5. Estimates of biomass

First provisional estimates of the biomass are: (thousand tonnes)

	Sardines	Mackerel	Horse mackerel
Main coverage	700	90	120
First detailed cov.	870
Second detailed cov.	1050
Detailed cov. combined	960	70	20

As shown the estimate on sardines for the whole shelf is less than for the nearshore areas. This is due to undersampling in the dense areas during the main coverage. All coverages combined give an estimate of 1040 thousand tonnes of sardine for the shelf between Agadir and Cape Juby.

The above estimates expressed in standard units are: (1-10 × m² reflected energy)

	Sardines	Mackerel	Horse mackerel
Main coverage	242449	31095	42485
First detailed cov.	299838
Second detailed cov.	361299
Detailed cov. combined	330568	24895	6327
All cov. combined	358477

The abundance is distributed on density categories as follows: (%)

All coverages combined

	Sardines	Mackerel	Horse mackerel
Scattered (1-30 mm)	3	73	100
Aggregated (30-100 mm)	8	27
Dense (100-300 mm)	73
Very dense (>300 mm)	16
	100	100	100

The rest of the data awaits further analysis and results will be submitted in the final report.

Figure 1. Cruise track and stations worked during the main coverage.

Figure 2. Cruise track and stations worked during the detailed coverages.

Figure 3. Cruise track and stations during the repeated special studies. The fixed track is from A to B.

Figure 4. Temperature distribution in the surface layer.

Figure 5. Distribution of sardine during the main coverage.

Figure 6. Distribution of sardine during the first detailed coverage.

Figure 7. Distribution of sardine during the second detailed coverage.

Figure 8. Distribution of Scomber japonicus during the main coverage.

Figure 9. Distribution of Scomber japonicus during the detailed coverages.

Figure 10. Distribution of Trachurus trachurus during the main coverages.

Figure 11. Distribution of Trachurus trachurus during the detailed coverages.

Sardina pilchardus (pooled data)

Morocco Sep. 1986
MEAN LENGTH = 17,8 cm N = 3019
MODES: , 13 cm, 18 cm
NUMBER OF SUBSAMPLES: 32

Scomber japonicus (pooled data)

Morocco Sep. 1986
MEAN LENGTH = 17,6 cm N = 1456
MODES: , 18 cm
NUMBER OF SUBSAMPLES: 24
LOWEST STATION: 153 HIGHEST STATION: 192

Trachurus trachurus (pooled data)

Morocco Sep. 1986
MEAN LENGTH = 17,6 cm N = 640
MODES: , 14 cm, 19 cm
NUMBER OF SUBSAMPLES: 10