IMIS

The Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, Regulation and Enforcement (BOEMRE, formerly Minerals Management Service, MMS), Anchorage, Alaska OCS Region funded a pilot survey in 2008 of the offshore marine fishes of the Beaufort Sea. This was the first offshore marine fish survey to have taken place since an opportunistic survey in 1977 (Frost and Lowry 1983). This pilot survey provided recommendations for future monitoring methods in addition to baseline data against which to compare future anthropogenic and climate impacts. Demersal fish and benthic invertebrates were assessed using standardized bottom trawl gear and methods. Demersal fish made up 6% of the demersal trawl catch by weight, and invertebrates made up the remaining 94% of the catch. A total of 32 fish were identified to species, two were identified to genus and 1 to family, and 174 taxa of invertebrates were identified.