The gastric evacuation rates of Spiny Dogfish Squalus acanthias, Summer Flounder Paralichthys dentatus and Goosefish Lophius americanus held at two different temperatures were determined in the laboratory by gastric lavage. Overall, exponential models provided the best fit for the evacuation rates. The Spiny Dogfish, an elasmobranch, evacuated more slowly than the Summer Flounder (a teleost) but the

The catch of large quantities of sublegal-sized fish and shrimp is a pervasive feature of bottom trawl fisheries, particularly in the Mediterranean demersal mixed fisheries where regulations traditionally allow small mesh sizes. To address these concerns, two bottom trawl net selectivity trials were carried out in 2019 and 2020 on fishing grounds worked by the trawl fleet of Spanish Mediterranean,

Fishery regulations mandate the release of many caught fish, elevating the importance of having accurate estimates of discard mortality. Red Snapper Lutjanus campechanus are overfished and undergoing overfishing in the southeast U.S. Atlantic, in part due to the high number of releases that die from discard mortality. We used acoustic telemetry to track the fine-scale movements of hook-and-line-caught

The effect on fish life history of warming oceanic water temperatures is a modern concern. Warming coastal and continental shelf sea surface temperatures (SSTs) were examined for their effect on the arrival of American Eel Anguilla rostrata glass eels to coastal waters as represented by the start of commercial elver fisheries along the Atlantic coast of Nova Scotia, Canada. Elver fishery start dates

The mystery of the discrepancy between American Eel Anguilla rostrata larval, glass, and elver ages derived from otolith examination and from observed spawning and recruitment dates is long standing. A variety of solutions have been proposed but none have been validated. Japanese Eels Anguilla japonica do not deposit daily otolith growth rings at water temperatures ≤10°C and have less than daily deposition

Many rockfish (genus Sebastes) species within multispecies complexes have lacked basic biological data hindering their fisheries management. In this study, we provide essential information for stock assessment decision making for one of these species, Harlequin Rockfish Sebastes variegatus. We analyzed aspects of reproduction, size structure, and growth of Harlequin Rockfish in waters off Alaska using

Climate-driven changes in the marine environment can impact the distribution and abundance of marine species. Here, we combined available commercial fishery data of the neon flying squid Ommastrephes bartramii in the traditional fishing grounds in the northwest Pacific Ocean collected by Chinese squid jigging vessels between 1996 and 2005 with the dominant environmental climate factors affecting its

Winter Flounder Pseudopleuronectes americanus, a coastal flatfish species of historically economic and cultural importance, have declined throughout the past few decades within the southern New England and mid-Atlantic region of the United States, reaching a low point of less than 9% of their historic biomass in 2009. Unusually high postsettlement mortality is thought to impose a critical recruitment

Cover image: OlegRi/Shutterstock Cover description: Fisher casting net in the Coral Sea

Since 1994, the fishery for bay scallops Argopecten irradians concentricus in Florida has been limited to a recreational fishery that operates during the summer, before the spawning season in fall. Recent growth of the fishery necessitates a study of the effect of this increased exploitation on the bay scallop population. The study focused on one management zone, centered on the community of Steinhatchee

Understanding the basic biology of exploited fish populations, and how it changes across the waterscape, is essential to sustainable management. Biological features (age, growth, reproductive investment, and fish condition) for the newly described Deacon Rockfish Sebastes diaconus were evaluated between two different population segments, an exploited nearshore population and an unexploited offshore

Prey communities in the North Pacific Ocean have been disrupted by marine heatwaves, and reductions in forage fishes have had notable impacts on upper-trophic-level consumers. Little is known about the potential effects of a changing prey base for some commercially valuable fishes, such as Sablefish Anoplopoma fimbria. The objectives of this study were to evaluate temporal and age-based shifts in diets

Despite numerous examples of ecosystem-based fisheries management (EBFM) addressing tradeoffs between ecological and commercial fishery interests, local social and cultural concerns are less frequently considered. We illustrate how Indigenous fishery harvest goals and data from locally driven wildlife research can inform EBFM, guided by cultural values of respect for and reciprocity with wildlife.

The Red Snapper Lutjanus campechanus is a reef-associated species found throughout the Gulf of Mexico that relies on artificial structures for habitat. In this study, we used Bayesian models to determine habitat selection by different sizes and ages of female Red Snapper and to identify whether there was a difference in habitat selection between immature and mature fish. Red Snapper (n = 693) were

Age, growth, and mortality were estimated for Yellowfin Tuna Thunnus albacares from the U.S. Gulf of Mexico and western Atlantic Ocean. During 2004–2017, 3,443 Yellowfin Tuna were sampled, primarily from recreational landings off the coast of Louisiana (90%). Based on reading otoliths, ages ranged from 1 to 18 years, with younger fish (<4 years) representing the majority (78%) of the age-classes. Otolith

The eastern oyster Crassostrea virginica is a commercially and ecologically important organism found throughout the western North Atlantic and Gulf of Mexico. Morphological differences in shell shape of eastern oysters are known to arise from environmental, genetic, and husbandry-related factors. Here, live eastern oysters were collected from 17 sites along the U.S. Gulf of Mexico coast from Texas

Although catch-and-release fishing tournaments undoubtedly reduce mortality of target species, postrelease mortality and fish stockpiling at release sites remain common concerns related to these tournaments. The impacts of live-release tournaments on freshwater species have been widely studied. However, research on estuarine sport fishes is lacking even though catch-and-release tournaments targeting

Cover image: Lisa Hupp/U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Alaska Region Cover description: Kodiak bear Ursus arctos middendorffi with salmon

The Straits of Florida comprise an important migratory route for apex predators moving among the Gulf of Mexico, Atlantic Ocean, and Caribbean Sea. Off Cuba’s northwestern coast, various gear types are used by Cuban fishers, including small-scale pelagic longlines. We report here the results of a 2011–2019 monitoring program for the longline fleet based in Cojímar, Cuba. This fleet comprises 134 small

Shrimp black gill is an emerging disease caused by a parasitic ciliate, Hyalophysa lynni, that attacks gill tissue in white shrimp Litopenaeus setiferus and brown shrimp Farfantepenaeus aztecus and induces an immune response that produces melanized tissue in shrimp gills. This immune response causes necrosis and damage in shrimp gill tissue, which limits shrimp metabolic capability and can lead to

The Green Jobfish Aprion virescens supports important commercial, recreational, and subsistence fisheries throughout its Indo-Pacific range. Concerns with previous estimates of age and growth from fish in Hawaii, along with evidence of variability in these parameters from locations outside the Pacific Ocean, limits their reliability as input parameters for assessments of this species, particularly

Alewife Alosa pseudoharengus and Blueback Herring A. aestivalis—collectively referred to as river herring—exhibit complex life histories, exploiting freshwater and marine biomes to complete their life cycles. We investigated distribution patterns of river herring in the Penobscot River estuary, Maine, USA, from April through September in 2012 and 2013 and found both species in relatively low-salinity

Predation can be a significant source of natural mortality for small pelagic fish species, rivaling or exceeding fishery removals. Failure to account for changes in natural mortality can introduce uncertainty in the assessment and management of these stocks. In this study, a 10‐year span of hydroacoustic data was used to detect Bluefin Tuna Thunnus thynnus on two major fall spawning grounds of Atlantic

Harvest may have myriad effects on target species, including a change in population size structure. To assess whether size shifts have occurred among managed coastal species of shark (superorder Selachimorpha), we examined the population size structure of 12 species caught during a nearly five‐decade‐long fishery‐independent survey conducted in Onslow Bay, North Carolina, using standardized longline

The quantification of niche diversity and niche overlap is useful for understanding the impacts of fisheries regulation and management. In this work, we evaluate isotopic niche size and overlap at the guild and species levels. Specifically, we analyzed guild‐ and species‐specific isotopic niche space and niche space overlap using the SIBER and nicheROVER packages, and we evaluated length‐specific and

Since 1991, the number of penaeid shrimp occurring in Virginia waters of Chesapeake Bay has steadily increased, prompting an interest in developing a fishery. Although development of a shrimp fishery in the Chesapeake Bay region could bring economic benefits, the fishery may be hampered by the presence of a disease syndrome known as shrimp black gill (sBG). The objectives of our study were to (1) describe

Using bottom‐trawl survey data to examine fishery resources in the Beibu Gulf, South China Sea, changes in stock density, dominant species composition, mean trophic level, and the fishing‐in‐balance index were comprehensively analyzed. The results show that the stock density of fishery resources declined in the gulf from 1961 to 2017. The composition of dominant species in trawl surveys from Beibu

In the southeastern USA and the Gulf of Mexico (GOM), Atlantic Tripletail Lobotes surinamensis are increasingly targeted by recreational anglers, indicating that stock status should be assessed. A critical need for such assessments is age‐specific data; however, previous studies have drawn conflicting conclusions regarding the most appropriate structure for aging. Moreover, growth parameters and mortality

The construction of dams and tide gates on waterways has altered the physical structure of many coastal, estuarine, and freshwater systems. These changes have come at a cost to fish populations, most notably diadromous species, which rely on connectivity between marine and freshwater systems. These anthropogenic structures can have direct effects on migrating fish, such as blocking fish passage, or

Cover image: © Tanya Houppermans Cover description: Great Hammerhead Sphyrna mokarran off the coast of Grand Bahama

Development reduces the amount of secondary biological production in coastal estuaries. However, the magnitude of this reduction remains largely unknown. We are not aware of studies that have quantified lost secondary biological production in estuaries as a result of interdecadal coastal development of salt‐marsh habitats. Our objective was to demonstrate a technique that combined historical imagery

Rapid phenotypic stock identification in mixed‐stock fisheries can provide a useful alternative to more time‐intensive methods (e.g., coded wire tags, genetics) in assessing harvest and informing management decisions. We leveraged local ecological knowledge, existing stock identification methods, and understanding of life history differences to develop rapid stock identification tools for fall‐run

The present study aimed to investigate the life history traits of blue crabs Callinectes sapidus found in four estuarine systems—two on the Gulf coast of Florida (St. Andrews Bay and Suwannee Sound) and two on the Atlantic coast (St. Johns and Halifax rivers). Females in St. Andrews Bay, Suwannee Sound, the St. Johns River, and the Halifax River reached maturity at a carapace width (measured from lateral

Cover image: Nick Zachar/National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Office of National Marine Sanctuaries Cover description: Ruby Beach in Olympic Coast National Marine Sanctuary, Washington, USA

Growth and recruitment overfishing can co‐occur when a fishery is subjecting small and immature fish in conjunction with adult fish to excessive exploitation rates such that it reduces the spawning biomass to the point where recruitment is significantly impaired. Such conditions are generally evident in open‐access fisheries and are especially detrimental to long‐lived species as they reach maturity

Pacific salmon hatcheries support important commercial fisheries for Pink Salmon Oncorhynchus gorbuscha and Chum Salmon O. keta in Prince William Sound (PWS), Alaska. State policy mandates that hatchery‐produced fish must not negatively impact natural populations, which can occur during mixed fisheries and via ecological and genetic interactions. Therefore, we quantified the spatial and temporal overlap

To minimize negative effects of competition, predators must divide resources along one or more niche dimensions. Trophic niche separation is a principal method of resource partitioning in marine environments and is often assessed by quantifying diets of fishes with similar lengths. Taxonomic differences in allometric growth, however, suggest that the degree of gape limitation at a given body size varies

The effects of potential reductions of freshwater inflow were evaluated for the lower Peace River and its largest tributary, lower Shell Creek, which flow into the Charlotte Harbor estuary in southwest Florida. Habitat suitability modeling (HSM) and mapping of fish and invertebrate species life stages were used to seasonally predict changes in spatial distributions and population numbers associated

The Atlantic sea scallop Placopecten magellanicus dredge fishery is one of the most lucrative commercial fishing industries in the northeastern United States, and fish bycatch can comprise up to ~42% of the total catch. Benthic species, such as flatfish, are particularly susceptible to unintended capture in scallop dredge gear, and mitigating bycatch and associated mortality has been mandated a priority

Cover image: © Pix Box/Shutterstock Cover description: Atlantic Cod Gadus morhua

Little information is available concerning the seasonal demographics of marine migrating Alewife Alosa pseudoharengus and Blueback Herring A. aestivalis, reported in commercial fisheries as “gaspereau” in Canada and “river herring” in the USA. Once adults and age‐0 juveniles depart from coastal spawning rivers, they migrate along the North American Atlantic coast and are difficult to access for scientific

Striped Mullet Mugil cephalus are numerically abundant forage fish, highly valuable as prey, and commercially valuable to humans. From September to December, Striped Mullet in the Indian River Lagoon (IRL), Florida, undergo an annual migration from inshore foraging habitats to oceanic spawning sites. However, their migratory pathways—particularly their intra‐estuarine movement pathways—remain unknown

Early maturity of economically important fish has become a global issue, which might affect the reproductive potential of fish stocks. We used the samples that were collected in a fisheries‐independent survey in the East China Sea annually around the end of August from 2002 to 2017 to investigate the maturation progress of female Hairtail Trichiurus japonicus in response to (1) spatial variation, (2)

Small‐scale fisheries (SSFs) tend to target shallow waters, but the depth distributions of coastal fish can vary depending on species, size, and sex. This creates a scope for a form of fishing selectivity that has received limited attention but can have considerable implications for monitoring and management of these fisheries. We conducted a case study on the Norwegian wrasse fishery, a developing

Cover image: Jenny Waddell/National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Cover description: Several species of algae at the Olympic Coast National Marine Sanctuary.

Despite 30 years of relatively strict management measures, the Red Porgy Pagrus pagrus population off the southeast U.S. Atlantic coast has not met rebuilding goals and was still categorized as overfished over a decade after a moratorium (SEDAR 2020). The lack of recovery indicates that limiting fishing pressure is not enough to effectively manage population levels. Population size may be driven by

As opposed to passive, broad‐scale acoustic telemetry arrays, acoustic positioning systems generate high‐resolution animal locations that provide information on long‐term, fine‐scale movement patterns and habitat preferences. However, limited comparisons have been made between more common broad‐scale acoustic data and fine‐scale positioning data and it is unknown whether differences exist in ecological

Highly mobile species can be challenging for fisheries management and conservation due to large home ranges combined with dependence on discrete habitat areas where they can be easily targeted or vulnerable to anthropogenic disturbances. Management of the Dusky Shark Carcharhinus obscurus in the northwest Atlantic Ocean has been particularly challenging due to the species’ inherent vulnerability to

Acoustic telemetry, in which transmitters projecting ultrasonic signals carrying unique identification codes are deployed on marine and aquatic animals and detected and logged by acoustic receivers, is becoming a common tool in fisheries science. Collaboration among researchers using this technology has led to the development of telemetry networks that are capable of detecting transmitters at coastwide

Cover image: © Eiko Jones Cover description: A school of Bigeye Trevally Caranx sexfasciatus.

The Weakfish Cynoscion regalis, an economically important species, has declined over the last 30 years, corresponding with an increase in total mortality according to the most recent stock assessment. We estimated estuarine‐specific and coastwide apparent survival of Weakfish by using a Cormack–Jolly–Seber model to provide insights into the spatiotemporal component of mortality. Telemetered Weakfish

The FACT Network (originally the Florida Atlantic Coast Telemetry working group), established in 2007, is a grassroots collaboration that is dedicated to improving the conservation and management of aquatic animals by facilitating data sharing amongst researchers using acoustic telemetry technology, providing a community for scientists, and building stakeholder partnerships. Founded along the eastern

A variety of data needs challenge the successful restoration and management of alosine populations, including information on the migration, mortality, behavior, demographic rates, and distribution of fish, both in riverine and marine environments. Radiotelemetry with gastric‐implanted transmitters has typically been used to answer some of these questions; however, observing alosines over extended periods

The Western Dry Rocks (WDR) area off Key West, Florida, is an open fishing area that contains a multispecies fish spawning aggregation site, but grouper spawning there has yet to be confirmed. The movements of 18 adult and subadult grouper at WDR were tracked using acoustic telemetry to determine how this area is used by grouper species and whether it contains a grouper spawning aggregation site. Tagged

Cape Hatteras is a major topographic feature on the continental shelf of the U.S. eastern seaboard that changes the dynamics of nearshore large ocean currents, including the Labrador Current and Gulf Stream. Cape Hatteras constricts shelf habitat and restricts the migratory corridors of highly migratory species through this area. Our objective was to describe the seasonal patterns of presence for three

Fishery‐independent data are important for the effective management of reef fishes in the eastern Gulf of Mexico. Proper characterization of selectivity, or the effectiveness of each type of sampling gear in capturing a species or a size‐class, is essential to ensure that assessment models treat various sources of data appropriately. In this study, we analyzed fishery‐independent data that was collected

A correction has been issued for the following manuscript published recently in Marine and Coastal Fisheries: Dynamics, Management, and Ecosystem Science: Volume 11(6) December 2019: “Monitoring Populations in Partially Protected Marine Areas: Comparisons of Length Data Derived from Recreational Angler Surveys and Fishery‐Independent Surveys” by Faith A. Ochwada‐Doyle and Daniel D. Johnson, pages 454–471

The effect of oceanic environmental conditions on the recruitment of American Eel Anguilla rostrata to coastal waters is poorly understood. This study examined correlations between the annual elver count index of the East River, Chester, Nova Scotia, seasonal oceanic environmental conditions associated with the larval and glass eel stages, and larval and glass eel migration times between the spawning

Cover image: Tane Casserly/National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Offi ce of National Marine Sanctuaries Cover description: Two sharks surrounded by fi sh over a shipwreck in Monitor National Marine Sanctuary.

Gray Snapper Lutjanus griseus is an economically and ecologically important species in the estuarine and coastal environments of the southeastern United States. Previous research has focused primarily on juvenile Gray Snapper due to their accessible inshore distribution and ecological importance, while adults, which often occur offshore and are the main focus of fishing pressure, remain poorly understood