2022 Prince William Sound Forage Fish Observations

For this project, researchers conducted aerial surveys of forage fish in Prince William Sound (PWS) to identify areas where forage fish congregate.

It builds upon previous aerial forage fish surveys conducted in PWS. The aerial surveys allow for identifying forage fish schools that are in water too shallow for a survey vessel.

The objective of the work is to provide aerial surveys of forage fish schools in PWS during June to map areas that they commonly use and therefore understand the potential impacts of a spill.

This report summarizes surveys conducted in June 2022, the fourth and final year of surveys sponsored by the Council. The report also includes combined summary data from the past ten years of surveys (2013-2022) to examine areas of consistent occupancy by forage fish.