2014 assessment update report of the Gulf of Maine Atlantic cod stock.

This update of the Gulf of Maine cod stock assessment is a streamlined document that focuses on the primary assessment information required for management. The update incorporates recent commercial and recreational landings and discard data (2012 and 2013) and recent survey information (2012 - 2014 spring surveys; 2012 - 2013 autumn surveys) into the previously approved peer-reviewed model. This report is part of a larger effort to provide more timely information on stock status for all stocks in the Greater Atlantic Region. The May 2014 peer review of the Northeast Fisheries Science Center's stock assessment science program (NEFSC) highlighted the inherent problems of managing fisheries resources when time lags exist between contemporary data and subsequent management actions. Such problems are exacerbated when stock sizes are low because delays can be detrimental both to the resource and the long-term profitability of the fishery.