Dataset: Bigelow Bight_sm invertebrates
Deployment: NEC-MD2001-1

Benthic habitat correlates of juvenile fish - invertebrates

Principal Investigator:

Michele Dionne

BCO-DMO Data Manager:

Nancy Copley (Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, WHOI BCO-DMO)

Project:

Northeast Consortium: Cooperative Research (NEC-CoopRes)

Data URL:

https://www.bco-dmo.org/dataset-deployment/451264/data

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Description

"Benthic Habitat Correlates of Juvenile Fish Distribution in the Bigelow Bight and Adjacent Estuaries"

Principle Investigator: Michele Dionne. Wells National Estuarine Research Reserve
Research Associate: Jeremy Miller Wells National Estuarine Research Reserve

Additional Project Participants:
Vincent Balzano, Commercial Fisherman, F/V North Star
Richard MacKenzie, Researcher
Scott Orringer, Researcher
Jeff Reed, Commercial Fisherman
Kenneth Young, Commercial Fisherman
Marshall Alexander, Commercial Fisherman, F/V Dee Dee Mae II

"This study represents a collaboration between researchers and members of the Gulf of Maine fishing industry to survey juvenile groundfish distribution and abundance along transects from estuarine through inner shelf areas of the Bigelow Bight. The project will characterize associated substrate and prey availability in order to determine fisheries habitat resources with the region. The project will feature the use of a sediment profile imager (known as an SPI camera), a device which takes photos of substrates and associated organisms both from a surface and from a profile view to depths up to 1 ft. This technique will be combined with traditional research sampling methods for fish (small mesh trap nets, beam trawls, and variable mesh gill nets) and benthos (Ponar grab sampler). The survey design will compare fish, benthos, and substrates between estuarine, nearshore and offshore areas, including sites within these zones that have been altered by human activities (i.e. dumping of dredge material, outfall of treated sewage, and bottom trawling). Traditional cod spawning and feeding grounds and a closed area (Jeffrey's Ledge) are included in the survey. Results of the study will provide much-needed data to determine estuarine and inner shelf fish habitat associations, the food resource value of these habitats, and their response to current and previous human alterations." abstract from the Northeast Consortium Project database

Site Codes:
BB = Bigelow Bight
CN = Cape Neddick
JL = Jeffery's Ledge
KB and KR = Kennebunk River
PR = Piscataqua River
PRE = Piscataqua River Estuary
SR = Saco River
SRE = Saco River Estuary
WH and WR = Webhanet River
WI = Wood Island, near the mouth of the Saco River 20 individuals were measured for each species and the remaining were counted for biomass purposes. This accounts for the "no measure" seen in the notes column.

revised 08/11/06, gfh

Methods & Sampling

Dataset acquisition description

Results thus far are based on analysis of video data taken via ROV in sites both inside and outside the WGOMC. Five sites were investigated in the two year portion of the WGOMC, with three to five ROV stations/site, and four sites in the actively trawled Kettle, with three ROV stations/site. All sessile, or weakly mobile, invertebrates were identified and quantified in each ROV transect in frames where the ROV was positioned on the bottom. Due to unequal numbers of frames in some transects, numbers were standardized to 50 frames. Non-parametric multi-dimensional scaling (NMDS) was used to investigate similarities in epifaunal species diversity and abundances. ANOSIM analysis found a p-value of 0.08, thus our plot suggests a weakly significant partitioning between closed and open stations.

Deployment-specific acquisition description

Results thus far are based on analysis of video data taken via ROV in sites both inside and outside the WGOMC.
Five sites were investigated in the two year portion of the WGOMC, with three to
five ROV stations/site, and four sites in the actively trawled Kettle, with three
ROV stations/site.
All sessile, or weakly mobile, invertebrates were identified and quantified in each
ROV transect in frames where the ROV was positioned on the bottom.
Due to unequal numbers of frames in some transects, numbers were standardized
to 50 frames.
Non-parametric multi-dimensional scaling (NMDS) was used to investigate
similarities in epifaunal species diversity and abundances.
ANOSIM analysis found a p-value of 0.08, thus our plot suggests a weakly significant partitioning between closed and open stations.

Data Processing Description

Dataset Processing Description

Deployment-specific processing description

This study represents a collaboration between researchers and members of the Gulf of Maine fishing industry to survey juvenile groundfish distribution and abundance along transects from estuarine through inner shelf areas of the Bigelow Bight. The project will characterize associated substrate and prey availability in order to determine fisheries habitat resources with the region. The project will feature the use of a sediment profile imager (known as a SPI camera), a device which takes photos of substrates and associated organisms both from a surface and from a profile view to depths up to 1 ft. This technique will be combined with traditional research sampling methods for fish (small mesh trap nets, beam trawls, and variable mesh gill nets) and benthos (Ponar grab sampler). The survey design will compare fish, benthos and substrates between estuarine, nearshore and offshore areas, including sites within these zones that have been altered by human activities (i.e. dumping of dredge material, outfall of treated sewage, and bottom trawling). Traditional cod spawning and feeding grounds and a closed area (Jeffrey's Ledge) are included in the survey. Results of the study will provide much needed data to determine estuarine and inner shelf fish habitat associations, the food resource value of these habitats, and their response to current and previous human alterations."

More information about this dataset deployment

Funding

Award Number	Funding Source
unknown NEC-CoopRes NEC	NorthEast Consortium

Instruments

Remotely Operated Vehicle

Supplied Description:

sediment profile camera imager (SPI camera)

Instrument Type

Generic Name: Remotely Operated Vehicle

Acronym: ROV

Generic Description:

Remotely operated underwater vehicles (ROVs) are unoccupied, highly maneuverable underwater robots operated by a person aboard a surface vessel. They are linked to the ship by a group of cables that carry electrical signals back and forth between the operator and the vehicle. Most are equipped with at least a video camera and lights. Additional equipment is commonly added to expand the vehicle’s capabilities. These may include a still camera, a manipulator or cutting arm, water samplers, and instruments that measure water clarity, light penetration, and temperature.

Sediment Profile Imager

Supplied Name: Camera - Sediment Profile Imaging

Supplied Description:

Instrument Type

Generic Name: Sediment Profile Imager

Acronym: SPI Camera

Community Identifier: http://vocab.nerc.ac.uk/collection/L05/current/378/

Generic Description:

Sediment profile imagers provide in-situ still or video images of a section including bottom water, the undisturbed sediment-water interface and the upper sediment layers.

Parameters

Supplied Name	Supplied description	Standard Name
year	year, reported as YYYY	year
site	The site each sample was taken, including all replicates. Site Codes: BB = Bigelow Bight, CN = Cape Neddick, JL = Jeffery's Ledge, KB and KR = Kennebunk River, PR = Piscataqua River, PRE = Piscataqua River Estuary, SR = Saco River, SRE = Saco River estuary, WH and WR = Webhanet River, WI = Wood Island, near the mouth of the Saco River.	no_bcodmo_term
date_local	Date sample was collected, local time	date_local
taxon	Taxa or scientific name of the individual organism (lowest taxonomic classification possible)	taxon
lat	The latitude where the sample was collected in decimal degrees. North is Positive.	lat
lon	The longitude where the sample was collected in decimal degrees. West is Negative.	lon
length	length of organism based on criteria set above, as millimeters	no_bcodmo_term
width	width of organism based on criteria set above, as millimeters	no_bcodmo_term
number	number of organisms of a particular size and species found	number
abundance	number of organisms per meter squared. This is the corrected number of organisms of a given size class that are in a one meter square area of habitat. This number is derived by multiplying the number from the "number" column by the number of quadrates taken from the original sample and then dividing by the area sampled. Example: If you took a grab sample, split it into four parts and only possessed one of the four sub-samples then you would have to multiply your results by four to see the number for your entire sample.	abundance
comments	This column contains useful information on given samples or organisms such as problems with measurements or identification or notes about possible mislabeling of samples, etc.20 individuals were measured for each species and the remaining were counted for biomass purposes. This accounts for the "no measure" seen in the notes column.	comment

Database

Contribute Data

Dataset: Bigelow Bight_sm invertebrates
Deployment: NEC-MD2001-1

Dataset acquisition description

Deployment-specific acquisition description

Dataset Processing Description

Deployment-specific processing description

Database

Contribute Data

Dataset: Bigelow Bight_sm invertebratesDeployment: NEC-MD2001-1

Dataset acquisition description

Deployment-specific acquisition description

Dataset Processing Description

Deployment-specific processing description

Dataset: Bigelow Bight_sm invertebrates
Deployment: NEC-MD2001-1