United States Continental Shelf Research Articles

Integrating fishers’ knowledge with oceanographic observations to understand changing ocean conditions in the Northeast United States

Recent warming in the Northeast United States continental shelf ecosystem has raised several concerns about the impacts on the ecosystem and commercial fisheries. In 2014, researchers from the Commercial Fisheries Research Foundation and Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution founded the Shelf Research Fleet to involve fishers in monitoring the rapidly changing ocean environment and encourage sharing of ecological knowledge. The Shelf Research Fleet is a transdisciplinary, cooperative program that trains commercial fishers to collect oceanographic information by deploying conductivity, temperature, and depth (CTD) instruments while commercially fishing. A total of 806 CTD profiles have been collected by the Shelf Research Fleet through December 2022. Participating vessels can view the conductivity and temperature water column profiles they collect in real-time. These profiles help inform their fishing practices and give insights when unexpected species appear in their gear or if their catch composition changes from previous years. The data collected by the Shelf Research Fleet are shared with and processed by researchers from numerous partnering institutions. The Shelf Research Fleet data have been used by researchers to better understand oceanographic phenomena including marine heatwaves, shelf-break exchange processes, warm core rings, and salinity maximum intrusions onto the continental shelf. The scope of the Shelf Research Fleet has grown over time to include efforts to more directly link oceanographic results with biological observations to better understand how changing ocean conditions are affecting commercially important species. This article describes the approach, successes, challenges, and future directions of the Shelf Research Fleet and aims to outline a framework for a cost-effective research program that engages fishers in the collection of oceanographic data, strengthening partnerships between fishing industry members and the scientific community.

Real-time joint ocean acoustics and circulation modeling in the 2021 New England Shelf Break Acoustics experiment (L).

During the spring of 2021, a coordinated multi-vessel effort was organized to study physical oceanography, marine geology and biology, and acoustics on the northeast United States continental shelf, as part of the New England Shelf Break Acoustics (NESBA) experiment. One scientific goal was to establish a real-time numerical model aboard the research vessel with high spatial and temporal resolution to predict the oceanography and sound propagation within the NESBA study area. The real-time forecast model performance and challenges are reported in this letter without adjustment or re-simulation after the cruise. Future research directions for post-experiment studies are also suggested.

Performance tracking: A historical background to promote learning

This geologic note provides a lookback on lookbacks, hopefully to spur further interest by companies in generating learning from exploration experience, rather than being victimized by repeated mistakes to which exploration assessment may unknowingly be exposed. The lookback contribution to portfolio management is properly called performance tracking. Likely inspired by the after-action review process installed by the US Army approximately 50 yr ago, oil industry published results of tracking predictive performance began via a simple cross plot (predrill prospect resource size versus postdrill accumulation resource size) by US Geological Survey (USGS) workers documenting discovery sizes on the United States continental shelf. Whereas predrill estimates made by the USGS were relatively accurate, analogous publications by the industry have usually documented recurring optimistic bias. Other contributions have demonstrated the utility of determining (1) the efficiency of prospect ranking by various predrill estimation parameters (via an estimation efficiency plot), (2) when a drilling program falls outside of statistical control (via a sequential aggregation plot), and (3) where along a series of predrill forecast distributions persistent estimation bias has occurred (via a percentile histogram). These basics can serve as a starting point for any company to build their own baseline study to learn what aspects of their many estimates need improvement.

Updated Morphological Descriptions of the Larval Stage of Urophycis (Family: Phycidae) from the Northeast United States Continental Shelf

Including early life history data in assessments can improve fisheries management by increasing our knowledge of stock structure, spawning habitat, and population trends. The identification of fish larvae to species is a necessary step in using early life history data toward this goal. Three species of hakes from the genus Urophycis are common on the northeast United States continental shelf: U. chuss or Red Hake, U. regia or Spotted Hake, and U. tenuis or White Hake. Unfortunately, identification of larval Urophycis has long been only possible at the genus level. Larvae of Urophycis (n = 277) collected in a subset of ethanol-preserved samples were identified genetically through sequencing of the cytochrome oxidase I gene and were used to update morphological descriptions with characters that separate these three species at the larval stage. Sequencing occurred in two stages: the first (n = 88) to develop a set of known-identity larvae to define species-specific traits, the second (n = 189) to test morphological identification based on the traits described in this study. We describe a combination of the location of dorsal and ventral pigment, head pigment, lower jaw pigment, and the timing of development of the pectoral fins to distinguish the larvae of these three species at sizes <6 mm. Using molecular techniques to improve morphological identifications is a powerful and efficient way to obtain the species-level data needed for assessments and management.

Inter-annual variability of shelf water volume on the northeastern Canadian and United States continental shelf, 1973–2013

Understanding the variability of waters confined to the northeastern United States and Canadian continental shelf is essential in determining factors that influence hydrographic patterns and structure, changes in fisheries stocks and planktonic assemblages, and the impact of Arctic warming. Shelf waters (SHW) located between Newfoundland and Cape Hatteras are characterized by lower salinity (<34 PSU) and lower temperatures than the generally warmer and more saline slope waters located farther offshore. Significant inter-annual variability of SHW volume has been noted from previous studies within the more limited Mid Atlantic Bight sub-region. Multiple factors may impact the volume of SHW, including local and remote river runoff and precipitation, release and equator-ward transport of fresh water from the Arctic and sub-polar gyre, ice melt from Greenland, cross-shelf removal, and both vertical and horizontal mixing processes. Here, we estimate inter-annual variability of SHW volume over the large shelf domain located between Newfoundland and Cape Hatteras from 1973 through 2013. Objectively-analyzed (OA) annual mean SHW thickness and error (as a percent of data variance) is computed for each of eleven sub-regions spanning our study domain for the 41-year period. Results show significant decreasing trends in SHW volume within 5 of the 11 sub-regions (The Grand Banks through the Eastern Scotian Shelf sub-regions) in agreement with previous work which has shown a decreasing trend of northern Labrador Current transport. OA annual mean SHW volume anomalies were cross-correlated with annual mean shelf slope front (SSF) position anomalies for corresponding sub-regions, displaying a highly significant relationship for the Georges Bank, the Mid Atlantic Bight, and the DelMarVa Hatteras shelf, with higher volumes corresponding to more offshore SSF positions. Annual mean near-surface salinity anomalies, when cross-correlated with OA annual mean SHW volume anomalies, displayed significant positive correlations from the Gulf of St. Lawrence northeast to the Newfoundland shelf and displayed primarily negative correlations from the Gulf of Maine to the DelMarVa Hatteras sub-region. The North Atlantic Oscillation annual indices displayed significant cross-correlations with annual mean OA SHW volume anomalies only for the Tail of the Grand Banks and Georges Bank., There were no significant cross correlations computed between the OA annual mean SHW volume anomalies and the NAO winter index for corresponding years.

In situ Monitoring of Longfin Inshore Squid Egg Deposition and Embryonic Development

Knowledge of squid early life history is relatively poor despite its importance for fisheries management. The longfin inshore squid Doryteuthis pealeii (Lesueur, 1821) is a commercially important species harvested extensively along the northeastern United States continental shelf. To understand the effects of fishing and environmental variability on D. pealeii in an inshore spawning ground (Nantucket Sound, MA), egg deposition and embryonic development were monitored in situ at commercial fish weirs in spring and summer 2008 to 2016. Logbooks were maintained in which catch (including the presence of egg masses) and effort data for each weir were recorded daily. Seawater temperature was recorded using data loggers affixed to the weirs. Newly deposited egg masses were transferred to a mesh enclosure on an opportunistic basis and placed immediately adjacent to the weir to permit semiweekly retrieval and sampling. Samples (five randomly chosen “fingers” excised from a mass) were chilled and transported to a nearby wet lab for microscopic examination to determine embryonic development stage. Hatch timing was determined via direct observation of paralarvae emerging from egg masses and development time was calculated as the number of days between egg mass deposition and hatching. The timing and duration of egg mass deposition varied between years. Embryonic development time of 15 egg masses ranged from 12 to 34 days and generally decreased at warmer temperatures. In situ observations were consistent with the findings of laboratory studies of D. pealeii and other loliginid squids.

A Numerical Model Analysis of the Mean and Seasonal Nitrogen Budget on the Northeast U.S. Shelf

AbstractThe supply of nitrogen is a primary limiting factor for the productivity of the Northeast United States (NEUS) continental shelf. In this study, a 12‐year (1996–2007) retrospective physical‐biogeochemical simulation over the Northwest Atlantic was used to analyze the mean and seasonal NEUS shelf nitrogen budget, including the connections between shelf subregions: the Gulf of Maine/Georges Bank (GoM/GB), and the Mid‐Atlantic Bight (MAB). The model captures the primary mean and seasonal patterns of shelf circulation, nitrate, and plankton dynamics. Results confirm aspects of previous nitrogen budget analyses, including the dominance of offshore nitrogen influxes into the GoM/GB and the prominent role of riverine influxes and sedimentary denitrification in the MAB. However, detailed spatiotemporal analysis of nitrogen fluxes highlights the importance of dispersed inflows of shallow to intermediate depth waters (0–75 m), which can at times exceed the deep nitrogen influx emphasized in previous studies. A seasonal analysis shows a pronounced shift from the net import of nitrogen to the GoM/GB region during late fall and winter, to the net export of nitrogen from the region in the spring and early summer. The MAB, in contrast, consistently exports nitrogen to offshore waters. The prominence of the 0‐75m nitrogen supply has implications for the roles of Labrador Slope Water and Atlantic Temperate Slope Water on the NEUS ecosystems, as Atlantic Temperate Slope Water has greater nitrate concentrations than Labrador Slope Water at depth but often less at the surface. Results suggest the need for further study of shallow to intermediate depth inflows beyond those from the Scotian Shelf, particularly during the fall/winter of net nitrogen inflow.

Comparing acoustic classification methods to estimate krill biomass in the Georges Bank region from 1999 to 2012

AbstractKrill are a critical component of northern‐latitude ecosystems, yet are poorly monitored in the Gulf of Maine and Georges Bank regions of the northeast United States continental shelf. We applied five acoustic classification methods (multifrequency single‐beam index [MFSBI], dB‐differencing, multifrequency index [MFI], and two variations of the Z‐score method) to acoustic data collected during surveys conducted annually in the Georges Bank region in order to map krill spatial distribution from 1999 to 2012. Material properties (sound speed and mass density) of krill and length data from net samples collected in the Gulf of Maine and Georges Bank regions were used in conjunction with distorted wave Born approximation (DWBA) predicted target strengths to scale acoustic data to estimates of biomass for the Georges Bank region. All methods require a priori information, ranging from training sets (i.e., empirically based classification) to validated acoustic models of target strength (i.e., theoretically based classification) for the species and acoustic frequencies of interest. Incorporating predicted backscatter from theoretical models can improve confidence in classification, especially when clean training sets are not available, but does come at the cost of a validated acoustic backscatter model. The biomass estimates from the four acoustic classification methods were comparable among each other, with the MFSBI method consistently estimating lowest biomass and the empirically based Z‐score consistently estimating highest biomass. Comparisons to net‐based estimates were inconsistent, most likely due to net inefficiency (low catchability), targeting of layers, and scaling point estimates to regions.

Effects of spring onset and summer duration on fish species distribution and biomass along the Northeast United States continental shelf

Studies documenting distributional shifts of fishes typically rely on time series of annual sampling events with fixed seasonal timing and limited temporal range. Meanwhile, as temperatures along the Northeast continental shelf have increased, the seasonal cycle also shifted towards earlier spring warming and longer summers. Seasonal migrations of fish and macroinvertebrates on the continental shelf in the Northeast US are thought to be primarily controlled by temperature and as such likely follow the temperature phenology of the shelf. This study sought to determine whether apparent changes in fish biomass and distributions are linked to spring warming phenology and/or duration of summer, the effective growing season for most species. We hypothesized that the earlier spring thermal transition would occur earlier and would cause centers of biomass to be more poleward during the spring survey. We also expected lengthening summers, primarily a function of later fall cooling, to cause centers of biomass in the fall survey to be more poleward and for biomass on the shelf to be greater within and following longer growing seasons. We did not detect a strong effect of the timing of the spring thermal transition in sea surface temperature on the distribution or abundance for most of the 43 fish stocks that we examined. However, later fall cooling and longer summers had a strong effect on both abundance and biomass of many fish stocks. These findings suggest that more focus should be placed on the length of the growing season and population-level processes that result in distributional shifts and changes in abundance.

Discovery of a spawning ground reveals diverse migration strategies in Atlantic bluefin tuna (Thunnus thynnus)

Atlantic bluefin tuna are a symbol of both the conflict between preservationist and utilitarian views of top ocean predators, and the struggle to reach international consensus on the management of migratory species. Currently, Atlantic bluefin tuna are managed as an early-maturing eastern stock, which spawns in the Mediterranean Sea, and a late-maturing western stock, which spawns in the Gulf of Mexico. However, electronic tagging studies show that many bluefin tuna, assumed to be of a mature size, do not visit either spawning ground during the spawning season. Whether these fish are spawning in an alternate location, skip-spawning, or not spawning until an older age affects how vulnerable this species is to anthropogenic stressors including exploitation. We use larval collections to demonstrate a bluefin tuna spawning ground in the Slope Sea, between the Gulf Stream and northeast United States continental shelf. We contend that western Atlantic bluefin tuna have a differential spawning migration, with larger individuals spawning in the Gulf of Mexico, and smaller individuals spawning in the Slope Sea. The current life history model, which assumes only Gulf of Mexico spawning, overestimates age at maturity for the western stock. Furthermore, individual tuna occupy both the Slope Sea and Mediterranean Sea in separate years, contrary to the prevailing view that individuals exhibit complete spawning-site fidelity. Overall, this complexity of spawning migrations questions whether there is complete independence in the dynamics of eastern and western Atlantic bluefin tuna and leads to lower estimates of the vulnerability of this species to exploitation and other anthropogenic stressors.

The role of spiny dogfish in the northeast United States continental shelf ecosystem: How it has changed over time and potential interspecific competition for resources

Abstract Ecosystem based modeling was used to determine the ecological role of spiny dogfish (Squalus acanthias), an opportunistic predator, in the northeast United States marine environment. Two time periods were modeled; one when spiny dogfish populations were depressed and one after recovery. According to our results, the ecological role of spiny dogfish has changed over time. During the depressed time period, spiny dogfish were not a keystone species and had little impact, positive or negative, on other species/groups in this ecosystem. Spiny dogfish currently have one of the highest trophic levels in this ecosystem and are akeystone species, having a high prey overlap with commercially depleted Atlantic cod (Gadus morhua). Spiny dogfish appear to have responded well to changes in this ecosystem caused by fishing and perhaps environmental change or a combination of both, while other species in the region have not. This is important, as spiny dogfish could now be potentially out competing commercially valuable and highly depleted populations of groundfish for resources. Based on our results, we suggest fisheries managers should look toward ecosystem based management measures in the future in order to actively and properly manage the ecosystem as a whole.

Offshore Safety and Environmental Regimes: A Post-Macondo Comparative Analysis of the United States and United Kingdom

This paper analyzes selected offshore environmental and safety laws from the United States and United Kingdom. Particularly, examining alterations due to the Deepwater Horizon, or Macondo, incident. This paper bifurcates the two national regimes, as much as possible, into separate chapters, for clarity.United States environmental laws are reviewed and analyzed first. United States regulatory issues based on engineering concerns and the safety regime are analyzed in the second half of the United States Chapter. The analysis questions whether the United States has truly dealt with Macondo issues or if the issues were effectively tabled. The current state of the United States regime indicates that it is either in a transitional phase or it has failed to implement key measures to effectively utilize the post-Macondo regulations.The United Kingdom offshore safety and environmental legislation and regulations are reviewed prior to a discussion on changes in the United Kingdom regime that are attributable to the Macondo incident. The question of whether the United Kingdom is actively learning or rather playing the proverbial dog and pony show may be dramatic as a statement, but is nonetheless keenly to the point. A type of tongue-in-cheek acknowledgement that the United Kingdom regime is fit for purpose, or everything here is ok, whilst simultaneously ordering large investigations seems contradictory in nature and is one form of issue that is addressed in the United Kingdom analysis. The importance of revisiting issues from the Macondo incident could be argued as self-explanatory given the dynamic nature of deep water exploration and the need to search deeper on the continental shelf in order to meet growing energy needs. However, whilst this paper was being researched and written a gas blowout occurred on the United States continental Shelf. Whilst the reason behind the blowout has not been publicly identified, it stands as a current reminder that the dynamic nature of offshore oil and gas needs continued study and regulatory refinement to keep pace with an industry that will continue to press into ever changing environments.

The northeast US application of ATLANTIS: A full system model exploring marine ecosystem dynamics in a living marine resource management context

Understanding marine ecosystem dynamics is a key challenge and opportunity facing us. One of the ways we can continue to unravel and understand marine ecosystem dynamics is via ecosystem modeling. We used one such model, ATLANTIS, to help explore the dynamics of the Northeast United States (NEUS) Continental Shelf Large Marine Ecosystem (LME). We have parameterized ATLANTIS for the NEUS LME by including major functional groups across a range of biota, the physiographic dynamics of the ecosystem, and the major fishing fleets. The objectives of this work were to describe the application of this ATLANTIS NEUS model; briefly highlight modeling skill; note areas for further improvement, data gaps, major lessons learned, and how our understanding of the ecosystem was enhanced as we executed the modeling process; and note how these model outputs could inform living marine resource management in this region. The preliminary results we show here describe outputs from a multivariate, multispecies, multifactorial modeling approach. Our modeling skill is reasonable, as determined by the fact that over 90% of our fleet effort estimates, nearly 80% of our functional group catches, and 100% of our main functional group biomasses were within limits of tolerance. Moreover, the general patterns and phenology of major events were replicated consistently, both in space and time across a broad suite of physical, chemical, biological and human factors. These include several taxa groups such as primary producers, zooplankton, benthos, fishes, marine mammals, as well as nutrients, landings, and fishing effort. Conversely, as expected, there were some groups or fleets that did exceed levels of tolerance. These were mostly invertebrate groups such as shrimp, squid or gelatinous zooplankton, groups which are notorious for being difficult to model. Yet the major taxa groups and main fishing fleets were all well within levels of tolerance. Thus, we assert that with the majority of all main processes and state variables simulated, this ATLANTIS model can indeed reasonably approximate observations for the NEUS LME across a range of factors, and more importantly can be used to evaluate the relative prominence across a range of factors that contribute to the dynamics of this marine ecosystem.

Developing a two-step fishery-independent design to estimate the relative abundance of deepwater reef fish: Application to a marine protected area off the southeastern United States coast

Reliable data on reef fishes inhabiting the southeastern United States (North Carolina to Florida) continental shelf large marine ecosystem are difficult to obtain; catch quotas and time and area closures limit the collection of fishery-dependent samples. Further, unbiased fishery-independent samples are expensive to collect with conventional fishing gear. Consequently, stock assessments are often data-limited, especially for deepwater reef species. We estimated the relative abundance of deepwater reef fish with a double sampling approach using fisheries acoustics and conventional fishing gear (hook and line and chevron traps). Double sampling occurred within the newly-created Snowy Wreck Marine Protected Area and a nearby control site. Reef fish concentrations were identified by a single-beam Simrad ES60 transceiver with a transducer operating at 38 kHz. Hook and line samples were collected at 73 acoustic events, and chevron trap samples were collected at 20 acoustic events. The relationship between fisheries acoustic data and catch-per-unit-effort (CPUE) data was examined to develop a model to predict species-generic CPUE at unfished locations. Akaike's Information Criteria (AIC) found equal support for linear, exponential, and power relationships between acoustic backscatter and CPUE for each conventional fishing gear. Further model development would be aided by refining acoustic target information and applying complimentary fish sampling gears (i.e., split-beam fisheries acoustics gear, underwater video). Given further development, a double sampling design should be useful to estimate the relative abundance of important deepwater reef species over a wide area of the shelf break off the southeastern United States, utilizing either survey vessels or vessels-of-opportunity to rapidly collect acoustic samples.

Changing spatial distribution of fish stocks in relation to climate and population size on the Northeast United States continental shelf

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 393:111-129 (2009) - DOI: https://doi.org/10.3354/meps08220 Changing spatial distribution of fish stocks in relation to climate and population size on the Northeast United States continental shelf Janet A. Nye1,*, Jason S. Link1, Jonathan A. Hare2, William J. Overholtz1 1National Marine Fisheries Service, Northeast Fisheries Science Center, Woods Hole Laboratory, 166 Water St., Woods Hole, Massachusetts 02543, USA 2National Marine Fisheries Service, Northeast Fisheries Science Center, Narragansett Laboratory, 28 Tarzwell Drive, Narragansett, Rhode Island 02882, USA *Email: janet.nye@noaa.gov ABSTRACT: We tested the hypothesis that recent oceanographic changes associated with climate change in the Northeast United States continental shelf ecosystem have caused a change in spatial distribution of marine fish. To do this, we analyzed temporal trends from 1968 to 2007 in the mean center of biomass, mean depth, mean temperature of occurrence, and area occupied in each of 36 fish stocks. Temporal trends in distribution were compared to time series of both local- and large-scale environmental variables, as well as estimates of survey abundance. Many stocks spanning several taxonomic groups, life-history strategies, and rates of fishing exhibited a poleward shift in their center of biomass, most with a simultaneous increase in depth, and a few with a concomitant expansion of their northern range. However, distributional changes were highly dependent on the biogeography of each species. Stocks located in the southern extent of the survey area exhibited much greater poleward shifts in center of biomass and some occupied habitats at increasingly greater depths. In contrast, minimal changes in the center of biomass were observed in stocks with distributions limited to the Gulf of Maine, but mean depth of these stocks increased while stock size decreased. Large-scale temperature increase and changes in circulation, represented by the Atlantic Multidecadal Oscillation, was the most important factor associated with shifts in the mean center of biomass. Stock size was more often correlated with the total area occupied by each species. These changes in spatial distribution of fish stocks are likely to persist such that stock structure should be re-evaluated for some species. KEY WORDS: Atlantic Multidecadal Oscillation · Climate change · Biogeography · Center of biomass · Northeast United States continental shelf · Distribution · Area–abundance relationships Full text in pdf format Supplementary material PreviousNextCite this article as: Nye JA, Link JS, Hare JA, Overholtz WJ (2009) Changing spatial distribution of fish stocks in relation to climate and population size on the Northeast United States continental shelf. Mar Ecol Prog Ser 393:111-129. https://doi.org/10.3354/meps08220Export citation RSS - Facebook - Tweet - linkedIn Cited by Published in MEPS Vol. 393. Online publication date: October 30, 2009 Print ISSN: 0171-8630; Online ISSN: 1616-1599 Copyright © 2009 Inter-Research.

Changing spatial distribution of fish stocks in relation to climate and population size on the Northeast United States continental shelf

Changing spatial distribution of fish stocks in relation to climate and population size on the Northeast United States continental shelf

Respiration and denitrification in permeable continental shelf deposits on the South Atlantic Bight: Rates of carbon and nitrogen cycling from sediment column experiments

Nitrogen (N) cycling and respiration rates were measured in sediment columns packed with southeastern United States continental shelf sands, with high permeability (4.66×10 −11 m 2) and low organic carbon (0.05%) and nitrogen (0.008%). To simulate porewater advection, natural shelf seawater was pumped through columns of different lengths to achieve fluid residence times of approximately 3, 6, and 12 h. Experiments were conducted seasonally at in situ temperature. Fluid flow was uniform in nearly all columns, with minimal dead zones and channeling. Significant respiration (O 2 consumption and ∑CO 2 production) occurred in all columns, with highest respiration rates in summer. Most (78–100%) remineralized N was released as N 2 in the majority of cases, including columns with oxic porewater throughout, with only a small fraction released as NO 3 − from some oxic columns. A rate of 0.84–4.83×10 10 mol N yr −1, equivalent to 1.06–6.09×10 −6 mmol N cm −2 h −1, was calculated for benthic N 2 production in the South Atlantic Bight, which can account for a large fraction of new N inputs to this shelf region. Metal and sulfate reduction occurred in long residence time columns with anoxic outflow in summer and fall, when respiration rates were highest. Because permeable sediments dominate continental shelves, N 2 production in high permeability coastal sediments may play an important role in the global N cycle.

An approach to understanding habitat dynamics of flatfishes: Advantages of biotelemetry

The northeast United States continental shelf waters, and other coastal areas throughout the world, experience great annual temperature ranges. In response, coastal fishes, including flatfishes, make extensive migrations that are roughly delineated by the seasonal progression of tolerable isotherms. In addition to changing adult distribution, migrations affect the placement of progeny relative to highly dynamic oceanographic features with a potential for strong consequence to their recruitment success. Annual and interannual migration patterns are poorly understood for even some of the most ecologically and economically important species. In part, this is due to a lack of understanding of the variation in individual movement, whether migrants respond as a single population or as multiple contingents. The ability to monitor individual residency and movement is desirable for understanding coastal population structure. As a result of the above, our long-term goals are to determine (1) the patterns of timing, extent, and rates of migration, and (2) how these patterns are influenced by natural and anthropogenic variables. Acoustic telemetry technology is now available to track individual fish, both passively and actively, and thus effectively address these goals.

Thermal tolerance and potential distribution of invasive lionfish (Pterois volitans/miles complex) on the east coast of the United States

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 283:269-278 (2004) - doi:10.3354/meps283269 Thermal tolerance and potential distribution of invasive lionfish (Pterois volitans/miles complex) on the east coast of the United States Matthew E. Kimball1,2,3, John M. Miller2, Paula E. Whitfield1, Jonathan A. Hare1,* 1Center for Coastal Fisheries and Habitat Research, NOAA Beaufort Laboratory, 101 Pivers Island Road, Beaufort, North Carolina 28516, USA 2Department of Zoology, Campus Box 7617, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, North Carolina 27695-7617, USA 3Present address: Rutgers University Marine Field Station, 800 c/o 132 Great Bay Boulevard, Tuckerton, New Jersey 08087-2004, USA *Corresponding author. Email: jon.hare@noaa.gov ABSTRACT: The occurrence of lionfish (Pterois volitans/miles) complex on the southeast United States shelf represents one of the first documented invasions of a Pacific marine fish species into the western Atlantic Ocean. Temperature has been proposed as a possible factor limiting the range of this introduction. To examine this hypothesis, temperature-tolerance studies were conducted following the chronic lethal minimum protocol, with death as the endpoint. Overall, the mean chronic lethal minimum was 10.0°C and mean temperature at feeding cessation was 16.1°C. Rate of temperature decrease and acclimation temperature did not have a significant effect on chronic lethal minimum or temperature at feeding cessation. When combined with mean February water temperatures, lionfish thermal tolerance data indicated that lionfish could overwinter on the southeast United States continental shelf, with a northern limit of Cape Hatteras and an inshore limit coincident with the mean 12°C isotherm, which equates to a 10°C minimum water temperature. The mean 12°C bottom isotherm also runs along the continental shelf break (200 m isobath), marking the offshore limit for lionfish on the southeast United States continental shelf. The current southern limit of the invasion is not bound by temperature, as lionfish could survive (but have not yet been reported) on the Florida coast south of Miami, throughout the Gulf of Mexico and Caribbean Sea, extending into the southern hemisphere. Possible reasons for the constrained southern limit may include planktonic transport mechanisms, patterns of juvenile and adult movements, and the initial lionfish introduction site. KEY WORDS: Marine introduction · Biological invasion · Lionfish · Pterois volitans · Pterois miles · Invasive species · Species range limits · Temperature tolerance Full text in pdf format PreviousNextExport citation RSS - Facebook - Tweet - linkedIn Cited by Published in MEPS Vol. 283. Online publication date: November 30, 2004 Print ISSN: 0171-8630; Online ISSN: 1616-1599 Copyright © 2004 Inter-Research.

A Practice-Based Coupling of the Precautionary Principle to the Large Marine Ecosystem Fisheries Management Concept with a Policy Orientation: The Northeast United States Continental Shelf as a Case Example

This article addresses interdisciplinary sustainable aspects of fisheries as part of ocean management. Human-caused impacts and their role as modifiers of living marine resources is discussed. The research note also theorizes about contemporary global change and its prospective biological consequences, especially when coupled with human-induced factors in coastal marine waters. Also addressed is the management and ecological aspects of fish stock populations as part of a large marine ecosystem (LME) in the Northeast United States continental shelf of the Atlantic Ocean with suggestions for an interdisciplinary policy orientation paradigm to foster the sustainability of marine life in the sea.