The 2013 to 2016 marine heatwave—known as “The Blob”—is the largest warm anomaly ever recorded in the North Pacific. In the Gulf of Alaska, scientists have connected low numbers of Pacific cod larvae, juveniles, and adults to loss of spawning habitat. This occured during and immediately following the heatwave. Compounding the ecological loss is the […]
The common murre is a self-sufficient, resilient bird. Though the seabird must eat about half of its body weight in prey each day, common murres are experts at catching the small “forage fish” they need to survive. Herring, sardines, anchovies and even juvenile salmon are no match for a hungry murre. So when nearly […]
Scientists and fishermen are working together to gain new insight into seasonal movements of valuable Pacific cod. Cutting edge technology and fishermen’s expertise are helping scientists track Aleutian Islands Pacific cod for the first time. Last winter scientists and fishermen partnered to launch a pilot study to develop methods for tagging cod on working commercial fishing […]
Pacific cod stocks hard hit by warming ocean temperatures are becoming a focal point at federal fisheries meetings, where harvesting sectors and processors fight over who gets to catch and process this versatile vitamin and protein packed white fish. Stock assessments in the fall of 2019 put the population of P-cod in the Gulf […]