Gearing up: Methods for quantifying gear density for fixed-gear commercial fisheries in the U.S. Atlantic

Fixed-gear commercial fisheries are unique due to their occupancy nature, claiming areas of the ocean for discrete periods. As space conflicts arise from competing ocean uses, there is an increased need to understand and categorize fixed-gear fisheries to incorporate into marine spatial planning (MSP) efforts. We used fishery-dependent data and input from stakeholders to discern fleet dynamics of all gillnet and trap/pot fisheries in U.S. waters of the Northwest Atlantic Ocean. A Fixed-Gear Fishery Layer (FGFL) was developed combining fishery subgroups that were categorized around gear type, gear configuration, and species landed. Fishing effort from each subgroup was spatially allocated onto a 1 nm 2 (1.9 km 2 ) grid using methods that relied on the level of detail available from trip reporting and monitoring, each with differing degrees of spatial resolution. This stepwise process allowed trips reported with minimal spatial detail to be included while not compromising trips where greater spatial precision existed. We demonstrate how the FGFL has been used for two MSP projects focused on protected species conservation and wind energy development.