Hydrographic influence on the spawning habitat suitability of western Baltic cod (Gadus morhua).

Hüssy, K., Hinrichsen, Hans-Harald and Huwer, B. (2012) Hydrographic influence on the spawning habitat suitability of western Baltic cod (Gadus morhua). Open Access ICES Journal of Marine Science, 69 (10). pp. 1736-1743. DOI 10.1093/icesjms/fss136.

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Abstract

Recruitment variability of marine fish is influenced by the reproductive potential of the stock (i.e. stock characteristics and abundance) and the survival of early life stages, mediated by environmental conditions of both a physical (water temperature, salinity and oxygen conditions, ocean currents) and a biological nature (i.e. food, predators). The objective of this study is to assess the importance of variability in environmental conditions within different western Baltic cod spawning grounds for egg survival. Habitat identification was based on environmental threshold levels for egg survival and development and ambient hydrographical conditions at different times during the spawning season. The long-term resolution of environmental conditions allowing survival of western Baltic cod eggs indicates that favourable conditions predominantly occurred during the late spawning season in April/May, while minimum survival rates could be expected from January to March. Unsuitable time periods and habitats exhibiting the highest mortality rates are exclusively characterized by ambient water temperatures below the critical survival threshold. Despite the strong influence of water temperature on habitat suitability, the impact of habitat suitability on recruitment was not clearly defined, suggesting that other mechanisms regulate year class strength.

Document Type: Article
Funder compliance: info:eu-repo/grantAgreement/EC/FP7/266445
Additional Information: WOS:000309877700005
Keywords: egg survival; environmental thresholds; hydrography; recruitment; spawning habitat suitability; western Baltic cod; NORTH-SEA; RECRUITMENT; STOCK; SALINITY; MATURITY; KATTEGAT; STAGE; AREAS; TIME; ALKOR
Research affiliation: OceanRep > GEOMAR > FB3 Marine Ecology > FB3-EV Marine Evolutionary Ecology
Refereed: Yes
Open Access Journal?: No
Publisher: Oxford Univ. Press
Projects: VECTORS
Date Deposited: 30 Aug 2012 12:50
Last Modified: 23 Sep 2019 19:50
URI: https://oceanrep.geomar.de/id/eprint/15127

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