Mapping the Unmappable – Spatial Processing of Fisheries-Dependent Data

Steven H. Wong, Sandra L. Aguilar, and David W. Carter
Southeast Fisheries Science Center, NMFS

NOAA Fisheries collects, manages, and analyzes long-term fisheries-dependent data sets to support ecosystem-based fisheries research and management. It is becoming increasingly important to investigate the spatial information from these data sets to improve scientific research on fisheries stock assessments, relationships between biological species and their environment, and evaluation of socioeconomic implications. The task of mapping the fisheries-dependent data sets is very difficult because (1) the lack of geographic coordinates as part of the data sets, (2) the coarse spatial resolutions of fisheries statistical grids.

Using a subset of the Marine Recreational Fishing Statistical Survey (MRFSS), the authors demonstrate how we can map recreational fishing locations by extracting spatial data from certain variables provided by anglers, such as distance from shore and fishing mode (e. g., types of boats). We will also show how we can refine the spatial resolutions of these fishing locations by using data from vessel travel information, and species-habitat associations. In addition, the authors will present ideas and samples of useful spatial queries on the fisheries-dependent data in combination with other data sets such census, and fisheries-independent surveys (e.g., aerial surveys of vessel activities). The objective of these queries is to evaluate the socioeconomic impact of fishing and fisheries management.