Project Information

Title: SEA: Somatic and Spawning Energetics of Herring, Pollock, and Pink Salmon 96320-U

Project Year and Number: 1996: 96320-U

Other Fiscal Years and Numbers for this Project: 1998: 98320-U, 1997: 97320-U, 1995: 95320-U

Principal Investigator (PI): AJ Paul (UAF/IMS Seward Marine Ctr)

Managing Agency: ADFG

Assisting Personnel: None

Research Location: All Spill Affected Areas

Restoration Category: Research

Injured Resources Addressed: Pacific Herring, Pink Salmon

Abstract: This project will focus on the seasonal somatic energy cycles of species of pelagic fish in the EVOS region. It will explore over winter survival of juvenile herring and herring reproductive energetics. A portion of the effort will examine somatic energy in juvenile pollock which are trophic analogs with herring, so the nutritional status of these forage species can be compared. Historically, herring and pollock have been among the most abundant pelagic forage fishes in south-central Alaska. After the Exxon Valdez oil spill the herring population of Prince William Sound has been exhibiting reduced abundance, disease, and spawning anomalies that may be related to pollution. This research effort will help identify the role of food in delimiting survival of recruiting herring. The study of herring reproductive biology will be useful in managing the roe fishery and understanding egg production. Beginning in 1996 this project will begin to look at the energetics of pink salmon fry, including both wild and hatchery fish. This new aspect of the project will allow for a better understanding of the trophic interactions of small pollock, herring, and pink salmon that co-occur in time and space. The salmon work will also improve our understanding of the trophic interactions between wild and hatchery salmon fry. Typically high latitude fishes store energy during spring and summer feeding and throughout the winter reallocate energy to maintenance and reproduction (Smith et al., 1990). Thus, seasonal tissue samples must be taken to account for the temporal variation in energy content. Age zero, one and two year old herring store energy during the summer feeding season and primarily fast during the winter period. If they have insufficient energy stores to fast until the spring zooplankton bloom, then high mortalities might occur. Low energy storage might be due to low zooplankton standing stocks or to competition for food resources.


Proposal: Not Available

Reports:
Annual Report FY96: View (625 KB)
Final Report: See Project 98320-U

Publications from this Project: None Available

Datasets:
EVOSTC Data Archive: Somatic energy content, age-growth. dbf, GIS Availability: Data set will not be completed until 1999.