Sea slope and outer shelf conducted by the National Marine Fisheries Service. Two-hundred fifty transects were successfully completed during the survey, which extended north from Bering Canyon to Pervenets Canyon. Transects were randomly selected between Unalaska Island and Pervenets Canyon. Each transect was assigned to one of eight geographical regions. Demersal populations of corals, sponges, sea whips, fishes, and crabs were sampled by drifting a stereo drop camera for 15 minutes at each transect. Survey results presented in this report include fish and crab composition and density, coral, sponge and sea whip density and height, and substrate composition for each transect. The Appendix lists start position, distance towed, swath, mean depth, and mean temperature for each transect completed.
