Environmental Effects on the Distributions of Groundfish in Hecate Strait, British Columbia

Abstract

Hecate Strait, British Columbia, is an area of variable topography with a variety of bottom habitats, which supports an important mixed-species groundfish fishery. A previous analysis identified three characteristic assemblages of groundfish species. In the present study, we identify relationships between the dominant species of these assemblages and environmental conditions in early summer 1989 and 1991: bottom type and depth (invariant conditions) and temperature (a variable condition). Three categories of species were identified: (i) those consistently associated with particular depths and temperatures between years, (ii) those with variable depth and temperature associations, and (iii) those with no apparent relationships to depth, temperature, or sediment type. Category (i) was dominated by flatfishes and could be further separated into groups associated with deep and cool, shallow and warm, and intermediate depth and temperature conditions. Category (ii) included roundfishes plus Pacific halibut (Hippoglossus stenolepis) and were widely distributed. At least one species (Pacific cod (Gadus macrocephalus)) tended to maintain a particular temperature range while changing its depth range between years. Identification of significant associations between fish species and habitat conditions is the first step towards incorporating environmental information into survey abundance indices and reducing by-catch problems.