DISTRIBUTION OF FISH EGGS AND LARVAE, 



TEMPERATURE, AND SALINITY IN THE 



GEORGES BANK-GULF OF MAINE AREA, 



1956 



by 



Robert R. Marak,' John B. Colton, Jr., Donald B. Foster,' 



and David Miller 



Fishery Research Biologists 



Bureau of Commercial Fisheries 



U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service 



Woods Hole, Massachusetts 



ABSTRACT 



Basic data on the distribution of fish eggs and larvae in the Georges Bank-Gulf 

 of Maine area were collected on surveys made by the Bureau of Commercial Fish- 

 eries research' vessel Albatross III during the spring of 1956. The data are pre- 

 sented in tabular and graphic form. Plots and tables of surface temperature and 

 salinity are also included. 



INTRODUCTION 



This is the third in a series of reports 

 presenting basic data on fish egg and larvae 

 surveys nnade on the research vessel 

 Albatross III in the Georges Bank-Gulf of Maine 

 area. 



Information on the background of the sur- 

 veys, objectives, methods, and procedures 

 followed at sea and in the laboratory are 

 given in the report for 1953 (Marak and 

 Colton, 1961). 



COLLECTION OF DATA 



Five cruises were naade during the spring 

 of 1956: cruise no. 71; February 20-March 2; 

 cruise no. 72, March 21-31; cruise no. 73, 

 April 17-28; cruise no. 75, May 16-29; and 

 cruise no. 76, June 11-24. The June cruise 

 was added to the progrann this year to try 

 and obtain more information on the distribu- 

 tion of haddock larvae. 



The procedure involved continuous tow- 

 ing of the Hardy Plankton Recorder' {Hardy, 



' Temporarily detailed to Bureau of Commercial Fisheries Biologi- 

 cal Laboratory, Auke Bay, Alaska. 



' Presently employed at the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, 

 Woods Hole, Massachusetts. 



'No. 3 silk was used in making the gauzes for the Hardy Plankton 

 Recorder. 



1936 and 1939) at the surface and 10 meters, 

 bathythermograph lowerings, surface temper- 

 ature and salinity observations, drift bottle 

 releases, and surface tows with a 1 -meter 

 net.* 



A list of the species of fish eggs and larvae 

 (with species code letters used in the tables) 

 collected during the 1956 survey cruises is 

 given in table 1. 



Data for temperature and salinity observa- 

 tions in relation to 1 -meter tows and Hardy 

 Plankton Recorder gauze sections are given 

 in tables 2-6. 



The cruise plan and methods (Hardy Plank- 

 ton Recorder, 1 -meter net tows, and drift 

 bottles) used aboard ship for the collection 

 of data presented in this report are the same 

 as those followed in the spring of 1953 (Marak 

 and Colton, 1961). 



A more complete coverage of the eastern 

 and southern edge of Georges Bank, Browns 

 Bank, and penetration into the Bay of Fundy 

 was made in 1956 in an attempt to gain more 

 information on the drift of fish eggs and 

 larvae. Drift bottle recoveries fronn previous 

 surveys suggested considerable movement of 



* No. silk was used in the 1-meter net. 



