AFSC Divisions and Laboratories
The Auke Bay Laboratories (ABL) conducts
scientific research on fish stocks, fish habitats, and the chemistry of marine
environments. Information from this research is widely used by commercial interests
such as fishing industries, and governmental agencies involved in managing
The Fisheries Monitoring and Analysis Division monitors
groundfish fishing activities in the US EEZ off Alaska and conducts research
associated with sampling commercial fishery catches, estimation of catch and
bycatch mortality, and analysis of fishery-dependent data. The Division
is responsible for training, briefing, debriefing and oversight of observers
who collect catch data onboard fishing vessels and at onshore processing plants
and for quality control/quality assurance of the data provided by these observers.
The National Marine Mammal Laboratory
(NMML) conducts research on marine mammals, with particular attention
to issues related to marine mammals off the coasts of Oregon, Washington
and Alaska. Information is provided to various U.S. governmental and international
organizations to assist in developing rational and appropriate management
regimes for marine resources under NOAA's jurisdiction.
The Resource Assessment and Conservation Engineering
Division (RACE) conducts fishery surveys to measure the distribution
and abundance of approximately 40 commercially important fish and crab stocks.
Data derived from these surveys are supplied to fishery managers and agencies
and to the commercial fishing industry.
The Resource Ecology and Fisheries
Management Division (REFM) collects data to support management of Northeast
Pacific and eastern Bering Sea fish and crab resources. Stock assessments
are developed annually and used to set catch quotas. Division scientists
also evaluate how fish stocks and user groups might be affected by fishery