A review of O-Group surveys in the Iceland-East Greenland area in the years 1970-1975

Since 1965 annual attempts have been made to estimate the abundance of late summer and early autumn fish fry in the Barents Sea and adjacent waters. The project has involved scientists and vessels of a number of nationalities. Following the very promising results from these surveys it was decided at the Statutory Meeting of the International Council for the Exploration of the Sea in the autumn of 1969 to initiate a similar project in the waters around Iceland, in the Irminger Sea and off East Greenland to see how the Barents Sea methods worked in these areas. Investigations of this kind require that the survey area is covered in as short a time as possible and multinational participation was obtained and arranged through the Council. 

Five nations have participated in the Iceland/East Greenland/Irminger Sea surveys from time to time. The work mainly took place in August with additional effort in some years in July and September. The scattering of the effort was both for experimental purposes and due to occasional difficulties in finding survey time in the crowded schedules that most research vessels have. 

Participation, timing and coverage of the various cruises are summarised in Appendix 1. 

At the end of each year's survey, the results were evaluated, a report written and submitted to ICES Statutory Meeting in the autumn of the same year. In 1972 and 1973 Faroe waters were included in the project. It was then decided, however, to discontinue this combination and separate reports from the Faroe area have been submitted to the Council since 1972. 

The following is a review of the 0-group abundance of some of the most important fish species in Iceland and East Greenland/Irminger Sea waters during the six year period 1970-75· An attempt is made to obtain an estimate of yearly fluctuations in their 0-group year class strength and, when possible, to correlate these estimates to actual year class strength later in life. An evaluation of this technique for estimating year class strength is made and some needed future adaptations will be considered.