Ocean Stock Assessment Program: June 2023

[NJDFW]

NJ Fish and Wildlife’s Marine Resources Administration completed its third Ocean Stock Assessment survey of 2023 in June.

Figure 1 – A Common Octopus (Octopus vulgaris) that was observed during the June 2023 survey and safely released back into the ocean.

The average bottom water temperature for the sampling area was approximately 60 degrees Fahrenheit, which was five degrees warmer than the average temperature of the last five years.

The total weight of the organisms sampled amounted to 40,465 pounds, which surpassed the average of the previous five years by more than 12,000 pounds. This weight exceeded the highest biomass recorded during those years by almost 4,000 pounds.

Some notable catches during the survey included eight Atlantic sturgeon, all of which were tagged and released, as well as a variety of shark species. Shark species encountered included two Atlantic angel sharks, a dusky shark, two sandbar sharks, a common thresher shark, and two white sharks, also known as “Great Whites”. The survey has only observed three white sharks since its inception in 1989. The first sighting occurred in 2011, followed by the second and third sightings in June 2023. The white sharks observed in June were two feet larger than the shark recorded in 2011, measuring 6-1/2 feet in 2023 as opposed to 4-1/2 feet in 2011.

Figure 2 – A common heart urchin or “sea potato” (Echinocardium cordatum).

Finally, a fun oddity encountered (which was a first for the survey) was a common heart urchin, also known as a sea potato, (pictured on the left). Although they are native to the east coast of the United States, common heart urchins are most commonly found in Europe.

The latest Ocean Stock Assessment survey occurred in late August of 2023. Stay tuned for more updates on the findings from the August survey.

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