# Run Both Instruments, or Lose the Record > When a machine takes a ship's place on a fish survey, how do you tell a change in the fish from a change in the instrument? Published 2026-09-06 by Alaska AI. 9 slides. Canonical: https://alaskaaihq.com/archive/2026-09-06/ ## The story Two instruments on the same line, in parallel. That's the bill. The new instrument is allowed to be different. "Consistency in information that FIS data products provide is more important than consistency in FIS methods." Agreement is bought. It is never assumed. The framework calls for "incremental incorporation and calibration of new technologies" rather than "a wholesale replacement of existing methods that would disrupt the historical baseline of a time series" (C05). The most common way to do it is to run the old method and the new one in parallel for a fixed period (C07). Ground the net can't cross. The camera can see it. It can't hold it. NOAA says the camera techniques "are not intended to replace hands-on sampling because physical specimens are essential for critical data, including age, feeding habits, and body condition" (C20). A near-infrared machine reads an otolith in 30 to 50 seconds, more than 10 times faster than a human at a microscope (C18). 0.006% The framework's own figure for the share of total Alaska seabed area that bottom trawl survey gear contacts, offered against calls to ban extractive sampling (C08). The record is being pulled from two sides at once. The framework lists funding, vessel availability, new sampling objectives and new technology as human forces that break a time series (C09). NOAA says fish populations have shifted into deeper water or farther north where surveys have not traditionally been conducted (C12). Twelve days later, the same question, on a smaller boat. On September 15th, 2026 the North Pacific Council's Partial Coverage Fishery Monitoring Advisory Committee reviews the draft 2027 Annual Deployment Plan (C22, C23). The 2026 plan defines a no selection pool, vessels with no probability of carrying an observer or an electronic monitoring system on any trip that season (C28). The committee takes comment letters. The draft 2027 Annual Deployment Plan had not yet been posted on the meeting page as of September 6th, 2026 (C25). The Federal Register notice says public comment letters will be accepted and should be submitted electronically through the meeting page (C24). ## What we verified - NOAA Fisheries published a feature story on the future of fisheries-independent surveys on September 3rd, 2026. [NOAA Fisheries](https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/feature-story/charting-future-fisheries-independent-surveys), primary document, 2026-09-03. - Stan Kotwicki of the Alaska Fisheries Science Center is the lead author of the new fisheries-independent survey framework. [NOAA Fisheries](https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/feature-story/charting-future-fisheries-independent-surveys), primary document, 2026-09-03. - The framework paper carries 23 named authors. [ICES Journal of Marine Science, Oxford University Press](https://academic.oup.com/icesjms/article/83/7/fsag134/8735857), primary document, 2026-07-16. - The framework was published in the ICES Journal of Marine Science, Volume 83 Issue 7, on July 16th, 2026. [ICES Journal of Marine Science, Oxford University Press](https://academic.oup.com/icesjms/article/83/7/fsag134/8735857), primary document, 2026-07-16. - The framework's stated conclusion is that survey modernization works best through incremental incorporation and calibration rather than wholesale replacement. [ICES Journal of Marine Science, Oxford University Press](https://academic.oup.com/icesjms/article/83/7/fsag134/8735857), primary document, 2026-07-16. - The framework states that consistency in the information the survey data products provide matters more than consistency in survey methods. [ICES Journal of Marine Science, Oxford University Press](https://academic.oup.com/icesjms/article/83/7/fsag134/8735857), primary document, 2026-07-16. - The framework says the most common way to implement incremental survey change is to run old and new methods in parallel for a fixed period. [ICES Journal of Marine Science, Oxford University Press](https://academic.oup.com/icesjms/article/83/7/fsag134/8735857), primary document, 2026-07-16. - The framework reports that Alaska bottom trawl fisheries-independent surveys contact less than 0.006 percent of total seabed area. [ICES Journal of Marine Science, Oxford University Press](https://academic.oup.com/icesjms/article/83/7/fsag134/8735857), primary document, 2026-07-16. - The framework lists funding, vessel availability, new sampling objectives and new technology among the anthropogenic forces that can break the continuity of a survey time series. [ICES Journal of Marine Science, Oxford University Press](https://academic.oup.com/icesjms/article/83/7/fsag134/8735857), primary document, 2026-07-16. - Kotwicki said the new tools have the potential to alleviate some challenges facing the survey enterprise and that maintaining data consistency and continuity is critical. [NOAA Fisheries](https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/feature-story/charting-future-fisheries-independent-surveys), primary document, 2026-09-03. - Kotwicki said the research recommends prioritizing calibration and comparison when implementing new methods. [NOAA Fisheries](https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/feature-story/charting-future-fisheries-independent-surveys), primary document, 2026-09-03. - NOAA states that fish populations have shifted into deeper waters or farther north where surveys have not traditionally been conducted. [NOAA Fisheries](https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/feature-story/charting-future-fisheries-independent-surveys), primary document, 2026-09-03. - NOAA states that portions of survey areas have become inaccessible to traditional survey methods because of energy development or conservation needs. [NOAA Fisheries](https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/feature-story/charting-future-fisheries-independent-surveys), primary document, 2026-09-03. - The framework was developed by collaborators from NOAA Fisheries, Earth Sciences New Zealand, the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife, Norway's Institute for Marine Research and France's Institut Francais de Recherche pour l'Exploitation de la Mer. [NOAA Fisheries](https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/feature-story/charting-future-fisheries-independent-surveys), primary document, 2026-09-03. - NOAA compared eDNA estimates from 2019 to 2023 against acoustic biomass trends and the two together were given more weight than other data sources in the Pacific hake stock assessment model. [NOAA Fisheries](https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/feature-story/charting-future-fisheries-independent-surveys), primary document, 2026-09-03. - NOAA deployed Saildrones for an acoustic-only survey of midwater pollock in the Bering Sea when surveys were curtailed by the COVID-19 pandemic. [NOAA Fisheries](https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/feature-story/charting-future-fisheries-independent-surveys), primary document, 2026-09-03. - NOAA says uncrewed surface vehicles working in tandem with NOAA ships on Alaska pollock acoustic surveys cover the same area in 40 percent less time than a ship working alone. [NOAA Fisheries Alaska Regional Office](https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/alaska/sustainable-fisheries/innovative-technologies-expand-research-capabilities-alaska-marine-ecosystems), primary document, 2026-04-21. - NOAA says near-infrared machine ageing determines a fish age in 30 to 50 seconds per otolith, more than 10 times faster than humans using microscopes. [NOAA Fisheries Alaska Regional Office](https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/alaska/sustainable-fisheries/innovative-technologies-expand-research-capabilities-alaska-marine-ecosystems), primary document, 2026-04-21. - NOAA describes 3D stereo camera systems developed at the Alaska Fisheries Science Center as remote sampling tools used for surveying untrawlable fish habitat. [NOAA Fisheries Alaska Regional Office](https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/alaska/sustainable-fisheries/innovative-technologies-expand-research-capabilities-alaska-marine-ecosystems), primary document, 2026-04-21. - NOAA says stereo camera techniques for North Pacific rockfish are not intended to replace hands-on sampling because physical specimens are essential for age, feeding habits and body condition. [NOAA Fisheries](https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/feature-story/charting-future-fisheries-independent-surveys), primary document, 2026-09-03. - The Federal Register published a notice of virtual meeting for the North Pacific Fishery Management Council's Partial Coverage Fishery Monitoring Advisory Committee on August 31st, 2026. [Federal Register, via GPO govinfo](https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/FR-2026-08-31/html/2026-17762.htm), primary document, 2026-08-31. - The committee meeting is set for Tuesday September 15th, 2026 from 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. Alaska Time. [Federal Register, via GPO govinfo](https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/FR-2026-08-31/html/2026-17762.htm), primary document, 2026-08-31. - The published agenda for the September 2026 meeting includes review of the draft 2027 Annual Deployment Plan. [Federal Register, via GPO govinfo](https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/FR-2026-08-31/html/2026-17762.htm), primary document, 2026-08-31. - The meeting is held online only and the Federal Register notice states that public comment letters will be accepted and should be submitted electronically through the meeting page. [Federal Register, via GPO govinfo](https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/FR-2026-08-31/html/2026-17762.htm), primary document, 2026-08-31. - As of September 6th, 2026 the NPFMC meeting portal for the September 15th meeting lists only a schedule document and no downloadable draft 2027 Annual Deployment Plan. [North Pacific Fishery Management Council](https://meetings.npfmc.org/Meeting/Details/7158), primary document, 2026-08-31. - The final 2026 Annual Deployment Plan for Observers and Electronic Monitoring in the Groundfish and Halibut Fisheries off Alaska is dated January 2026. [NOAA Fisheries Alaska Regional Office](https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/resource/document/2026-annual-deployment-plan-observers-and-electronic-monitoring-groundfish-and), primary document, 2026-01-01. - NMFS expected to monitor 1,473 trips in the partial coverage component of the observer program in 2026, out of 4,341 trips across the whole program. [NOAA Fisheries Alaska Regional Office](https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/resource/document/2026-annual-deployment-plan-observers-and-electronic-monitoring-groundfish-and), primary document, 2026-01-01. - The 2026 plan defines the no-selection pool as vessels with no probability of carrying an observer or electronic monitoring system on any trip that season. [NOAA Fisheries Alaska Regional Office](https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/resource/document/2026-annual-deployment-plan-observers-and-electronic-monitoring-groundfish-and), primary document, 2026-01-01. - The North Pacific Observer Program's partial coverage category is divided into a No Selection pool, an EM Trip Selection pool and an Observer Trip Selection pool. [NOAA Fisheries Alaska Regional Office](https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/alaska/fisheries-observers/north-pacific-observer-program), primary document, 2025-04-10. - NOAA says the North Pacific Observer Program trains, briefs, debriefs and oversees more than 450 observers annually. [NOAA Fisheries Alaska Regional Office](https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/alaska/fisheries-observers/north-pacific-observer-program), primary document, 2025-04-10. - Commercial landings of Alaska pollock from the Bering Sea and Gulf of Alaska totaled over 3 billion pounds in 2024 and were valued at approximately 432 million dollars. [NOAA Fisheries](https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/species/alaska-pollock), primary document, 2026-08-11. - NOAA reported in December 2024 that model projections show most of eight studied Alaska species shifting their summer distributions north by between 50 and 200 kilometers by 2080 to 2089. [NOAA Fisheries](https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/feature-story/some-fish-and-crab-may-shift-further-north-alaskan-waters-previously-predicted), primary document, 2024-12-17. - Twelve days separate NOAA's September 3rd, 2026 framework story and the September 15th, 2026 committee meeting on the draft 2027 deployment plan. [Federal Register, via GPO govinfo](https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/FR-2026-08-31/html/2026-17762.htm), primary document, 2026-08-31. Slides and the deck PDF are linked from the canonical page.