Introduction

These reports provides contextual ecosystem information for the following stocks found on the Northeast U.S. Continental Shelf. Data extractions for spring and fall are confined to the relevant stock areas based on respective survey strata sets. The information is intended to span a range of potential factors affecting the productivity and distribution of each stock, including: surface and bottom temperature and salinity, chlorophyll concentration, indices of habitat, diet composition, and abundance of key zooplankton prey of larval fish. These factors can be used to qualitatively inform the interpretation of population status and/or quantitatively to improve model responsiveness to ecosystem factors. The range and complexity of ecosystem data makes it unlikely to find the most relevant and comprehensive variables with a first evaluation; this process will require an iterative approach of evaluation and feedback. Additional indices can be included to address the needs of the working group.

Available reports
Acadian redfish (Sebastes fasciatus)
Gulf of Maine/Georges Bank American lobster (Homarus americanus)
southern New England American lobster (Homarus americanus)
Atlantic halibut (Hippoglossus hippoglossus)
Atlantic herring (Clupea harengus)
Atlantic mackerel (Scomber scombrus)
Atlantic menhaden (Brevoortia tyrannus)
Atlantic wolffish (Anarhichas lupus)
black sea bass (Centropristis striata)
northern component of the black sea bass (Centropristis striata) stock
southern component of the black sea bass (Centropristis striata) stock
bluefish (Pomatomus saltatrix)
butterfish (Peprilus triacanthus)
Gulf of Maine haddock (Melanogrammus aeglefinus)
longfin inshore squid (Doryteuthis pealeii)
northern component of the monkfish (Lophius americanus) stock
southern component of the monkfish (Lophius americanus) stock
ocean pout (Zoarces americanus)
southern Georges Bank/mid-Atlantic offshore hake and silver hake (Merluccius albidus/Merluccius bilinearis)
Gulf of Maine/northern Georges Bank red hake (Urophycis chuss)
southern Georges Bank/mid-Atlantic red hake (Urophycis chuss)
scup (Stenotomus chrysops)
sea scallop (Placopecten magellanicus)
Gulf of Maine/northern Georges Bank silver hake (Merluccius bilinearis)
summer flounder (Paralichthys dentatus)
Gulf of Maine/Georges Bank windowpane (Scophthalmus aquosus)
southern New England/mid-Atlantic windowpane (Scophthalmus aquosus)
Georges Bank winter flounder (Pseudopleuronectes americanus)
Gulf of Maine winter flounder (Pseudopleuronectes americanus)
southern New England/mid-Atlantic winter flounder (Pseudopleuronectes americanus)
southern New England/mid-Atlantic yellowtail flounder (Limanda ferruginea)