ABSTRACT Small pelagic fish and other forage species are patchily distributed over space and time, resulting in variable foraging conditions experienced by their predators. The high‐resolution data necessary to understand the spatiotemporal structure of forage communities are challenging to collect with expensive fishery‐independent surveys, meaning that other, complementary approaches are needed. To fill this gap, we partnered with recreational anglers to sample the stomach contents of more than 2500 adult Chinook salmon ( Oncorhynchus tshawytscha ) throughout the Canadian Salish Sea in both summer and winter from 2017 to 2022. Previous studies found that the diet composition of adult Chinook salmon correlated well with conventional indices of forage species abundance, meaning that Chinook salmon diets can be used to understand the availability and distribution of their prey. Cluster analysis of Chinook salmon diet composition identified regions with distinct forage communities in the Salish Sea. Regions were distinguished from one another by the elevated importance of only one or two forage species. Pacific herring ( Clupea pallasii ) were key prey in all regions and throughout the year, while the importance of other forage species including Pacific sand lance ( Ammodytes personatus ), northern anchovy ( Engraulis mordax ), myctophids, and mysids was spatially and (or) seasonally restricted. The regional structure of Salish Sea forage communities was associated with static and dynamic oceanographic processes, such as bathymetric features, tidal mixing, and freshwater input. Predator diets can provide novel insights into the ecology of their prey, supplementing fishery‐independent surveys to support ecosystem approaches to fisheries management.

ABSTRACT Age, growth, and maturation of the swordtip squid Uroteuthis edulis in Sendai Bay during warm‐water (WW) periods (2019–2022) and marine heatwave (MHW) periods (2023–2024) were studied. This species migrates to Sendai Bay mainly in summer and autumn during WW periods, and from spring to autumn during MHW periods: earlier and longer periods of migration with consequently increased catches. During MHW periods, this species spawned in Sendai Bay, the hatched juveniles grew and reproduced there, showing a significant increase in growth, and males were larger than during WW periods. In contrast, the growth of females was not significantly different on comparing growth equations for WW and MHW periods. The lifespan of U. edulis caught in Sendai Bay was 8 months for both males and females in WW periods, and 11 months for males and 9 months for females during MHW periods, indicating longer lifespans during periods of higher seawater temperatures. Moreover, when spring water temperatures were high, U. edulis born in summer and autumn could migrate to Sendai Bay in spring, but when spring water temperatures were low, only U. edulis born in winter migrated from summer onwards. These effects are thought to result from differences in the hatching dates and/or migration periods of U. edulis during these two periods. In summary, the higher temperatures due to changes in the Kuroshio Current during periods of MHW had a significant impact on U. edulis in Sendai Bay, extending its period of migration into the region, resulting in higher abundance, accelerated growth of males, and longer time to mature.

ABSTRACT Understanding the effects of environmental conditions on fisheries resources is crucial for guiding the effective assessment and management of fish stocks. Previously assessed as depleted, the narrow‐barred Spanish mackerel fishery on the east coast of Queensland, Australia, is under management intervention to rebuild the stock. In this study, we use long‐term age composition data to reconstruct 24 years of historic year class strength and explore a broad range of potential environmental influences on recruitment variability in the fishery. Year class strength was extremely well captured (76%–84% deviance explained) by generalised additive models containing just four environmental indices. Recurring key environmental indices in top models included environmental conditions prior to spawning (large scouring flood events during the wet season before spawning and cool winter sea surface temperature immediately prior to spawning), during spawning (unseasonal flooding near the spawning grounds), during larval dispersal and proxies for food availability for juvenile Spanish mackerel. These results have since been used to hindcast recruitment variability in the fishery prior to the collection of the age‐composition data to better understand historic fluctuations in the fishery, and can also be incorporated into management strategies for rebuilding the stock.

ABSTRACT The jumbo squid ( Dosidicus gigas ) is a cephalopod endemic to the eastern Pacific with significant ecological and economic importance. Its exploitation in the Gulf of California (GC) peaked in the 1990s, with catches exceeding 100,000 tons, but collapsed in 2009 and virtually disappeared by 2015, largely due to environmental changes and overfishing. Between 2019 and 2024, research cruises were conducted to evaluate fishery resources in northwestern Mexico. During these expeditions, the presence of jumbo squid in the GC was documented, and catch per unit effort (CPUE, kg/h) and mantle length (ML, mm) were analyzed in relation to in situ environmental variables using generalized additive models (GAMs). Results indicated that the highest biomass occurred at salinities below 35, with elevated dissolved oxygen concentrations (> 200 μmol/kg −1 ) and warm temperatures (~24°C). Size analysis revealed that mantle length was greatest at lower salinities (< 35.2), suggesting that squid distribution is linked to specific thermohaline conditions and water masses that provide optimal habitat. This study represents the first documented instance of jumbo squid captured with midwater trawls in the GC. Since sampling was conducted at 15 m depth during nighttime, results likely reflect surface foraging behavior rather than the species' full vertical range, underscoring the importance of considering diel vertical migration. Few squids were found in historically exploited fishing grounds, where changes in thermohaline structure and oxygen levels were evident. In contrast, higher biomass concentrations at the mouth of the GC coincided with more stable environmental conditions. These findings highlight the sensitivity of D. gigas to oceanographic variability and suggest broader ecological implications for resident populations and regional fisheries.

ABSTRACT Pacific bluefin tuna ( Thunnus orientalis , PBF) are highly migratory, with a single Pacific‐wide stock facing complex management challenges due to extensive transoceanic movements and a recent population recovery. This study addresses persistent knowledge gaps regarding the quantitative contributions of different natal origins to key feeding grounds and the proportions of trans‐Pacific migrants in spawning grounds. We used stable isotope analysis of otoliths (δ 18 O oto and δ 13 C oto ) to investigate natal origins and migratory patterns of PBF collected from three key locations: the Philippine Sea–East China Sea (PS‐ECS), the Sea of Japan (SoJ), and the California Current Large Marine Ecosystem (CCLME). Our analysis of δ 18 O oto values effectively discriminated natal origins, revealing a strong dominance of PS‐ECS‐origin fish in catches across all areas. Specifically, 91% of PBF captured in the CCLME originated from the PS‐ECS spawning grounds, a proportion that surpassed estimates from those captured in SoJ and PS‐ECS. Additionally, the δ 13 C oto analysis successfully distinguished between trans‐Pacific migrants and resident individuals, confirming that a substantial proportion (87%) of adult PBF caught in the PS‐ECS spawning grounds have previously migrated to the CCLME. These results confirm the high connectivity of PBF across the Pacific and support its management as a single stock. The high proportion of PS‐ECS‐origin fish utilizing the CCLME as a critical feeding ground underscores the necessity of managing juvenile exploitation in Eastern Pacific waters to ensure sufficient survivorship and maximize the reproductive output of the adult spawning stock in the Western Pacific. The quantitative estimates of natal origins and migratory patterns derived from this study provide crucial data for future stock assessments and the development of improved spatially explicit management models.

ABSTRACT Lepidocybium flavobrunneum [Smith, 1843], commonly known as escolar, is a large pelagic species, important for global and local fisheries, particularly in the southwestern South Atlantic Ocean (SWAO), where it constitutes a significant portion of the catch. However, despite its important socioeconomic role, it remains less studied compared to other large pelagic species. Enhancing research efforts is therefore key to better understanding the ecological processes that influence its spatial and temporal distribution. To address this gap, our study applied species distribution models (SDMs) to escolar's occurrence and abundance using longline fleet data from south Brazil and Uruguay. Estimation and prediction were conducted at the Bayesian framework using the integrated nested Laplace approximation (INLA) methodology combined with the stochastic partial differential equation (SPDE) approach. Our findings reveal a strong correlation between warmer sea surface temperatures and increased escolar occurrence and abundance in the SWAO, particularly during the austral summer, in contrast to cooler‐season patterns observed elsewhere. Escolar's distribution is influenced by the southward and westward movement of seawater driven by the Brazil Current, and its preference for depths greater than 2000 m reflects its oceanic nature. Predicted areas of higher abundance around the continental slope (between 33° and 37° S) and the Rio Grande Rise are linked to the dynamic interaction of warm and cold currents and nutrient‐rich waters. Additionally, escolar's sensitivity to low‐light conditions may explain reduced catches during moonlit nights. A complementary analysis assessing the synergistic influence of sea surface temperature and lunar illumination on escolar occurrence indicated that, under high temperatures (> 22 °C), occurrence is further enhanced during dark nights. Furthermore, semi‐structured interviews with vessel captains revealed that 90% identified temperature (via open‐ended responses) as a key environmental factor driving escolar catches, and 80% of them attributed a strong influence (greater than average catch rates) to temperature, summer season and new moon phase. This study provides new insights into escolar's seasonal and spatial patterns, emphasizing the impact of oceanographic features and light conditions on its distribution. It also highlights the need for further research into the mechanisms driving escolar populations.

No abstract is available for this article.

ABSTRACT Areas along the US continental shelf that have been designated for extensive offshore wind farm installations over the coming decades overlap with regions that support economically important fisheries. These fisheries are undergoing changes in distribution in response to warming ocean water temperatures. The combination of expanding offshore wind energy infrastructure and changing environmental conditions presents new challenges for these offshore fisheries. The contributions in this special issue consider responses of habitat, biology, and socio‐economic aspects of commercial and recreational fisheries to the coincident stressors of changing oceanographic conditions, climate change, and development of offshore renewable energy. The synthesis of the current state of understanding at the nexus of these interactions provided by these contributions points to areas of research needed to advance co‐existence of fisheries with expanded use of the offshore ocean environment that is undergoing rapid environmental change.

ABSTRACT A generalized additive model (GAM), incorporating sea surface temperature (SST) as a predictor of catch per unit effort (CPUE; tons per hour) from commercial fishing, has been used for the assessment of the major stock of walleye pollock in the Okhotsk Sea. We evaluated 47 GAM configurations and 5 generalized linear model (GLM) configurations for commercial CPUE standardization, including SST and Lagrangian indicators (LIs) as explanatory variables. Incorporating LIs as a regression spline in the GAM improved model performance. Moreover, the vector autoregressive spatiotemporal model (VAST) and generalized additive mixed model (GAMM) including SST and/or LIs were tested to standardize total stock biomass (TSB), based on area‐swept data (t/km 2 ) from scientific surveys. The stock assessment model using standardized TSB outperformed models without the standardized TSB with respect to retrospective analysis and model convergence. These findings highlight the importance of SST and LIs in standardized indices for biomass estimation using cohort models, thereby improving the stock assessments of walleye pollock in the Okhotsk Sea.