Oil Industry Fisheries Data

Bottom and pelagic trawl nets are deployed at each station and towed for approximately 5 to 15 minutes at an approximate speed of 2 to 4 knots. On average a 15 minute trawl tow covers a distance of approximately 926 meters (3,050 ft.).

State-of-the-art instrumentation records all trawl performance data during each tow, allowing an accurate estimate of area surveyed. Biologists sort the catch, weigh and count animals by species, and collect samples for studies of diet and ecosystem relationships. Common fish species seen in the trawl surveys in the Chukchi Sea are mostly small and include Arctic cod, Pacific sandlance, capelin and several species of sculpins.