Reconstruction of long-term time series for commercial fisheries abundance and estuarine pollution loadings

Time series from 1880–1980 for the commercial landings of 35 species and associated fishing effort were reconstructed for the Hudson-Raritan Estuary, Potomac River, Delaware River, Connecticut River and Narragansett Bay. Time series for the same period were developed for indices representing pollutant loadings, developmental activities and habitat alterations for the five target river basins. These indices included representations of demography, sewage and industrial loadings, habitat factors, and nutrient, carbon, and sediment inputs. These data were the result of intensive data collection effort using county, state, and federal records to ascertain activities along individual water basins through time. Direct measures of loadings were used when available, and indirect indicators of loadings were implemented where appropriate. Missing data points from climatic and pollution time series were estimated by statistical modeling, interpolation, and assumption. A probabilistic method was developed to estimate relative stock abundance for each target species-estuary combination using estuarine-specific landings, regional landings, regional catch-by-gear, and regional effort.