Fisheries dictionary

AREA SWEPT

area swept: translation

In reference to a demersal trawl, it is the area of the sea floor over which the net is dragged during its operation, and is estimated by multiplying the width of the net mouth by the distance the net is dragged. From data on the densities of fish caught in a unit area swept, an estimate of the biomass in that part of the sea can be obtained.

  1. area swept—area swept translationthe area of the sea floor over which the fishing gear such as a trawl is dragged during its operation. The area is equal to the effective horizontal...Dictionary of ichthyology