An automatic data processing system for storage and manipulation of life history, catch, and angler effort data

Abstract

Responding to a need created by voluminous collections of fish life history, catch and angler effort information, a computerized information management system was developed at the National Marine Fisheries Service laboratory in Beaufort, N.C. for use on an IBM Model 360/65 Computing System. The management system incorporates sequential data storage on disks, analytic programs written in IBM FORTRAN IV, and editing/updating programs written in American National Standard COBOL. The file creation procedure utilizes single or multiple card entry records to generate a single master record. Analytic programs generate arrays displaying fish weights and simple statistics, length-frequency distributions, catch curves, back-calculated fish lengths per annulus, back-calculated length frequency distributions, percentages sexually mature, reproductive condition, age at sexual maturity (using gonad index), occurrence and abundance.