Research Document - 1999/114
Recent trends in the dominant pelagic fish species and environment in the Northwest Atlantic, NAFO 2J3KLNO.
By J.T. Anderson, E.L. Dalley and E. Colbourne
Abstract
We have characterized the pelagic ecosystem of the shelf waters off Newfoundland and Labrador as Arctic, Boreal and Temperate where the dominant fish species are Arctic cod (Boreogadus saida), capelin (Mallotus villosus) and sandlance (Ammodytes sp.), respectively. Arctic cod are exclusively young-of-the-year (0-group) while capelin and sandlance are predominantly one year old, and older, juveniles. The ocean environment has been warming since 1991 where surface layer water temperatures have been near, and above, normal beginning in 1994. On the Grand Bank, there was a large increase in bottom warm water habitat in the spring of 1998. Decreasing abundance and contraction in range of Arctic cod contrasted with an increasing abundance and expansion in range of capelin. These changes are consistent with expected biological changes in a warming ocean environment. The order of magnitude increase in the production of young (0-group) fish on the Southern Grand Bank in 1998 occurred across several species groups, including capelin, Atlantic cod (Gadus morhua), American plaice (Hippoglossoides platessoides) and haddock (Melanogrammus aegelfinus). The large increase in fish production appeared to result from the migration of adults into the Southern Grand Bank during the spring of 1998, in response to warm bottom water temperatures.
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