Feeding Migration Research Articles

Decreased influx of Calanus spp. into the south-western Norwegian Sea since 2003

The copepods Calanus hyperboreus and C. finmarchicus are the ecologically most important copepod species in the Nordic Seas. The larger C. hyperboreus, of polar origin, is advected into the south-western Norwegian Sea with the East Icelandic Current (EIC), and can therefore be considered an indicator species of these waters. Using large spatio-temporal hydrographic and zooplankton data sets, we show that an abrupt reduction in abundance of C. hyperboreus around the year 2003 in the south-western Norwegian Sea coincided with a reduction in the volume of Modified East Icelandic Water (MEIW) in the intermediate layers (R = 0.64, lagged one year). Abundance of C. hyperboreus and the volume of MEIW have since remained lower compared to the previous years (Mann-Whitney U tests, p < 0.05). The total zooplankton biomass in spring within the EIC, east of Iceland, was also much reduced around 2003 and has also since remained low. A comparable post-2003 reduction is observed in the abundance of overwintered stages of C. finmarchicus in May. Our results suggest that the reduction of zooplankton in the south-western Norwegian Sea around 2003 was caused by reduced influence of subarctic waters from the western region. This may in turn impact the extensive feeding migration of herring to this region.

Different growth trends of whitefish ( Coregonus lavaretus ) forms in the northern Baltic Sea

The sea growth of two whitefish forms, anadromous (Coregonus lavaretus lavaretus) and sea‐spawning (Coregonus lavaretus widegreni), was analysed using samples collected from the commercial sea catch in the Gulf of Bothnia (GoB) in the northern Baltic Sea during 1998–2014. In the GoB area, these two forms are possible to identify because the gill‐raker number and size at maturity vary between forms. The growth rate of the forms is linked to their feeding area. Sea‐spawning whitefish, which has a feeding migration near its home site, was shorter in the northern GoB (66°N–64°N) at the ages of 3–11 than those in the southern GoB (64°N–60°30′N). In the data, most whitefish were caught with gill nets in the GoB. The mesh sizes of gill nets capturing the anadromous form were mostly 35–45 mm, while those capturing the sea‐spawning form were <35 mm in the northern GoB. It is likely that the different growth trends for small and large whitefish were connected with differences in their recruitment for fishing. The length of anadromous females at the age of four sea years increased significantly, but the length of six‐year‐old anadromous female whitefish decreased over the catch years from 1998–2014. In contrast, the length of slow‐growing sea‐spawning whitefish of six years or older increased significantly in relation to the catch year in the gill‐net catch. The increase in the growth of young age groups in both forms was probably associated with the increasing temperature and the low fishing pressure on small fish. The decreasing age at capture for both forms and the depression of the mean size of old anadromous whitefish are signs of high fishing pressure with a high gill‐net effort that selectively removes the largest and oldest individuals of both forms.

Distribution and Some Biological Features of Antlered Sculpin Enophrys diceraus (Cottidae) in Russian Waters of the Sea of Japan

In Russian waters of the Sea of Japan, antlered sculpin Enophrys diceraus occurs throughout the year at depths of 4–605 m and temperature of –1.4 to +16.8°C. It is concentrated in the range of depths 30–90 m at 7.3–2.1°C in summer and 200–380 m in winter at stable low-positive temperature. Its spawning migrations in autumn and feeding migrations in spring are directed towards the coast. The main aggregations are formed in the south (Peter the Great Bay) and in central regions off the continental coast and in the southern part of Sakhalin off the insular coast. It does not form aggregations in the northern part of Tatar Strait. Antlered sculpin reaches a larger size (length of 38 cm and weight of over 1 kg) in the Sea of Japan than in northern seas. The maximum size is inherent in males. In the northwestern part of the Sea of Japan, antlered sculpin is a benthophage–polyphage: juveniles feed mainly on bivalve mollusks, amphipods, and polychaetes and adult individuals generally eat echinoderms (mainly brittle stars) and mollusks. The revealed regional and seasonal variation in the food composition is presumably determined by the food supply features. In April to August, the daily ration of the fish with a length of 11–30 cm is 1.1% of the body weight and decreases from 2.6 to 0.9% with its growth. The biomass of antlered sculpin in Russian waters of the Sea of Japan has varied from 5000 to 7000 t in recent years. The bulk of its stock is concentrated off the continental coast.

Feeding habits during migration of the Atlantic bonito Sarda sarda (Bloch, 1793) to the Black Sea

ABSTRACTInformation about food web dynamics is crucial for the success of ecosystem-based management. In order to collect such information, it is necessary to establish the dietary contents of species in the food chain. In this study, the diet of Atlantic bonito Sarda sarda (Bloch, 1793), one of the most important species in the Black Sea ecosystem, has been examined. The aim of this study was to investigate the prey preferences of Atlantic bonito over an eleven-year period during their feeding migration to the Black Sea. Sampling was carried out by commercial purse seine and gill nets along the Turkish Black Sea coast during migration of the Atlantic bonito from 2005 to 2016. Stomach contents were identified to the lowest possible taxonomic level. Atlantic bonito dietary composition was analyzed by fishing season, sex and size classifications. Results revealed a Vacuity Index value (V %) of 67% while 33% of individuals sampled had at least one prey species in their stomach content. Since S. sarda predominantly feed on small fish species, stomach contents contained mainly Engraulis encrasicolus, Trachurus mediterraneus, Sprattus sprattus, Mullus barbatus, Gobius niger, Merlangius merlangus, Pomatomus saltatrix, Alosa immaculata, Parablennius tentacularis and small unidentified prey items (tissue particles, … etc.). The most frequent prey item was E. encrasicolus with a percentage occurrence of 94%. In conclusion, the main prey species was determined as E. encrasicolus and statistical analyses of X2 was found significant (P < 0.005) according to year, sex and size.

Blue whiting distribution and migration in Greenland waters

Here, we provide the first comprehensive documentation of the north-western extreme of the blue whiting (Micromesistius poutassou, Risso 1827) distribution in Greenland waters. We compile data from hydroacoustic surveys, commercial fisheries, and bottom trawl surveys (1981–2017) and use age specific Generalized Additive Models (GAMs) to describe the historical variation in abundance and horizontal and vertical distribution. Based on those results, we infer ontogenetic progressing migration patterns of 0 to 12 years old blue whiting.We find blue whiting along the west, south and east coasts of Greenland from 59.4 °N – 71.0 °N, with the highest densities in the surveys at the shelf slope south of Dohrn Bank and the highest commercial catches at Kolbeinsey ridge off East Greenland.The spatiotemporal patterns found by statistical modelling suggest annual migrations of both juvenile and adult blue whiting into Greenland waters. Juveniles appear to enter east Greenland waters from the spawning areas further east during their first summer. During the subsequent two years, the majority of juveniles reach further to the south and west where they utilise South and West Greenland as nursey areas. When reaching adulthood they return to the spawning areas in the east, and their annual feeding migrations towards west only reach East Greenland.

Condition-dependent skipped spawning in anadromous brown trout (Salmo trutta)

Repeat spawners of anadromous salmonids may contribute significantly to population resilience by providing multiple cohorts to both seawater and freshwater life stages. In this study, winter survival of sea trout (Salmo trutta Linnaeus, 1758) post spawners (kelts) was 89%. Sea survival increased linearly with female length with a return probability between 30% and 50%, whereas males attained a maximum return probability of 60% at 520 mm. Of the returning sea trout, 40% skipped spawning and they had significantly lower condition factor as kelts compared with those who returned after one summer. These results suggest that sex-specific differences in individual post-spawning growth–survival trade-off exist and that energetic status of descending kelts may influence the probability to skip spawning. We discuss to what extent hydropower may reduce post-spawning survival due to blocking of river descent opportunities, potentially altering the fitness landscape and favouring new life-history adaptations. From a management perspective, it is concluded that it is crucial to maintain connectivity in regulated rivers, allowing fish to complete repetitive spawning and feeding migrations, thus contributing to population productivity.

Factors controlling spatiotemporal variations in stable nitrogen isotopes of Trachurus japonicus larvae and juveniles in the East China Sea

To clarify the factors that affect spatiotemporal isotopic variations in fishes, we examined stable carbon and nitrogen isotope ratios (δ13C and δ15N) of Japanese jack mackerel Trachurus japonicus larvae and juveniles sampled in the shelf break region of the East China Sea (ECS) in April during six consecutive surveys (2005–2010). The δ13C values in fish tissues were similar between northern and southern ECS, while δ15N values were higher in the southern ECS, probably because of lower nitrogen fixation and the presence of fish with larger body size occupying a higher trophic level. Interannual variations in δ15N of T. japonicus juveniles might be mainly contributed by the variation in the abundance of the main diet such as Oncaeidae copepodites and Corycaeus. The isotopic overlaps between epipelagic T. japonicus larvae and other dominant mesopelagic fish larvae were negligible, suggesting lesser competition for food resources. Knowledge regarding spatiotemporal variation in stable isotope ratios of T. japonicus can be applied to understand the feeding habits and migrations of fishes in the ECS.

Deep-diving of Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar) during their marine feeding migrations

Data from seven data storage tags recovered from Atlantic salmon marked as smolts were analyzed for depth movements and patterns of deep diving during the marine migration. The salmon mostly stayed at the surface and showed diurnal activity especially from autumn until spring. During the first months at sea the salmon stayed at shallower depths (< 100 m). The salmon took short deep dives (> 100 m), that were rare or absent during the first summer at sea but increased in frequency and duration especially in late winter. The maximum depth of the dives varied from 419 to 1187 m. Most of dives were short, (< 5 hours) but could last up to 33 hours. The duration of dives increased in late winter until spring and the overall depth and maximum depth per dive increased exponentially over time. The initiation of the dives was more common in evenings and at night, suggesting nocturnal diving. We hypothesized that deep diving is related to feeding of salmon as mesopelagic fish can be important food for salmon during winter.

Nutritional correlates of spatiotemporal variations in the marine habitat use of brown trout (Salmo trutta) veteran migrants

The brown trout (Salmo trutta) is an iteroparous, anadromous salmonid that exhibits a complex continuum of feeding migration tactics, ranging from freshwater residency, to potamodromy, to estuarine migration, as well as short- to long-distance coastal migrations. While anadromous migrants are believed to play an important role in the species’ population dynamics, little is known about the factors driving differences in the extent of individual marine habitat use. In this study, 32 brown trout veteran migrants were acoustically tagged prior to their seaward migration and sampled for indices of their nutritional state. Our findings suggest that (i) body condition factor differed among fish adopting different migratory tactics, with outer fjord migrant being in poorer condition; and (ii) within migratory groups, plasma triglyceride concentration was negatively correlated with the duration of marine residency. Results support the idea of condition-dependent migration in veteran migrants, with individual variation in nutritional state influencing the spatiotemporal aspects of marine habitat use. Furthermore, overall marine minimum survival during the summer feeding migration was 86%, the highest reported estimate for this life stage.

Macroscopic observations of diel fish movements around a shallow water artificial reef using a mid-frequency horizontal-looking sonar.

The twilight feeding migration of fish around a shallow water artificial reef (a shipwreck) was observed by a horizontal-looking, mid-frequency sonar. The sonar operated at frequencies between 1.8 and 3.6 kHz and consisted of a co-located source and horizontal line array deployed at 4 km from the reef. The experiment was conducted in a well-mixed shallow water waveguide which is conducive to characterizing fish aggregations at these distances. Large aggregations of fish were repeatedly seen to emerge rapidly from the shipwreck at dusk, disperse into the surrounding area during the night, and quickly converge back to the shipwreck at dawn. This is a rare, macroscopic observation of an ecologically-important reef fish behavior, delivered at the level of aggregations, instead of individual fish tracks that have been documented previously. The significance of this observation on sonar performance associated with target detection in the presence of fish clutter is discussed based on analyses of echo intensity and statistics. Building on previous studies of long-range fish echoes, this study further substantiates the unique utility of such sonar systems as an ecosystem monitoring tool, and illustrates the importance of considering the impact of the presence of fish on sonar applications.

Short feeding migration associated with a lower mean size of whitefish in the River Tornionjoki, northern Baltic Sea

AbstractThe size of anadromous whitefish caught with dip nets in the River Tornionjoki in the northern part of the Gulf of Bothnia has decreased during recent decades. To find an explanation for this trend, ascending whitefish were sampled in the lower part of the river in August 2016, and they were divided into two groups according to fish length. The length of the SMALL group was ≤ 32 cm (n = 32) and that of the LARGE group ≥ 33 cm (n = 65). The elemental analysis of otoliths revealed that the barium concentration was clearly higher in otoliths from the SMALL group compared to the LARGE group. This indicates that the fish in the LARGE group had migrated to feed further south in the Gulf of Bothnia, with a higher salinity, than the fish in the SMALL group. Because of this migration difference, and a decline in the gillnet effort, especially in the feeding areas near the river mouth, it is assumed that proportionally more fish in the SMALL group are able to ascend the river to spawn than previously, thus decreasing the mean size. At the same time, the heavy gillnet fishery in the south removes fish from the LARGE group.

Temporal consistency of individual trophic specialization in southern elephant seals Mirounga leonina

MEPS Marine Ecology Progress Series Contact the journal Facebook Twitter RSS Mailing List Subscribe to our mailing list via Mailchimp HomeLatest VolumeAbout the JournalEditorsTheme Sections MEPS 585:229-242 (2017) - DOI: https://doi.org/10.3354/meps12411 Temporal consistency of individual trophic specialization in southern elephant seals Mirounga leonina D. Rita1,*, M. Drago1,2, F. Galimberti3, L. Cardona1 1Biodiversity Research Institute (IRBio) and Department of Evolutionary Biology, Ecology and Environmental Science, Faculty of Biology, University of Barcelona, Avinguda Diagonal 643, 08028 Barcelona, Spain 2Departamento de Ecología & Evolución, Centro Universitario Regional Este (CURE), Universidad de la República, Tacuarembó s/n, 20000 Maldonado, Uruguay 3Elephant Seal Research Group, Sea Lion Island, Falkland Islands *Corresponding author: diegorita@ub.edu ABSTRACT: Individual specialization can be an advantageous strategy that increases predation success and diminishes intra-population competition. However, trophic specialization can be a handicap in changing environments if the individuals are unable to use different prey or feeding grounds in response to change. Southern elephant seals Mirounga leonina allow us to explore this trade-off as they migrate, returning to haul out on land, for 2 extended periods, to breed and to moult. They fast during both periods, but the energetic cost is higher during the breeding season, leading to a poorer body condition after the breeding fast than after the moulting fast. We analysed the carbon (δ13C) and nitrogen (δ15N) isotopic composition of skin and fur samples from Falkland Islands elephant seals. The isotopic values provided information about the foraging strategy of the seals during the pre-breeding season and pre-moulting season, respectively. We assessed individual specialization as the variation between periods of an individual with respect to the variability of the whole population. The high specialization and the correlation between periods suggest that each animal feeds in a similar region and on similar prey during both feeding migrations. The comparison with data from other populations and particulate organic matter suggests that the Falkland Islands elephant seals fed both on the Patagonian Continental Shelf and in the Southern Ocean. The high specialization among individuals within this species could potentially limit the individual capacity of adaptation in the face of changing conditions or leave those abilities to the few generalist individuals. KEY WORDS: Southern elephant seal · Mirounga leonina · Stable isotopes · Skin · Fur · Falkland Islands · Feeding zone · Individual specialization Full text in pdf format PreviousNextCite this article as: Rita D, Drago M, Galimberti F, Cardona L (2017) Temporal consistency of individual trophic specialization in southern elephant seals Mirounga leonina. Mar Ecol Prog Ser 585:229-242. https://doi.org/10.3354/meps12411 Export citation RSS - Facebook - Tweet - linkedIn Cited by Published in MEPS Vol. 585. Online publication date: December 22, 2017 Print ISSN: 0171-8630; Online ISSN: 1616-1599 Copyright © 2017 Inter-Research.

Otolith shape differences between ecotypes of Icelandic cod (Gadus morhua) with known migratory behaviour inferred from data storage tags

Otolith shape can be used to identify ecotypes of the Icelandic cod (Gadus morhua) stock. The use of data storage tags has increased our knowledge of the stock structure of Icelandic cod. The profiles of tagged cod reveal different migratory strategies. This has led to the definition of two ecotypes within the cod stock. Frontal ecotypes reside in deep waters during feeding season and express a highly variable temperature profile associated with thermal fronts, while coastal ecotypes stay in shallow waters all year round. In this study, the data storage tag profiles were analysed with cluster analysis, which revealed the existence of an intermediate behaviour that expresses a variable depth profile and feeding migration that is both shorter in time and not as deep. The main objective was to develop a morphological key based on otoliths to distinguish the ecotypes. The shape of the otoliths was extracted with shape measurements and fast Fourier transforms. A discriminant function analysis indicated a difference in morphology between the ecotypes, resulting in successful classification.

Anisakis species composition and infection characteristics in Atlantic mackerel, Scomber scombrus, from major European fishing grounds — reflecting changing fish host distribution and migration pattern

Atlantic mackerel (Scomber scombrus) ranks among the most valuable fish species in Europe. The NE Atlantic mackerel population is considered to comprise three main stocks (southern, western and North Sea), with variable proportions of these three intermixing at the northerly feeding grounds. The southern and western mackerel stocks have moved over the past 4–5 years further north- and westward. Consequently, large-scale mackerel fishing and processing have become thriving industries in Iceland and the Faroe Islands in just a few years. The mackerel population structure in the Mediterranean Sea is less well known but seems to comprise at least one, more or less isolated, spawning component. Although mackerel is an important food resource, systematic and concerted epidemiological surveys of Anisakis species in Atlantic mackerel from European fishing grounds have been lacking. As part of the EU FP7 PARASITE project (GA no. 312068), occurrence and specific identity of Anisakis spp. from 1801 mackerel from Northeast Atlantic and Mediterranean waters was investigated. In general, mackerel caught at the Atlantic fishing grounds exhibited markedly higher Anisakis spp. infection levels than fish from the Mediterranean localities. Mackerel caught off NW Spain and Portugal (ICES VIIIc, IXa) showed highest overall and muscular prevalence, reaching 87% and 52%, respectively, which differed significantly from all other Atlantic samples. Lowest overall Anisakis spp. prevalence and abundance was recorded in mackerel from Faroe Isles waters, while lowest muscular infection levels were found in the samples from the North Sea. Genetic nematode species identification showed that A. simplex (sensu stricto) is the dominating species in mackerel from the Atlantic areas, while A. pegreffii dominated in the samples from the Mediterranean Sea. The latter species showed generally low prevalence and intensity in the flesh, not exceeding 6% and one larva, respectively. While A. simplex (s. s.) and A. pegreffii seem to co-occur in mackerel from off NW Spain and Portugal, several A. pegreffii were also recorded in mackerel from the North- and Norwegian Seas. These findings imply that the actual mackerel started their feeding migration in waters south to the British Isles, which include parts of the sympatric area of the two sibling species. Thus, A. pegreffii could prove a useful supplementary marker to track migration routes of the different mackerel stock components in NE Atlantic waters.

Satellite telemetry of Yellowfin tuna feeding migration: a case study in southwestern Bay of Bengal

AbstractHorizontal movement of pelagic fish predator, Yellowfin tuna (Thunnus albacares) has been decoded from Pop-up Satellite Archival Tags (PSAT) in Bay of Bengal. Environmental satellite data were matched with the tag locations to understand and characterize the habitats of Yellowfin tuna (YFT). The tagging operation was performed in February 2013 and subsequently tracked for three months. A subset of tag data was selected corresponding to the maximum residence time of YFT indicated by high density data points. Different environmental factors viz. Sea Surface Temperature (SST), Sea Surface Height Anomaly (SSHa) and chlorophyll were retrieved from satellite. The tagged YFT spent 60 to 70% of time within waters of SST range 28–29.5°C and SSHa range +5-+12 cm. Time-series imageries of SSHa revealed a pair of warm-core and cold-core eddies at the site of YFT release and in vicinity. The tagged tuna repeatedly re-visited warm core and cold core eddies, which were up to 60 km apart. Satellite retrieved SST ...

Nocturnal migration reduces exposure to micropredation in a coral reef fish

Tropical Atlantic reef fishes in the family Haemulidae (grunts) remain quiescent on reefs during the day and migrate to seagrass beds or sand flats at night. Hypothesized advantages of such nocturnal migrations are increased food availability and/or decreased predation risk. Here, we tested predictions of an alternative hypothesis that nocturnal migrations of French grunt, Haemulon flavolineatum (Desmarest, 1823), reduce exposure to blood-feeding gnathiid isopods. The departure of grunts from the reef coincides with increasing gnathiid activity. In field experiments, subadult fish placed in cages and deployed on the reef at night harbored significantly more gnathiids than those placed in the seagrass habitat. However, this was not the case during the day when gnathiid activity in all habitats is low. In another experiment, the timing of return to the reef was determined to coincide with the postdawn decrease in gnathiid activity. Estimates of cumulative gnathiid exposure at two sites revealed that grunts remaining in reef habitat at night would experience an average of 3 and 44 times more gnathiids than if they spent the night in the seagrass bed, and could reach more than 300 gnathiids on a single fish. In a final field experiment, even recently-settled (<2 cm) juvenile grunts were infested by gnathiids, supporting previous laboratory experiments showing that a single third-stage gnathiid will infest and kill grunts of this size. Combined, these findings suggest that nocturnal feeding migrations of French grunts and ecologically similar fishes result in reduced exposure to blood-feeding gnathiid isopods.

On feeding migrations of saury in the North-West Pacific Ocean

General patterns of the pacific saury feeding migrations in the North-West Pacific are determined on results of fishing operations conducted by a group of Russian fishery vessels in June-November, 2014. The main route of migration in June-July was directed westward and northwestward, to the open ocean. In the late summer and early autumn the saury migrated southwestward along the Oyashio Front. Towards the end of the feeding period, the main portion of large-sized saury moved along the 1 st branch of Oyashio to the EEZ of Japan and its other portion moved along the 2 nd branch of Oyashio to the open ocean waters. Intensity of the southwestward migrations varies from year to year in wide range in dependence on oceanographic conditions.

Some results of researches on pacific herring in the northwestern Bering Sea in 2010-2015

The data of pelagic and bottom surveys on pacific herring in the northwestern Bering Sea obtained in 2010-2015 and its stock assessments by different methods are compared. Some biological parameters of the herring are presented and its spatial distribution and migrations are described. The pelagic surveys with stepped trawling and the bottom trawl surveys are concluded as the best for the herring stock assessment and biological characteristic. The stock state in the 2010-2015 is determined as high abundant due to mass migration of herring from the eastern Bering Sea to its northwestern part that starts in June under certain oceanographic conditions. Different modes of the herring feeding migration are revealed for periods of its high and low stock. The results are used for the herring fishery regulation in the northwestern Bering Sea.

Cостояние планктонного сообщества в прикурильских водах при современном возобновлении массовых нагульных северных миграций субтропических рыб

State of plankton community was monitored in the Pacific waters at Kuril Islands in July-August 2016, in conditions of mass feeding migrations of subtropical fish. Structure of the plankton community corresponded to its summer season: the large-sized fraction of zooplankton prevailed by biomass (74-86 %), the portions of medium- and small-sized fractions were 3-13 % and 11-15 %, respectively. The dominant groups in the large-sized fraction were copepods ( Neocalanus plumchrus, Metridia okhotensis, Metridia pacifica, Eucalanus bungii ), arrowworms ( Sagitta elegans ) and hyperiids ( Themisto pacifica ). Copepoda nauplii and copepodites of I-II stage, Euphausiacea furcilia and caliphyptophytes, and juvenile hyperiids were found in the small-sized and medium-sized fractions. Total biomass of the large-sized fraction was significantly higher in summer 2016 than in July-August 2015, obviously because of earlier phase of seasonal succession under colder thermal regime. In 2016, the biomasses of copepods and sagittas were at the mean long-term levels, and the biomass of euphausiids was above the norm. The biomasses of the small- and medium-sized fractions were above the norm, too. The total stock of plankton in the surveyed area in July-August 2016 was assessed in 92926 . 10 3 t. High biomass of zooplankton in this area was favorable for feeding of subtropical fish.

Post-smolt survival of Baltic salmon in context to changing environmental conditions and predators

The survival of Baltic salmon Salmo salar during the first year at sea (post-smolt stage) has declined since the beginning of the 1990s. In this analysis, we complement previous studies on possible causes of this decline by considering a suite of environmental parameters, potential change in predation pressure, and post-smolt growth. Marine survival estimates were found to be negatively correlated with temperature, indicating that warming conditions have not favoured survival. Survival was also found to be positively correlated with dissolved oxygen levels and regionally related to shifts in salinity. These relationships were further studied in context to the potential predation on post-smolts by one of the main piscivores in the Baltic, Eastern Baltic cod (Gadus morhua callarias). Concomitant with changes in environmental conditions, Baltic cod has changed its latitudinal range, moving northward in the Baltic, possibly in response to warming conditions. These changes lead us to hypothesize that predation pressure on salmon may have increased in recent years as cod has now occupied habitats used by salmon post-smolts during their southward feeding migrations. This predation may have been intensified as a result of anoxic conditions in the central basin by concentrating predation interactions in coastal waters and/or the upper water column typically occupied by salmon post-smolts. Indicators of post-smolt growth were applied to test the alternate hypothesis that mortality is growth-mediated; these indicators lacked a time series trend, which supports the contention that shifting predation pressure rather than feeding opportunities is responsible for the decline in post-smolt survival in Baltic salmon.