460 
Fishery Bulletin 108(4) 
ences in sampling effort. Stein et al. 
(2004a) reported that MA ports have one 
of the highest cumulative catches of Atlan- 
tic sturgeon. This high rate contrasts 
with that for the MADMF bottom trawl 
survey, during which virtually no Atlantic 
sturgeon were captured. The discrepancy 
between reports of Atlantic sturgeon in 
MA waters likely comes from the timing of 
sampling. Stein et al. (2004a) showed the 
highest bycatch rates in June and Novem- 
ber for bottom trawl fisheries, whereas the 
MADMF survey took place during May 
and September. Any aggregations and 
dispersal of Atlantic sturgeon within MA 
marine waters may occur at spatial and 
temporal scales that are missed by the 
survey. The absence of Atlantic sturgeon 
during the MADMF survey does, however, 
indicate lower abundance within the area 
surveyed during comparable time frames 
because Atlantic sturgeon are captured 
at relatively high rates by other surveys 
during this period. More work should be 
done to monitor Atlantic sturgeon habitat 
during other months not typically sampled 
by the MADMF survey because it is pos- 
sible that Atlantic sturgeon are present in 
higher concentrations during months that 
are not routinely sampled. 
The NMFS survey missed critical ar- 
eas for Atlantic sturgeon because inshore 
areas in certain regions could not be 
sampled. Such areas include important 
overwintering habitat identified within 
this study in NY waters and by Laney et 
al. (2007) in VA and NC waters, in addi- 
tion to critical habitat within the GOM. 
The ME-NH inshore bottom trawl survey 
was used to identify the Kennebec es- 
tuarine complex as an important concentration 
area for Atlantic sturgeon within the GOM re- 
gion because shallower areas are sampled with 
this survey. During additional inshore surveys, 
such as the Northeast Fisheries Sciences Center 
(NEFSC) industry-based surveys for cod ( Gadus 
morhua) and yellowtail ( Limanda ferruginea), 
Atlantic sturgeon have been captured between 
the Saco and Kennebec rivers in fall, winter, 
and spring (Fig. 9A; W. Kramer, personal com- 
mun. 5 ). Stein et al. (2004a, 2004b) also showed 
that Atlantic sturgeon are captured as bycatch 
within this region in sink gillnets. The depth 
distribution of Atlantic sturgeon within the 
GOM was deeper than that for the other coast-wide 
captures, but similar to those reported for green 
70°20'W 
70°0'W 
69°40'W 
74°0'W 
73°50'W 
73°40'W 
5 Kramer, William. 2009. NOAA Fisheries Service, Ecosystems 
Survey Branch, 166 Water St., Woodshole, MA 02543. 
Figure 9 
Number of captures of Atlantic sturgeon ( Acipenser oxyrin- 
clius) determined from (A) the Gulf of Maine from the Maine- 
New Hampshire bottom trawl surveys (gray circles) and 
from the Northeast Fisheries Science Center industry-based 
surveys for cod (Gadus morhua) and yellowtail (Limanda 
ferruginea) (black circles) and (B) Sandy Hook, NJ and 
Rockaway NY, including all captures from the National 
Marine Fisheries Service bottom trawl survey. New Jersey 
Department of Environmental Protection finfish survey, 
and New York bottom trawl survey. Dotted lines in both 
panels represent suggested closed areas for habitat protec- 
tion. Note different scales in figure. 
sturgeon (Erickson and Hightower, 2007) in that both 
species occupied areas of shallow depth in relation to 
the bathymetric characteristics of the region. There 
has not been sufficient inshore trawling conducted 
during the winter and summer to validate whether 
the GOM is important year-round habitat. 
