Fish egg and fish larvae data
have been collected in the ICES area for a long time for use in stock
assessments and fisheries management. The collection of the data is
usually organized by international survey expert groups. The Eggs and
Larvae database aims to store, and make available, data collected by
ichthyoplankton surveys for use by ICES and the wider marine community.
It provides an overview of available fish egg and larvae survey data, and a unified portal for access to the ichthyoplankton survey
data.
The surveys currently included are:
- North Sea cod and plaice egg surveys (CP-EGGS, 2004, 2009)
The survey aims at studying fish egg and larval distributions in the winter in the North Sea, target species are cod and plaice. The program is steered by the WGEGGS. - Atlantic Anguilla surveys (EEL, 1863-2007)
This historical dataset includes data gathered from various surveys conducted in different times in North Atlantic. The surveys were focused on different stages of eel larvae. The ICES group taking care of the data is WGEEL.
- The International Herring Larvae Surveys (IHLS, 1967-present)
The ICES programme of international herring larval surveys in the North Sea and adjacent areas is in operation since 1967. The main purpose of this programme is to provide quantitative estimates of herring larval abundance, which are used as a relative index of changes of the herring spawning‐stock biomass in the assessment. The database contains information about the surveys conducted since 1972. ICES responsible group for the dataset is WGIPS.
- Mackerel and horse mackerel eggs (MEGS, 1992-present)
The survey existed since 1968. It is carried out every 3 years in the north eastern Atlantic. The year after the Atlantic survey, a mackerel egg survey is conducted in the North Sea. The survey creates a basis for the stock assessment of Atlantic and North Sea mackerel and management plan for Atlantic horse mackerel. We expect to have the historical MEGS data uploaded very soon. The database contains information about the surveys conducted since 1992 in the new format. The group responsible for the survey is WGMEGS. - Rügen Herring Larvae Survey (RHLS, 1992-2014)
Dataset with abundance and growth data of the western Baltic spring spawning herring in the main spawning area Greifswald Bay. The yearly survey is carried out by the Thünen Institute of Baltic Sea Fisheries once per week during the herring spawning season from March to June. The survey provides the base for an annual recruitment index (N20) used for the assessment of this herring stock. WGIPS is the ICES group responsible for this dataset.
- Gulf of Riga Larvae survey (GORL, 2004-2013)
Dataset provided to ICES by the Estonian Marine Institute with ichthyoplankton records from the Gulf of Riga (Baltic Sea).
