PROGRESS IN BIOLOGICAL INQUIRIES, 1956 lI 
were made, distributed over the area from South Channel to Browns 
Bank, and extensive haddock material was obtained, consisting of 
5,654 length measurements, 3,858 scale samples, samples of stomach 
contents, ‘and other data. In ‘addition, considerable material was ob- 
tained on other species, and water temperatures for surface, bakin 
and intermediate depths were recorded for all stations. 
The Adlantis trip provided excellent data on the age and distribu- 
tion of haddock in the Georges Bank region as well as more limited 
material for the southern part of Browns Bank. In the former area 
the largest numbers of haddock of commercial sizes (3-year fish and 
older) were found on central and northeastern Georges; 2-year fish 
were most abundant on the central part; and 1-year fish were found 
along the eastern and southeastern edge of the bank out to 60 fathoms. 
Asa general rule, 1-year fish occurred in deeper water than the older 
fish. On the southern part of the bank, 1-year fish averaged 4 cm 
longer than those on the northeastern part. Material from Browns 
Bank indicates that this area may be a nursery ground for a consid- 
erable popil'ation of young fish. Of 910 haddock taken in 12 complete 
Pais 52, aE cent were 1-year, 36 percent were 2-year, and the remainder 
mainly 3- and 4-year fish. The growth rate was found to be much 
slower than on Georges Bank. One-year haddock averaged 16.5 em 
long compared to 20.7 cm for Georges Bank; 2-year fish, 24.4 em 
compared to 36.8 cm; and 3-year fish, 35.2 em compared to 46.6 em. 
Georges Bank and adjace nt areas.—Analysis of the catch records of 
two groups of commercial trawlers for 1936 showed that the average 
daily catch per unit of fishing effort on the New England Banks (Are ea 
X XII—South, consisting of Georges Bank, South ‘Channel, and Nan- 
tucket Shoals) was about 5 percent higher than in 1935, making 1936 
the third successive year of the pr esent upward trend. The j improve- 
ment was due to the highest avundance of scrod in 10 years, which 
more than offset a slight decline in the abundance of large haddock. 
The high scrod catch resulted from exceptionally good year classes 
spawned i in 1933 and 1934. In the fall and winter of the year there 
also was a considerable concentration of fishing activity on schools 
of eur haddock of the 1935 class. These fish were less than 2 years 
old and averaged about 14 inches in length and 1 pound in weight. 
As a result of the improved catches in Area XXII—South and 
somewhat reduced catches on the Nova Scotian Banks, the shift of 
fishing activities to the former area continued. Whereas, in 1935, 63 
million pounds of haddock (40 percent of the total) came from Area 
XX1Ii-South, in 1936 75 million pounds (about 53 percent) came 
from this area. A substantial increase in the total catch of these 
banks had been predicted in Progress in Biological Inquiries for 
1935. 
In previous reports it has been stated that the success of the fishery 
on the New England Banks is dependent on two factors: First, the 
Be at which the commercial stock declines as the result of atch and 
natural mortality; and second, the contribution to the commercial 
xo ‘k from the young haddock spawned 3 years earlier. Results from 
1936 indicate that for the future the second part must be amended to 
include haddock spawned 2 years earlier, for during the summer and 
fall of 1936 a large part of the scrod c: atch was made up of 1934-class 
haddock. 
