Applications of Remote Sensing in Detecting Mesoscale Features in the Gulf of Alaska

Fisheries managers today are tasked with utilizing stock assessment models to evaluate current conditions of fish populations. Currently, remote sensing technologies are evaluated with a decision matrix scenario for potential incorporation into stock assessments. Knowing which remote sensing instruments work best for fisheries management is imperative. For example, Synthetic Aperture Radar is the forefront of accurately detecting mesoscale oceanic features such as eddies and prevailing current systems without the interference of atmospheric anomalies. Here, various satellite products are tested to assess the presence of mesoscale oceanographic features that may influence the distribution of larval groundfish and hence recruitment in the Alaskan fisheries. This study champions a qualitative method for evaluating coastal eddy systems and their correlation to various recorded locations of highly valuable commercial groundfish species.