The MARLIN database contains datasets used in research projects that described and analysed various aspects of New Zealand commercial and research fisheries. There are four main components to MARLIN: • A searchable catalogue of the datasets, originating from scientific research projects completed for the Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI), and its predecessor Ministry of Fisheries. These datasets are now stored in Ministry data repositories. MPI contracts over 100 scientific research projects each year and many of these projects generate more than one type of data. There are over 1000 records of such datasets stored in marlin, and these records are searchable by a variety of fields including data type, species code, and project code. • A searchable catalogue of otoliths, length frequency samples, and conversion factor tests collected by fisheries observers. These records are searchable by species code, area, and date (and processed state in the case of conversion factor tests). • A description of other types of scientific/research data held by MPI that are not catalogued elsewhere within MARLIN. • A list of the codes used within New Zealand to describe species and areas. Note that MPI does not use the same species codes as the United Nation's Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO). Each dataset has spatial and temporal extents that are pertinent to the extent of each research project. Permission to view these datasets must be sought from the Research Data Manager at MPI. Some of the datasets referenced in MARLIN used data from the following databases. Acoustic (acoustic): The acoustic database stores recorded oceanographic sound data collected during acoustic biomass surveys using an echosounder either mounted on a vessel, towed by a vessel, or in a fixed location. Aerial Sightings (aer_sight): The aer_sight database contains records of search effort and sightings of pelagic schooling species (mainly skipjack tuna, kahawai, blue mackerel, jack mackerel, and trevally) from pilots spotting fish schools for purse-seine vessels around New Zealand. Specimen Ageing (age): The age database contains a catalogue of ageing material and information on the age of mostly fish derived from this material - primarily otoliths and in some instances scales, vertebrae, teeth, spines, and statoliths. The ageing material has been acquired from a variety of sources within New Zealand and covers over 50 species of fish. Beach Sampling (beach): The beach database contains data derived from beach surveys of selected shellfish species. Data include information on sampling details, catch number (by species), and other information such as length frequency samples. Marine Biodiversity and Biosecurity (biods): The biods database contains data from marine biodiversity and biosecurity surveys. It was developed in response to the Biodiversity Strategy (2000), with the aim of increasing knowledge of marine biodiversity and knowledge of invasive marine species, to assist in maintaining New Zealand's biosecurity. The database includes information on the presence/absence and spatial distribution of species. Centralised Observer Database (cod): The cod database contains data collected by Ministry of Fisheries Observers on commercial fishing vessels. cod contains the catch and effort information for observed vessels, length frequency, biological and ageing materials data for commercial species as recorded by the observers, as well as relevant trip and tow information. cod replaces the earlier observer databases obs, obs_lfs and l_line . Fisheries Oceanography (ctd): The ctd database contains conductivity, temperature, and depth readings taken from research trawl surveys from 1982. Diver Sampling (dive): The dive database contains data collected from a variety of research dive surveys conducted using various survey methods (eg. random dive, fish aggregation, and transect dive surveys) for a number of species (eg. paua, rock lobster, kina, blue cod). Deepwater Catch (dw_cdb): The dw_cdb database contains partially groomed commercial catch and effort data from deepwater fisheries (orange roughy and oreo species) used for stock assessments. Fish Catch Effort (fish_ce): The fish_ce database contains catch effort data from a variety of species. These data have been groomed as part of the stock assessment process. Heavy Metal Sampling (hmetal): The hmetal database contains information on the measured levels of mercury and other heavy metals sampled from marine species in New Zealand between 1972 and 1989. The data have been gained from a variety of sources, therefore access to this database may be restricted. Snapper Iki Sampling (iki): The iki database contains information collected by research scientists on commercial longline vessels targeting snapper for the Japanese market from December 1997 to September 1998. Additional data from trawlers and Danish seiners targeting snapper have been added also. Kina Catch Sampling (kina): The kina database contains information collected during a commercial exploratory kina diving survey conducted in Dusky Sound in 1993 and 1994. Longline Sampling (l_line): The l_line database contains comprehensive information collected by Scientific Observers placed on surface longline vessels (both foreign and domestic) in the New Zealand tuna fishery (comparable data from bottom longliners are stored in obs_lfs). Data include information on gear type, catch and effort, and incidental bycatch of protected species, including seabirds, marine mammals, and marine reptiles. This database was replaced by the cod database in 2009. Market and Shed Sampling (market): The market database contains information from a representative sample for a variety of fish species. Biological data are collected by researchers after the catch has been unloaded in a fish processing facility or shed, prior to the catch being processed for market. Marlin Metadata (marlin): The marlin database houses the metadata about Ministry of Fisheries databases and about data produced from MFish research projects. Metadata provides information about the content, quality, condition, and other characteristics of data. Marlin includes information on datatypes, data volume, and database location. Fisheries Statistics Unit Catch Effort (new_fsu): The new_fsu database contains commercial catch-effort data collected and managed by the Fisheries Statistics Unit (FSU) prior to the establishment of the QMS. The FSU was disbanded in November 1988, therefore the 1988 and 1989 datasets are generally incomplete. Statistics back to 1972 are included in this database, for some fisheries. Fisheries statistics collected prior to 1983 are referred to as ‘pre-FSU’ in the database documentation. Non-fish bycatch: The non-fish bycatch database contains data on the incidental catch of protected species such as marine mammals and seabirds reported by commercial fishers, from December 1996 to October 2008. Scientific Observer (obs): The obs database contains comprehensive catch effort data recorded by MFish (now MPI) Scientific Observers placed on trawl vessels in New Zealand fisheries, including conversion factor data. This database has been replaced by the cod database in 2008. Observer Length Frequency (obs_lfs): The obs_lfs database contains comprehensive biological (eg. length frequency, weight, gonad stage) and non-fish bycatch information collected by Scientific Observers from trawl and bottom longline vessels (additional to observer catch effort information). This database also incorporates observer-collected data from the squid fishery, which was housed in the squid database until 2001. This database was replaced by the cod database in 2008. Foveaux Strait Oyster (oyster): The oyster database contains information collected from research surveys conducted on the oyster fishery in Foveaux Strait (OYU5), in response to an outbreak of the Bonamia sp. parasite. Marine Larvae and Plankton Research (plankton): The plankton database contains information on snapper and orange roughy larvae and information on plankton density collected during research trawl surveys. Purse Seine Catch Effort (pseine): The pseine database contains a limited time series of information derived from commercial catch effort returns (CELRs) in the New Zealand purse seine fishery, mainly for kahawai. Research Database (rdb): The rdb database contains all MPI reference codes used in the collection and checking of fisheries related data. Reference codes include, for example, species codes, area codes, method codes and biological codes. Recreational Fishing (rec_data): The rec_data database contains information collected from a series of ad-hoc surveys of recreational marine fishers including diary surveys, boat-ramp surveys, and shellfish harvest surveys. Recruitment (recruit): The recruit database currently contains information collected from a 1996-1997 kahawai juvenile recruitment survey conducted using beach seines. The database has the capacity to hold similar information for other species and gear types and may have additional data added in the future. Regional Catch Effort (regional_ce): The regional_ce database contains catch and effort information from New Zealand fishing vessels operating outside the EEZ: for example, purse seine vessels in the South Pacific and longline vessels in CCAMLR waters. Rock Lobster Catch Sampling & Logbook Programme: (rlcs schema a and b): The rlcs_a database contains catch sampling information on New Zealand rock lobster species (red and packhorse) collected as part of research projects. The rlcs_b database contains logbook information on New Zealand rock lobster species (red and packhorse) collected by commercial fishers as part of a programme coordinated by the Rock Lobster Industry Council (RLIC). The database is updated annually. Rock Lobster Phyllosoma and Puerulus (rocklob): The rocklob database contains information on juvenile stage (phyllosoma and puerulus) New Zealand rocklobster species (red and packhorse) collected by research scientists from various surveys. Scallop Research Survey (scallop): The scallop database contains information collected from dredge research surveys conducted in various areas around New Zealand (Tasman Bay, Northland, Coromandel). Arrow Squid Fishery Catch Effort (squ_ce): The squ_ce database contains a discrete time series (1989-1994) copy of commercial catch effort data (all methods) from the New Zealand arrow squid fishery. Tag Survey (tag): The tag database contains information from fisheries species that have been tagged and recaptured in New Zealand waters, for all tag and release programmes. At present there is information on over 24 species. Trawl Survey (trawl): The trawl database contains comprehensive information from inshore and deepwater research trawl surveys conducted in New Zealand waters. Tuna (tuna): The tuna database contains catch effort information derived from commercial returns and covers New Zealand, Australian, and Japanese tuna fisheries. Vessel (vessel): The vessel database contains a groomed version of registration data for vessels that have fished in New Zealand waters.