Abstract: We conducted acoustic-trawl (AT) surveys of the northern Bering and Chukchi Seas during ice-free periods in 2012 and 2013. The mixed species assemblages in the study area required refinement of standard AT survey methods, and adjustment of trawl catches for the effects of trawl selectivity. Sensitivity analyses indicate that the AT abundance estimates are relatively robust to the assumptions of the analysis. These surveys indicate that midwater fishes are dominated by age-0 Arctic cod (Boreogadus saida), age-0 saffron cod (Eleginus gracilis), capelin (Mallotus villosus), and Pacific herring (Clupea pallasii). In both years, age-0 Arctic cod were distributed principally ≥69.5 °N, age-0 saffron cod were abundant in coastal areas between 66.5 and 69.5 °N, and Pacific herring were distributed south of 67 °N. These three fishes exhibited consistent associations with temperature, salinity and bottom depth: e.g., age-0 Arctic cod were abundant at lower mean water column temperatures than saffron cod. In contrast, capelin were distributed throughout the study area, and were not consistently associated with environmental measures. There was a geographic trend in body length, with smaller Arctic cod, saffron cod and capelin in northern areas, but smaller herring in the south. Arctic cod, saffron cod, herring and capelin were all >2 times more abundant in 2013 than 2012. Sizeable populations of age-0 Arctic cod were observed in the northern Chukchi Sea, which suggests that this area is an important nursery ground. However, relatively few older Arctic cod were observed in this and other surveys of the area, which suggests that either overwinter mortality of age-0 Arctic cod is high, and/or these fish are not retained on the Chukchi shelf.

Abstract: Mercury content and fatty acids in muscles of Perca fluviatilis L. (European perch), Leuciscus idus L. (ide), Cyprinus carpio L. (European or common carp), Oncorhynchus mykiss Walb. (rainbow trout), Platichthys flesus L. (European flounder). and Clupea harengus L. (bream) from the Polish market were investigated. The total mercury was processed with AAS. The fatty acids were analyzed by gas chromatography. The concentration of mercury in muscles varied from 0.006 to 0.138 mg/kg and decreased as follows: perch ≈ ide > flounder > herring ≈ bream ≈ rainbow trout > carp (p ≤ 0.05). There were only significant positive correlations between body weight and mercury content in muscle tissue of carp (r = 0.878), flounder (r = 0.925) and herring (r = 0.982) (p ≤ 0.05). The atherogenic index (AI), thrombogenicity index (TI) and flesh-lipid quality index (FLQ) were calculated as follows 0.33–0.70 (IA), 0.16–0.31 (IT) and 13.01–33.22 (FLQ). Hypocholesterolemic (OFA) and hypercholesterolemic fatty acids (DFA) in muscles of fish ranged from 18.26 to 23.01 and from 73.91 to 78.46, respectively. In most cases, there were not significant correlations between size (body weight and total length) and fatty acids in the muscles of the examined fish (p > 0.05). The Target Hazard Quotient (THQ) values were below 1, which shows that there is no non-carcinogenic health risk to the consumer by consuming the examined fish.

Abstract: Sprat (Sprattus sprattus) and small herring (Clupea harengus) are the dominant prey fish of Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar) in the Baltic Sea. If the fatty acid (FA) proportions of sprat and herring differ, the dietary history of ascending salmon could be determined from their FA profiles. Therefore, we investigated the FA composition of several age groups of whole sprat and small herring, caught from the three main feeding areas of salmon in autumn and spring. Oleic acid (18:1n-9) was the most prevalent FA in sprat and characteristic of this species. In herring, palmitic acid (16:0) was the most common FA, but herring lipid was characterized by n-6 polyunsaturated FAs, and moreover, by palmitoleic acid (16:1n-7) and vaccenic acid (18:1n-7). Due to the higher lipid content of sprat, the concentrations of all other FAs, excluding these, were higher in sprat than in herring. The concentration of docosahexaenoic acid (DHA, 22:6n-3) increased with an increase in the lipid content and was consequently highest in the youngest specimens, being in young sprat almost double that of young herring, and 2.6 times higher in the sprat biomass than in that of herring. As a result of a decrease in the DHA concentration with age, the ratio thiamine/DHA increased with respect to age in both species, and was lower in sprat than in herring. It is concluded that an abundance of DHA in the diet of salmon most likely increases oxidative stress because of the susceptibility of DHA to peroxidation, and thus decreases thiamine resources of fasting, prespawning salmon. Because the FA composition of sprat and herring differs, and the relative abundancies of prey fish differ between the feeding areas of salmon, the feeding area of ascending salmon can most probably be derived by comparing their FA profiles.

Abstract: Following general life history theory, immediate reproductive investment (egg mass × fecundity/body mass) in oviparous teleosts is a consequence of both present and past environmental influences. This clarification questions the frequent use of season-independent (general) fecundity formulas in marine fish recruitment studies based on body metrics only. Here we test the underlying assumption of no lag effect on gametogenesis in the planktivorous, determinate-fecundity Atlantic herring (Clupea harengus) displaying large plasticity in egg mass and fecundity, examining Norwegian summer–autumn spawning herring (NASH), North Sea autumn-spawning herring (NSAH), and Norwegian spring-spawning herring (NSSH). No prior reproductive information existed for NASH. Compared with the 1960s, recent reproductive investment had dropped markedly, especially for NSAH, likely reflecting long-term changes in zooplankton biography and productivity. As egg mass was characteristically small for autumn spawners, although large for spring spawners (cf. different larval feeding conditions), fecundity was the most dynamic factor within reproductive investment. For the data-rich NSSH, we showed evidence that transient, major declines in zooplankton abundance resulted in low fecundity over several subsequent seasons, even if Fulton’s condition factor (K) turned high. Temporal trends in Kslope (K on total length) were, however, informative. These results clarify that fecundity is defined by (i) dynamics of primary (standing stock) oocytes and (ii) down-regulation of secondary oocytes, both processes intimately linked to environmental conditions but operating at different timescales. Thus, general fecundity formulas typically understate interannual variability in actual fecundity. We therefore argue for the use of segmented fecundity formulas linked to dedicated monitoring programs.

Abstract: Predators specialising on migratory prey that frequently change migration route face the challenge of finding prey with an unpredictable distribution. Here, we used photo-identification data to investigate whether killer whales observed in herring overwintering and spawning grounds off Iceland follow herring year-round, as previously proposed, and have the ability to adapt to long-term changes in herring distribution. Of 327 identified whales seen more than once, 45% were seen in both grounds, and were thus presumed herring-specialists, likely following herring year-round, while others were only seen on one of the grounds, possibly following herring to unsampled grounds or moving to other locations and exploiting different prey. High seasonal site fidelity to herring grounds, long-term site fidelity to herring spawning grounds, and matches of individual whales between past and recently occupied herring overwintering grounds showed an ability to adapt to long-term changes in prey distribution as well as diversity of movement patterns which are maintained over time, likely as socially-learnt traditions. Such population structuring shows that the movement patterns and foraging ecology of herring-eating killer whales are more complex than previously assumed and must be taken into account in future population assessments. Identifying the factors driving these differences in movements and resource use will be relevant towards our understanding of how prey predictability may drive specialization in this and other top predator species.

Abstract: The Pacific herring (Clupea pallasii) population in Prince William Sound, Alaska crashed in 1993 and has yet to recover, affecting food web dynamics in the Sound and impacting Alaskan communities. To help researchers design and implement the most effective monitoring, management, and recovery programs, a Bayesian assessment of Prince William Sound herring was developed by reformulating the current model used by the Alaska Department of Fish and Game. The Bayesian model estimated pre-fishery spawning biomass of herring age-3 and older in 2013 to be a median of 19,410 mt (95% credibility interval 12,150-31,740 mt), with a 54% probability that biomass in 2013 was below the management limit used to regulate fisheries in Prince William Sound. The main advantages of the Bayesian model are that it can more objectively weight different datasets and provide estimates of uncertainty for model parameters and outputs, unlike the weighted sum-of-squares used in the original model. In addition, the revised model could be used to manage herring stocks with a decision rule that considers both stock status and the uncertainty in stock status.

Abstract: We analyzed a long-term data set of the body condition of Baltic gray seals (Halichoerus grypus) over time and investigated how average subcutaneous blubber thickness of different age groups of seals corresponds to environmental factors. Blubber thickness of pups declined until 2010. The decreasing weight of 5–6-year-old herring (Clupea harengus), the main prey fish for Baltic gray seals, explained well the decline. In the Gulf of Finland, the blubber thickness of pups declined also in recent years (2011–2015) with declining number of days with permanent ice cover. In other regions, the blubber thickness of pups increased during recent years with increasing weight of herring. The blubber thickness of sub-adults in Baltic Proper and that of hunted adult females in the Bothnian Bay also increased during recent years, and the weight of age 6+ or 7-year-old herring best explained the increase. The blubber thickness of all age groups of seals was thinnest in the Bothnian Bay where also herring weight was lowest. There was a negative correlation between blubber thickness of seals and herring catch size (an index of herring abundance) suggesting that herring quality, not the quantity, is important for the nutritional status of Baltic gray seals. Nutritional status of gray seals may thus reveal changes in the marine food web which affect herring quality. Marine food web, in turn, may be affected, e.g., by climate change. The warming climate also has an impact on ice cover and thus body condition of seal pups.

Abstract: Unstable conditions are commonly encountered during industrial storage and transportation of frozen fish. Temperature stress and fluctuations may increase the amount of unfrozen water in the muscle and enzymatic activity and lipid oxidation can thus still take place during frozen storage. The aim of this study was to investigate the changes of characteristics of different muscle types of herring at unstable modelled conditions during storage and transportation. Compositional changes, lipid oxidation and lipid hydrolysis were monitored in light and dark muscle of Atlantic herring (Clupea harengus), during frozen storage, as affected by temperature stress (samples were stored at − 25 °C for 2 months, then stressed at − 12 °C for 1 month, followed by storage at a stable − 25 °C for the remaining storage duration), and compared to samples stored at a stable − 25 °C for 14 months. The dark muscle was more sensitive to lipid oxidation than the light muscle, leading to faster degradation. Increased lipid oxidation and lipid hydrolysis were observed in temperature-stressed samples of both muscle types. The study demonstrated the importance of avoiding temperature stress during industrial frozen storage and transportation to improve the quality and shelf life of frozen herring products. Removal of dark muscle by deep skinning could benefit both processors and customers regarding the shelf life and nutritional value of the light herring muscle.

Abstract: Spatial variability in early and late winter measures of whole body energy density of juvenile (age-0) Pacific herring (Clupea pallasii) of Prince William Sound (PWS), Alaska was examined over nine years of study. Pacific herring in this region remain considered as an injured resource over the 25 years following the Exxon Valdez oil spill, however factors responsible for the lack of recovery by herring in PWS are a source of ongoing debate. Given the species’ key ecological role in energy transfer to higher predators, and its economic role in a historical commercial fishery within the region, significant research effort has focused on understanding environmental factors that shape nutritional processes and the quality of these young forage fish. During November (early winter), factors such as juvenile herring body size, hydrological region of PWS, year, and the interaction between carbon (δ13C′) or nitrogen (δ15N) stable isotope signature and hydrological region were all important predictors of juvenile herring energy density. In particular, analyses indicated that in the northern and western regions of PWS, juvenile herring with more depleted δ13C′ values (which reflect a Gulf of Alaska carbon source) were more energy dense. Results suggest that intrusion of water derived from the Gulf of Alaska enhances the condition of age-0 herring possibly through alterations in zooplankton community structure and abundance, particularly in the northern and western regions of PWS in the fall, which is consistent with regional circulation. During March (late winter), factors such as juvenile herring body size, year, and the interaction between δ13C′ or δ15N isotope signature and year were all important predictors of juvenile herring energy density. Results differed for early and late winter regarding the interaction between stable isotope signatures and region or year, suggesting important seasonal aspects of circulation contribute to variation in PWS juvenile herring energy density. In addition, winter-feeding may enrich herring without considerable energy gain, removing any relationship between energy density and δ13C′ isotope signature in late winter.

Abstract: Atlantic herring (Clupea harengus) migrates from offshore to coastal areas to spawn and their eggs and larvae may substantially increase prey resources for resident predators We combined an in situ predator exclusion experiment using eggs naturally spawned on submerged aquatic vegetation and field observations of predator abundance to estimate the magnitude of predation mortality of herring eggs During our predator exclusion experiment, performed in an important spawning ground in the southwest Baltic Sea, 20% of the herring eggs were consumed resulting in an extrapolated predation of 42% of all eggs between spawning and hatch Abundance and stomach content analyses indicated that one predator (threespine stickleback, Gasterosteus aculeatus) was responsible for the majority of the predation impact Predation mortality estimates from this in situ study were more than 10-fold higher than those of an empirical egg predation model for the same predator in the same region Our findings highlight the potential of resident predators to regulate the survival of early life stages of ocean-going fishes that rely on the nursery functions of inshore transitional waters

Abstract: Food-limited growth of larval fish, defined as growth rates lower than observed in other habitats or from laboratory experiments at a given temperature, is rarely reported in field studies. This would imply that either larval fishes are living in an environment characterized by plenty of food, that nutritional condition selective mortality (i.e., eliminating the weak) is very strong, or this impression is caused by misinterpretation of data concerning e.g., poor taxonomical resolution of potential prey items, i.e., total potential prey abundance is high, but positively selected food is actually scarce. We analyzed RNA:DNA derived growth rates of herring larvae (Clupea harengus L.) and taxonomically differentiated prey field data of six consecutive spring seasons from the Kiel Canal, an artificial waterway in northern Germany, in order to test if food-limited growth in larval fish can occur recurrently in coastal habitats. In all years analyzed, larval growth rates decreased simultaneously with prey abundance at the end of each larval season. Furthermore, larval growth rates were observed to be lower than mean growth rates observed in another herring larvae nursery area at temperatures above 15 °C. Asymptotic relationships between prey abundance and larval growth rates were observed, further supporting the hypothesis of food-limitation. As larval growth was best explained by the abundance of the numerically dominant calanoid copepod Eurytemora affinis, the paramount importance of the dominant prey item is highlighted. We conclude that food limitation can be a severe and re-occurring issue for larval fish in coastal habitats, and that certain prey items play a crucial role in determining larval growth rates, and therefore potentially recruitment.

Abstract: Documenting distribution patterns of juvenile Pacific herring (Clupea pallasii) can clarify habitat preferences and provide insight into ecological factors influencing early life survival. However, few analyses relating juvenile Pacific herring density to habitat characteristics have been conducted. We sampled age-0 Pacific herring in nine bays and fjords distributed throughout Alaska's Prince William Sound during November over a 3-year period (2013–2015) and investigated associations between catch rate and habitat covariates using generalized linear mixed models. Our results indicated that the night-time distribution of age-0 Pacific herring in the pelagic environment was influenced by proximity to eelgrass (Zostera marina) beds, salinity, and water depth. Age-0 Pacific herring catch rate was negatively associated with tow depth, with herring favoring shallower water across the range of depths sampled (7.2–35.4 m). In addition, Pacific herring distribution was positively associated with fresher water within the sampled salinity gradient (24.1–32.3 psu) and proximity to eelgrass beds. Seasonal changes in juvenile Pacific herring distribution were investigated by sampling one bay over a seven month period (October-April). Age-0 Pacific herring tended to remain in the inner bay region throughout the seven months, while age-1 Pacific herring had shifted from the inner to the outer bay by spring (March-April). Additionally, catch rate of age-0 Pacific herring in areas where ice breakup had just occurred was higher than in open water, suggesting that age-0 herring preferentially select ice-covered habitats when available. Based on our results we recommend that habitat preferences of age-0 Pacific herring should be considered in the development of Pacific herring year-class strength indices from catch data.

Abstract: The microzooplankton–ichthyoplankton link remains poorly resolved in field studies due to a lack of simultaneous sampling of these predators and potential prey. This study compared the abundance, distribution and growth of larval Atlantic herring (Clupea harengus) and the abundance, biomass and composition of micro- and small mesozooplankton throughout the Irish Sea in November 2012 and 2013. In contrast to warmer months, microzooplankton biomass was highest in eastern areas, in the vicinity of the main spawning grounds of herring. Although the protozoan composition differed somewhat between years, dinoflagellates (e.g. Gymnodinium spp., Protoperidinium spp., Ceratium furca) dominated in abundance and/or biomass, similar to other temperate shelf seas in autumn/winter. Spatial differences in the protozoan community were strongly related to hydrographic characteristics (temperature, salinity). Significant relationships between the abundance of larval herring and dinoflagellates (positive) and copepodites (negative) suggested that complex grazing dynamics existed among lower trophic levels. When different, in situ size fractions of zooplankton were used as prey in a larval herring individual-based model, simulations that omitted protozooplankton under-predicted observed (biochemically-based) growth of 8–18 mm larvae. This study suggests that small planktonic organisms (20–300 µm) should be routinely surveyed to better understand factors affecting larval fish feeding, growth and survival.

Abstract: Concern over incidental catches in commercial fisheries has been increasing, and while simple mitigation strategies have been effective, few effective mitigation strategies have been established for more complex species interactions. Incidental catches of alewife (Alosa pseudoharengus) and blueback herring (A. aestivalis) in the commercial Atlantic herring (Clupea harengus) fishery have received substantial attention on the Northeast U.S. continental shelf, despite an existing bycatch avoidance program. This study evaluates the utility of existing species distribution forecasts to predict river herring catches in the southern New England small mesh bottom trawl Atlantic herring fishery, with the ultimate goal of incorporating incidental catch forecasts into the bycatch avoidance program. Commercial Atlantic herring bottom trawl vessels assisted with field-based evaluation of alewife, blueback herring, and Atlantic herring species distribution forecast models. Vessels were equipped with conductivity, temperature, and depth probes, and sampling occurred throughout the fishery season (January – March). Locations of expected low and high forecasted incidental catches were sampled, as well as locations the captain expected to find low and high incidental catches. This allowed us to sample within the spatial area the fishery occurs, and to evaluate the forecasted conditions, and predictions, at the spatial scale of the fishery. Catch differences between high and low probability stations were small and variable, as were differences in modeled probability of species presence. No differences were observed between observations at model-predicted stations and captain-selected stations. The sampling provided a better understanding of the potential effectiveness of distribution forecasts for further reducing incidental catches. Existing models have limited use at the spatial scale of this fishery, but could be improved by developing models with fishery-dependent data. Collaborations between researchers, managers, and the Atlantic herring commercial fleet have improved relationships between the groups, and continued collaboration in the development and evaluation of incidental catch reduction tools is key for further reducing incidental catches.

Abstract: 1. Genetic variability among individuals, populations and species represents the basic level of biodiversity, and is a prerequisite of adaptive evolution. 2. Adaptive evolution is driven by natural selection that acts at the level of individual phenotypes. 3. Genetic variation can also be used as a tool to study the history of species and populations, and to explore their current structure and reproductive strategies. 4. Genetic markers that are presumably neutral to selection are used in measuring connectivity among Baltic populations and their uniqueness compared to those in the neighbouring marine or freshwater habitats. Genetic markers have often revealed the presence of previously unknown cryptic species that are much older than the Baltic Sea. 5. In most taxa studied, some genetic differentiation has arisen post-glacially between the Baltic Sea and North Sea populations, e.g. in the Atlantic herring Clupea harengus and the Atlantic cod Gadus morhua . 6. Despite such differentiation, few of the Baltic organisms are considered as locally evolved endemic taxa. An exception is the partly asexually reproducing brown algal species Fucus radicans, which has evolved locally and now coexists with its ancestor Fucus vesiculosus in the northern Baltic Sea. 7. The unique blue mussel and Baltic clam populations in the Baltic Sea are closely related to Pacific lineages ( Mytilus trossulus and Macoma balthica balthica ) but are distinct from the neighbouring North Sea populations ( Mytilus edulis and Macoma balthica rubra ). They have been modified by interbreeding in the transition zone between the Baltic Sea and the North Sea, and now constitute hybrid swarms. 8. A current methodological shift from single-gene approaches to genome-wide studies will help in distinguishing genes and patterns of variation that are affected by selection from those that merely reflect population structure, and in identifying characters that account for the adaptations to the unique Baltic Sea environment.

Abstract: Low trophic‐level forage fish are experiencing global declines, influencing coupled human–ocean systems worldwide. Along the northwest coast of North America, declining trajectories of Pacific herring (Clupea pallasii) have prompted interest in improving the understanding of its population and community dynamics to better guide future conservation and management strategies. To improve future population estimates and understanding of the ecological factors governing herring egg survival, the magnitude, spatial variation and mechanisms driving herring egg loss rates were quantified. This was achieved by way of repeated observational field surveys and a predator exclusion experiment. Observational surveys revealed that regional egg loss rates (Z) were substantial and ranged from 0.101 ± 0.019 to 0.134 ± 0.028, the equivalent of 88–94% egg loss over a 21 day incubation period, or 50–60% egg loss over 6.8 days, the average time lag between spawn deposition and annual egg surveys. Furthermore, spatial variation was high, with egg loss rates varying 5‐fold among study sites. Depth, time since spawn, and spawn area were primary spatial drivers of egg loss, but predator abundance and exposure were secondarily important. Experimental evidence showed that benthic predation and habitat type were strong drivers of egg loss, suggesting that a high proportion of eggs, particularly those spawned on benthic substrates, are consumed by predators. These results have important conservation implications for managers and ecologists seeking to estimate herring biomass and to understand the environmental influences on predator–prey interactions that affect herring dynamics.

Abstract: Evaluating fish larval condition in terms of nutrition and growth is essential as it will influence their development and survival capacity. The present study aims to investigate larval condition of Downs herring (Clupea harengus L.) during winter in the Eastern English Channel and Southern Bight of the North Sea. Four condition indices including ingestion rate based on gut fluorescence, instantaneous growth based on RNA/DNA, DNA/C ratios, and otolith microstructure were combined at an individual scale on herring larvae collected during the 2015 International Bottom Trawl Survey—MIK sampling. The four indices demonstrated a clear shift in the larval condition occurring at a larval size of 13 mm. While smaller larvae were shown to feed and grow, larger larvae exhibited a slower growth rate though actively feeding. This suggests that 13 mm could be a critical size for Downs herring larvae. This ontogenetic shift in the larval condition is discussed regarding environmental conditions, diet shift, and growth strategies. It is concluded that the shift from an omnivorous to a carnivorous diet constitutes an additional critical step besides such as the shift from endogenous to exogenous nutrition.

Abstract: Concern has been increasing over the impacts of incidental catches of river herring (Alewife Alosa pseudoharengus and Blueback Herring A. aestivalis) in commercial fisheries for Atlantic Herring Clupea harengus and Atlantic Mackerel Scomber scombrus, but historical information on mixed-species catches and their driving factors is lacking. We examined data from spring and fall bottom trawl surveys (National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Northeast Fisheries Science Center) for temporal trends in overlap and potential ecosystem drivers of overlap trends. Species overlap changed substantially over time, with changes varying by season and region of the northeastern U.S. continental shelf. In the fall, changes in overlap were positively related to abundance in Georges Bank and southern New England. In the spring, most changes in species overlap were positively related to increasing species abundances. Positive relationships between overlap and abundance suggested that as species distributions ...

Abstract: We investigated the feeding of the dominant small pelagic fish—herring Clupea harengus membras and three-spined stickleback Gasterosteus aculeatus—in the Gulf of Riga (Baltic Sea) in the summers of 1999–2014. The share of empty stomachs, stomach fullness and taxonomic composition of fish diet was analysed. On average, large herring had the highest (19%) and small herring the lowest (6%) share of empty stomachs. Small (<1 mm) cladoceran Bosmina spp. was the most important prey for three-spined stickleback; preying on small (<1.5 mm) copepod Eurytemora affinis was the most efficient for small herring, while Bosmina spp. and E. affinis were equally important for the large herring, followed by the large (mean body length <2.0 mm) non-indigenous cladoceran Cercopagis pengoi. The number of prey taxa per stomach exhibited significant differences between the fish groups studied; the highest mean value was recorded for small herring and the lowest for three-spined stickleback (2.1 and 1.4 taxa, respectively). Although present, the fish group-specific spatial dynamics in feeding parameters (share of empty stomachs and feeding intensity) were weak compared to the observed interannual variation.

Abstract: Habitat stratification by abiotic and biotic factors initiates divergence of populations and leads to ecological speciation. In contrast to fully marine waters, the Baltic Sea is stratified by a salinity gradient that strongly affects fish physiology, distribution, diversity and virulence of important marine pathogens. Animals thus face the challenge to simultaneously adapt to the concurrent salinity and cope with the selection imposed by the changing pathogenic virulence. Western Baltic spring-spawning herring (Clupea harengus) migrate to spawning grounds characterized by different salinities to which herring are supposedly adapted. We hypothesized that herring populations do not only have to cope with different salinity levels but that they are simultaneously exposed to higher-order effects that accompany the shifts in salinity, that is induced pathogenicity of Vibrio bacteria in lower saline waters. To experimentally evaluate this, adults of two populations were caught in their spawning grounds and fully reciprocally crossed within and between populations. Larvae were reared at three salinity levels, representing the spawning ground salinity of each of the two populations, or Atlantic salinity conditions resembling the phylogenetic origin of Clupea harengus. In addition, larvae were exposed to a Vibrio spp. infection. Life-history traits and gene expression analysis served as response variables. Herring seem adapted to Baltic Sea conditions and cope better with low saline waters. However, upon a bacterial infection, herring larvae suffer more when kept at lower salinities implying reduced resistance against Vibrio or higher Vibrio virulence. In the context of recent climate change with less saline marine waters in the Baltic Sea, such interactions may constitute key future stressors.

Abstract: Biological features of the four common fish species, giant grenadier Albatrossia pectoralis (Macrouridae), Pacific herring Clupea pallasii (Clupeidae), Pacific rainbow smelt Osmerus mordax dentex, and Pacific capelin Mallotus villosus catervarius (Osmeridae), were studied under the 20-year dataset (1995−2015). These species inhabit the northwestern Bering Sea in the summer–autumn period and form the schoolings in the Olyutorsky-Navarin region. The size–age parameters of the fish caught by different sampling gear, as well as the peculiarities of the body length and body weight dynamics, spawning periods, spawning range, and conditions, were analyzed. The largest specimens of giant grenadier, Pacific herring, and Pacific rainbow smelt were observed in the catches performed by the bottom setline and the gill nets; the smallest fish were found in the trawl catches. The body length and body weight of Pacific herring were larger in the pelagic trawls compared to the bottom trawls; an opposite pattern was observed for the Pacific capelin. The abundant year-class in the species with short life cycle (capelin and herring) is well tracked on the longterm plots of the fish body size; this is accompanied by the decrease of their biological parameters. Herring stock covers large growing grounds; smaller body size was observed for the herring grazing in the coastal waters; young specimens dominate here.

Abstract: Historically Saccharina spp. beds occurred along the west coast of Hokkaido, an oligotrophic area, and were commercially exploited. Currently extensive commercial Saccharina spp. beds do not form due to nutrient limitations. Here, we postulate that nutrients assimilated by paleo-Saccharina spp. beds may have been derived from spawning herrings (Clupea pallasii) acting as organisms that formed a vector from their feeding grounds (Okhotsk Sea and Pacific Ocean) to their spawning area (west coast of Hokkaido, Japan Sea). To test this hypothesis we examined stable nitrogen isotope ratios (δ15N) of 100– to 135–year-old Saccharina specimens preserved at the Herbarium (Hokkaido University Museum). δ15N values of the paleo-Saccharina specimens collected from this region were in the range of 10‰, which is significantly higher than the current 3–7‰ in freshly sampled Saccharina spp. This high δ15N indicates that spawning herring (Clupea pallasii) had potentially been a significant source of dissolved inorganic nitrogen (DIN) absorbed by Saccharina, acting as an organism forming a vector for transporting nutrients from eutrophic to oligotrophic coastal ecosystems. Our findings support the hypothesis of so-called “herring-derived nutrients.”

Abstract: For the period 1999–2003, diet composition, diet similarity, and major predator–prey interactions between the 15 most abundant demersal and pelagic fishes (N = 12,163 stomachs) were described for Northumberland Strait - a semienclosed, marine, coastal ecosystem. Of the five pelagic species, Rainbow Smelt Osmerus mordax ate benthic prey (shrimps and polychaetes), Atlantic Herring Clupea harengus and American Shad Alosa sapidissima consumed small copepods and crab zoea, and Atlantic Mackerel Scomber scombrus and Alewife A. pseudoharengus ate small copepods and moderate amounts of benthic prey and small fishes. Three demersal species were strongly piscivorous but with minimal diet overlap: Sea Raven Hemitripterus americanus consumed small benthic fishes (especially flounders); Winter Skate Leucoraja ocellatus consumed sand lance (Ammodytes sp.) and Rainbow Smelt; and White Hake Urophycis tenuis consumed Atlantic Herring and Atlantic Mackerel. Cluster analysis revealed seven feeding guilds of which fo...

Abstract: Nontarget catch restrictions are becoming common in fisheries management. We test a potential tool for reducing nontargeted catch that combines species’ distribution models and ocean forecast models. We evaluated our approach for Atlantic herring (Clupea harengus), Atlantic mackerel (Scomber scombrus), alewife (Alosa pseudoharengus), and blueback herring (Alosa aestivalis). Catch of the latter two species is capped in commercial fisheries of the former two species. Ocean forecasts were derived from a data-assimilative ocean forecast model that predicts conditions 0–2 days into the future. Observed oceanographic conditions were derived from CTD casts and observed fish presence–absence was derived from fishery-independent bottom trawl collections. Species distribution models were used to predict presence–absence based on observed and forecasted oceanographic conditions, and predictions for both were very similar. Thus, most of the error in predicted distributions was generated by the species distribution mo...

Abstract: In fishery science, early life-stage survival and development are regarded as major factors driving the population dynamics of marine fishes. During the last century, the main research focus has been on the spatio-temporal match of larval fish and appropriate food ( bottom-up processes). However, these field studies are often criticised for their limited capability to disentangle their results from mortality caused by predation since these top-down mechanisms are rarely studied. We examined the predation on herring ( Clupea harengus ) larvae in a Baltic inshore lagoon by investigating the spatio-temporal overlap of larval herring and their potential predators such as the dominant threespine stickleback ( Gasterosteus aculeatus ) in distinct habitats (sublittoral and littoral areas) using a set of different gears and sampling techniques. Despite significant spatial and temporal predator-prey overlap, stomach analyses suggested that very few larvae were consumed by sticklebacks, even if projected to the entire study area and season. Other well-known predators of clupeid larvae such as gelatinous plankton occur later in the year after young herring have migrated out of the system. The observed predation on herring larvae was much less than expected and appears being a minor factor in determining herring reproduction success in our study area, particularly if compared to other causes of mortality such as egg predation. Providing a relatively good shelter from predation might be a key element making transitional waters valuable nursery grounds for the offspring of migrating marine fish species.