Stock Characteristics of Humpback Whitefish and Least Cisco in the Chatanika River, Alaska

Overharvest of humpback whitefish (Coregonus pidschian) and least cisco (C. sardinella) in the Chatanika River, Alaska, during the late 1980s led to collapsed stocks and closure of the fishery. We evaluated the stock characteristics of these two species to determine the extent of recovery. A total of 3207 humpback whitefish and 2766 least cisco were captured during their fall spawning migration in 2008. Humpback whitefish ranged from 188 to 583 mm in fork length (FL) and encompassed ages 5 to 29 years, while least cisco ranged from 215 to 425 mm in FL and their ages ranged from 3 to 14 years. Patterns in growth and length-at-age were similar for both species, and annual mortality rates were 31% for humpback whitefish (age 11 and older) and 44% for least cisco (age 9 and older). Population attributes were within the ranges observed for other North American stocks of humpback whitefish and least cisco. Although the humpback whitefish in the Chatanika River have stock attributes that are consistent with low exploitation and this species appears to have recovered, the least cisco in the river still exhibit many attributes that suggest the cisco stock has not fully recovered. The results of this study indicate that the current allowable harvest limit of 2000 whitefish is cautious and appears to be sustainable.Vers la fin des années 1980, la pêche excessive du corégone à bosse (Coregonus pidschian) et de la cisco sardinelle (C. sardinella) dans la rivière Chatanika, en Alaska, a entraîné l’évidement des stocks et la fermeture du lieu de pêche. Nous avons évalué les caractéristiques des stocks de ces deux espèces afin de déterminer l’ampleur de leur rétablissement. Au total, 3 207 corégones à bosse et 2 766 ciscos sardinelles ont été capturés pendant leur frai de migration automnale en 2008. La longueur à la fourche du corégone à bosse variait entre 188 et 583 mm pour des âges allant de 5 à 29 ans, tandis que la longueur à la fourche de la cisco sardinelle variait entre 215 et 425 mm pour des âges allant de 3 à 14 ans. Les tendances de croissance et de longueur selon l’âge étaient semblables dans le cas des deux espèces, et les taux de mortalité annuels se chiffraient à 31 % dans le cas des corégones à bosse (âgés de 11 ou plus) et de 44 % pour les ciscos sardinelles (âgées de 9 ans et plus). Les caractéristiques de l’ensemble de la population se trouvaient dans les limites observées pour d’autres stocks nord-américains de corégones à bosse et de ciscos sardinelles. Bien que les caractéristiques du stock de corégone à bosse de la rivière Chatanika soient conformes à une faible exploitation et bien que cette espèce semble s’être rétablie, la cisco sardinelle de cette rivière affiche toujours de nombreuses caractéristiques qui laissent entendre que ce stock ne s’est pas encore complètement rétabli. Les résultats de cette étude indiquent que la limite actuelle de 2 000 qui est imposée quant à la pêche du corégone à bosse est prudente et semble durable

Assessing the precision of using opercles and otoliths to obtain measurements of growth increments for yellow perch : an honors thesis (HONRS 499)

There is no abstract available for this thesisThesis (B.?.)Honors Colleg

Assessing the precision of using opercles and otoliths to obtain measurements of growth increments for yellow perch : an honors thesis (HONRS 499)

There is no abstract available for this thesisHonors CollegeThesis (B.?.

Go West: Sea-ice association of Polar cod and its prey in the western Arctic Ocean

Polar cod (Boreogadus saida), a key fish species in Arctic marine ecosystems, may be particularly susceptible to changing sea-ice habitats. It has been proposed that parts of the population get entrained with the growing sea ice in autumn, but how this happens and what proportion of the population becomes ice-associated is not known. The overall goal of the Go-West expedition was to test the hypothesis that entrainment of young Polar cod into the sea-ice habitat in the Chukchi and Beaufort seas during autumn is significant, and hence sea-ice association is an important survival strategy for Polar cod. During expedition SKQ201923S with RV Sikuliaq (06 November – 02 December 2019), we sampled Polar cod and its prey in the ice-water interface layer along with high resolution profiles of sea-ice and surface water properties with a Surface and Under-Ice Trawl (SUIT). We recorded backscatter of fish and zooplankton in the water column with the Sikuliaq’s EK80 echosounder, and sampled pelagic communities with two midwater trawls (Methot trawl and IKMT) and vertical zooplankton nets (CalVET and ring net). A conductivity-temperature—depth probe equipped with a rosette water sampler (CTD) sampled vertical profiles of temperature, salinity and fluorescence and was used to collect water samples for the analysis for chlorophyll a concentration, nutrient concentrations, trophic biomarkers and harmful algae (HAB). During four ice stations, we sampled the sea ice for the same parameters (except nutrients), and performed hyperspectral light measurements needed to derive ice algae biomass from hyperspectral profiles obtained from a sensor mounted on the SUIT. In addition, we performed respiration measurements on abundant zooplankton prey species of Polar cod. Altogether, we completed 11 SUIT stations (1 in open water, 10 under ice), 4 ice stations and 3 midwater trawls. All SUIT deployments were succesful, expanding Sikuliaq’s capability of advanced scientific operations in ice-covered waters. Polar cod were caught at all SUIT stations, totalling 153 fish. Most fish appeared to be first-year juveniles between 6 and 8 cm in size, pending age determinations. Fish abundance increased with increasing ocean depth, sea-ice draft and abundance of the ice amphipod Onisimus spp.. The mesozooplankton community in the upper 50 m was dominated by the copepod Metridia longa. Respiration experiments indicated that Metridia and, surprisingly, Calanus glacialis from shelf stations were in an active metabolic state. Chlorophyll a concentrations were low (< 0.5 mg m-3) in the water column. Conversely, visual inspection of ice core filters indicated that ice algal biomass had already begun to accumulate in the autumn sea ice. The trophic relationships between ice algae, zooplankton and sea-ice fauna and Polar cod will be analyzed in detail based on hundreds of biological samples, including diet and trophic biomarker samples. Investigations of otolith microchemistry and population genetics studies on each sampled fish will help elucidate their origins and migration patterns. Preliminary results of this expedition support our hypothesis that juvenile Polar cod associate with sea ice in autumn and show that prey is available to sustain them at the onset of winter