effort. Results showed that the present program of uniform effort 

 between strata (approximately 13 days/month) has a precision value of 

 0.79. As expected this is similar to the factor (0.80) for 3 days per 

 week mentioned previously. Results were the same when data from indivi- 

 dual years (1978 and 1980) were used. The present sample schedule when 

 optimized, (redistributing effort to months with larger variances), 

 results in a precision factor increase to 0.88. A program of optimum 

 sample distribution with 40% less effort (92/156 days) would yield 

 approximately the same precision value as the current program (Tables 4 

 and 5). A specialized application of this analysis using only winter 

 flounder data, is found in the Winter Flounder Program Review. Results 

 between these two analyses compare favorably with only a slight difference 

 in sample distribution among months (strata) . 



Length Measurement 



From January 1973 to April 1975, species length information was 

 recorded by length categories to facilitate reporting and monitoring of 

 ETS limitations (Table 1). However, this practice did not provide 

 accurate descriptions of the sizes of the various species impinged. 

 Length measurements were reinstituted in May 1975 (Table 1) . Lengths 

 were also recorded prior to 1973. To determine the adequacy of the 

 present practice of measuring up to 50 individuals per sample, a chi- 

 square test for homogeneity between distributions (PROC FREQ, Helwig and 

 Council 1979) was performed on selected, abundant species impinged at 

 Unit 2 during 1977-78. Species selected were those impinged at a rate 

 greater than 50 per day. During 1977-78, 100+ individual lengths per 

 species were recorded. Twelve dates where the number of lengths 



