Abstract
AbstractMarine fish species can exhibit sex‐specific differences in their biological traits. Not accounting for these characteristics in the stock assessment or management of a species can lead to misunderstanding its population dynamics and result in ineffective regulatory strategies. Summer Flounder Paralichthys dentatus, a flatfish that supports significant commercial and recreational fisheries along the northeastern U.S. shelf, expresses variation in several traits between the sexes, including growth and habitat preference. To further understand these patterns, 1,302 Summer Flounder were collected and sexed in 2016 and 2017 from fisheries‐independent surveys conducted in Rhode Island state waters. Female flounder were more prevalent in shallow waters (≤15 m) through all months, but males had a greater presence in deeper waters (>15 m) from May through September. The probability of a collected flounder being female was evaluated with generalized linear models and covariates representing depth, temperature, month, year, and TL. Summer Flounder were more likely to be female at larger sizes, in shallower waters, and late in the season. When compared with landings data in the recreational fishery over the sampling period, the results suggest that nearly all flounder harvested in the sector were female. This work provides further evidence for and characterization of Summer Flounder sex‐segregation and highlights, for management purposes, the importance of considering fine‐scale spatial dynamics in addition to broader distribution patterns. The fitted model represents an effective first step toward understanding the implications of an aggregated fishing effort for disproportionate removals of male or female flounder and for exploring resulting consequences for regional spawning stock biomass and stock resiliency.
Highlights
Incorporating sex-specific information in fisheries stock assessments can be critical in understanding the structure and resiliency of fish populations
The stock assessment uses trawl surveys covering the latitudinal and bathymetric range of Summer Flounder (NEFSC 2013; Politis et al 2014; Terceiro 2016), these surveys lack the fine spatiotemporal resolution required to develop a clear understanding of sex-specific distribution patterns in the shallow inshore areas targeted by recreational anglers, who are responsible for a major component of the annual harvest (Terceiro 2016, 2018), and how the sex composition changes throughout the fishing season (NEFSC 2013)
Sample collection.— Summer Flounder were collected opportunistically in Rhode Island state waters throughout 2016 and 2017 from fish trawl surveys conducted by the University of Rhode Island Graduate School of Oceanography (URI GSO) and the Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management (DEM; Figure 1)
Summary
Incorporating sex-specific information in fisheries stock assessments can be critical in understanding the structure and resiliency of fish populations. Morson et al (2012) identified a significant relationship between the sex ratio of recreational landings and the port at which Summer Flounder were collected, indicating that this species exhibits spatial sex-segregation Such spatial differences between the sexes suggest that there is a risk of disproportionately removing female spawning stock biomass if commercial and recreational fishing is localized, which could alter the population’s reproductive capacity (Su et al 2011, 2013; Loher et al 2016; Alonso-Fernandez et al 2017; Haugen et al 2017). Conducted in the center of southern New England, an area of significant commercial and recreational Summer Flounder harvest (NEFSC 2013; Terceiro 2018), the results of this investigation will help elucidate important spatiotemporal considerations for successful regional fishery management
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