Variability in the relationship between sea scallop shell height and meat weight

Abstract

Abstract Rothschild, B. J., Adams, C. F., Sarro, C. L., and Stokesbury, K. D. E. 2009. Variability in the relationship between sea scallop shell height and meat weight. – ICES Journal of Marine Science, 66: 1972–1977. We investigated the spatial and temporal variability in the relationship between shell height and meat weight (SHMW) of the sea scallop (Placopecten magellanicus) from Georges Bank (GB) and the mid-Atlantic. Data for the study were collected collaboratively during normal commercial fishing operations. A one-way random-effects ANOVA revealed that 19–44% of the variance in MW was at the batch level. A linear mixed-effects model was used to explain the variability in SHMW regression equations across batches. There was a significant effect of month and year on the SHMW relationship for GB from June through December, and a significant effect of area and year on the SHMW relationship for the mid-Atlantic from January through May. The SHMW relationships presented reflect those of the fishery year-round rather than an estimate of the biological population at a specific point in time. Failure to include intra-annual, interannual, and regional variations in the SHMW could result in continually over- or underestimating the allowable catch in areas open to fishing for short periods. The techniques used are applicable to length–weight studies in general.