Mixing and migration of overwintering Atlantic cod (Gadus morhua) stocks near the mouth of the Gulf of St. Lawrence

Millions of Atlantic cod (Gadus morhua) migrate distances of up to 500 km each fall to aggregate together in a small overwintering area off eastern Canada. Synoptic research vessel surveys carried out each January between 1994 and 1997 documented dense aggregations of cod along both flanks of the La...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Canadian journal of fisheries and aquatic sciences 1999-01, Vol.56 (10), p.1873-1881
Main Authors: Campana, SE, Chouinard, G A, Hanson, J M, Frechet, A
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Canada, St. Lawrence Gulf
Gadus morhua
Marine
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Summary:Millions of Atlantic cod (Gadus morhua) migrate distances of up to 500 km each fall to aggregate together in a small overwintering area off eastern Canada. Synoptic research vessel surveys carried out each January between 1994 and 1997 documented dense aggregations of cod along both flanks of the Laurentian Channel in each year, with estimated biomasses exceeding 100,000 metric tons. Using the trace element composition of the otolith ("otolith elemental fingerprint") as a natural tag, we found members of four populations to be present on the overwintering grounds in significant numbers, yet large-scale mixing among the populations was minimal. Individual trawl samples were often composed of a single population, suggesting that population integrity was maintained at a scale of
ISSN:0706-652X
1205-7533
DOI:10.1139/cjfas-56-10-1873