Gulf of Alaska | Fishes and Fish Habitats
Aerial surveys of age-1 herring Presenter: Scott Pegau , wspegau@pwssc.org, Prince William Sound Science Center
Herring have extremely variable recruitment and it is important to understand that recruitment when predicting the spawning stock for determining if a fishery should occur. In Prince William Sound (PWS), about 50% of the age-3 herring will recruit to the spawning biomass. This can represent a large portion of that biomass. The use of aerial surveys is examined to determine if it may be a predictor of large year classes, how the distribution changes through time, and identify areas of persistent occupancy. The ability to predict recruitment to the spawning stock is limited. The distribution of age-1 herring is consistent with the ocean circulation patterns. Age-1 herring occupy all areas of PWS but there are some areas that are more commonly used.
Alaska Marine Science Symposium 2023 187
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