BACKGROUND: The Gulf of Maine Research Institute (GMRI) in Portland, Maine is the coordinating organization for the Northeast Regional Cod Tagging Program. The program, funded by NOAA Fisheries, was developed to resolve the many conflicting theories on how Atlantic cod move in the Gulf of Maine, and neighboring Canadian and southern New England waters. "Researchers need in-depth, accurate information throughout the Gulf of Maine to assist in monitoring and improving this important fishing resource," said Dr. Shelly Tallack, Program Manager at GMRI. Scientists will analyze the program's data to answer many questions about Atlantic cod, such as: Has the distribution and migration changed over the years? Are there separate inshore and offshore cod populations? How fast do cod grow in the Gulf of Maine? Where and when do spawning cod appear? Do movements change according to depth and water temperature?

The ArcIMS Site

ArcIMS works well with ArcSDE for data storage, is customizable to meet GMRI's needs, and offers wide distribution that cannot be found with desktop applications. On the website, visitors can view release and recapture locations of all fish tagged to-date. Researchers using the website can query the cod database and display only fish that meet certain criteria, such as those tagged by a specific organization or during a particular time frame. Using these tools, researchers can look for seasonal patterns of movement and other trends. Fish that have been recaptured can be linked back to their release location and queried to display their release date, percent growth since release, and distance traveled. Users can also create a printable map with this information.

Equally as important as the mapping capabilities are the site's recapture reporting tools for those who find a tagged cod. Each tag includes the website address and a phone number. Fish finders can use the website to input the tag number and coordinates of the capture location. The initial tagging location of "their" cod is then displayed on the map. Finders can also create a printable map which includes other information about their cod such as what organization tagged it and when it was released.