INTRODUCTION 



This report is the last in a series of documents provided to the Bureau 

 of Land Management (BLM) summarizing the historic trawl survey catch data for 

 the Mid-Atlantic shelf filed at the Northeast Fisheries Center (NEFC), Woods 

 Hole Laboratory. Earlier submissions to the BLM consisted of detailed 

 computer printouts of the trawl data base including catch records and 

 environmental information. 



The purpose of this report is to provide the reader with an understanding 

 of the seasonal distributions of some important finfish and shellfish species 

 found in the Mid-Atlantic Bight area. This report does not assess or predict 

 the potential impact or effects of mineral resource exploitation on these 

 populations. Spring and autumn catch records for 22 selected species (Table 

 1) are summarized and presented in coastal map plots and graphs. Cumulative 

 distribution plots and graphs show the mean weight and number per tow, length 

 frequencies by six geographical areas, and percentage occurrence of young-of- 

 the-year by stratum. The report includes all cruises from the autumn of 1967 

 through the autumn of 1979 (Table 2). 



Attached as an appendix is a report summarizing gonad-somatic indices 

 from a special monthly study in the New York Bight. 



