From fall 1977 through winter 1979 five offshore cruises were conducted over the continental shelf off Kodiak Island to characterize the zooplankton communities of the area with emphasis on the meroplanktonic stages of species of commercial importance; plankton and hydrographic data were collected at about 90 stations during each cruise. Results concerning decapod larvae obtained from plankton samplings during twelve 2—week cruises in four of the major bays on the eastern side of Kodiak and Afognak islands are also reported. Several types of plankton tows were made to investigate vertical-diel distributions as well as seasonal and geographic distributions and abundances.

National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS)