Stable carbon and oxygen isotope ratios of otoliths differentiate juvenile winter flounder (Pseudopleuronectes americanus) habitats

2010 ◽  
Vol 61 (1) ◽  
pp. 34 ◽  
Author(s):  
Richard J. Pruell ◽  
Bryan K. Taplin ◽  
Jonathan D. Karr
Keyword(s):  
Function Analysis ◽  
Seawater Temperature ◽  
Negative Relationship ◽  
Isotope Ratios ◽  
Narragansett Bay ◽  
Winter Flounder ◽  
Stable Carbon ◽  
Pseudopleuronectes Americanus ◽  
Carbon And Oxygen Isotope ◽  
Δ13c And Δ18o

The use of natural tags for identifying the source locations of individuals recruited to fish populations has become an important area of research in fisheries science. We used stable carbon (δ13C) and oxygen (δ18O) isotope ratios in otoliths to differentiate juvenile winter flounder (Pseudopleuronectes americanus) collected from locations along the coast of Rhode Island, USA. Sagittal otoliths from the flounder were analysed for δ13C and δ18O using isotope ratio mass spectrometry. Plots of δ13C v. δ18O and discriminant function analysis (DFA) indicated differences among samples from Narragansett Bay, the coastal ponds and the Narrow River. Separations were observed among fish from the upper, middle and lower portions of Narragansett Bay and along the salinity gradient in Narrow River. Otoliths from sites grouped on the basis of low, medium and high salinities also showed differences according to DFA. Correlation analysis indicated a significant negative relationship (r = –0.60, P = 0.009) between seawater temperature and δ18O, and a significant positive relationship (r = 0.93, P < 0.001) between salinity and δ18O for the combined dataset. These results indicate that δ13C and δ18O values of juvenile winter flounder otoliths may prove useful for differentiating individuals from various juvenile habitats.

Seasonal Distributions of Bottom Fishes in the Narragansett Bay Area: Seven-Year Variations in the Abundance of Winter Flounder (Pseudopleuronectes americanus)

1974 ◽  
Vol 31 (6) ◽  
pp. 1057-1066 ◽  
Author(s):  
H. Perry Jeffries ◽  
William C. Johnson
Keyword(s):  
Rhode Island ◽  
Homarus Americanus ◽  
Narragansett Bay ◽  
Winter Flounder ◽  
Pseudopleuronectes Americanus ◽  
Commercial Catch ◽  
Average Temperature ◽  
Climatic Trends ◽  
Bay Area ◽  
Time Required

Weekly bottom trawl samples taken in Narragansett Bay and Rhode Island Sound from January 1966 through December 1972 showed patterns of occurrence within a diverse assemblage of migratory and resident stocks. Relative abundance of winter flounder (Pseudopleuronectes americanus), the commonest species in the Bay, appeared to be associated with climatic trends but not with fishing pressure. Catch decreased 78% from 1968 to 1972. Average temperature during 30-mo periods, the time required for flounder to reach catchable size, explained 76% of variation in abundance through the study. Annual abundance in the Bay is also reflected 2–3 yr later in the commercial catch. A speculative explanation for control of the population in an estuarine nursery is developed, based on subtle climatic trends whose effects have been magnified many times over by competitive processes among migratory populations.The sand flounder (Scophthalmus aquosus), second in general abundance, varied far less than the winter flounder. Catches of the lobster (Homarus americanus) and winter flounder were directly related, both on a monthly as well as yearly basis. The remaining species of numerical importance appeared to avoid peak abundances of one another in the Bay and Sound; rarely did seasonal maxima of two or more species occur during the same month.

Stable carbon and oxygen isotope ratios of groundwaters from the Chalk and Lincolnshire Limestone

Nature ◽  
1975 ◽  
Vol 257 (5529) ◽  
pp. 783-784 ◽  
Author(s):  
D. B. SMITH ◽  
R. L. OTLET ◽  
R. A. DOWNING ◽  
R. A. MONKHOUSE ◽  
F. J. PEARSON
Keyword(s):  
Oxygen Isotope ◽  
Isotope Ratios ◽  
Stable Carbon ◽  
Oxygen Isotope Ratios ◽  
Carbon And Oxygen Isotope

Estimating growth and mortality of juvenile winter flounder, Pseudopleuronectes americanus, with a length-based model

2001 ◽  
Vol 58 (11) ◽  
pp. 2233-2246 ◽  
Author(s):  
Allison K DeLong ◽  
Jeremy S Collie ◽  
Carol J Meise ◽  
J Christopher Powell
Keyword(s):  
Growth Rate ◽  
Rhode Island ◽  
High Growth ◽  
High Growth Rate ◽  
Narragansett Bay ◽  
Winter Flounder ◽  
Individual Growth ◽  
Pseudopleuronectes Americanus ◽  
Maximum Likelihood Methods ◽  
Decreasing Functions

This study quantifies the combined effects of density and environmental factors on young-of-the-year (YOY) winter flounder (Pseudopleuronectes americanus) in Narragansett Bay, Rhode Island. We used a length-based model to estimate growth and mortality rates from June to October each year from 1988 to 1998. In this model, mortality and growth rates are decreasing functions of length and there is variability in individual growth. Maximum-likelihood methods were used to fit the model to length-frequency data collected by the Rhode Island Division of Fish and Wildlife beach-seine survey in Narragansett Bay during the study years. The monthly mortality rate was density dependent and was positively related to temperature. Growth rate was negatively related to density. There was a significant decline in YOY winter flounder abundance during the period of study. The most recent year of the study, 1998, had the lowest density, lowest mortality, low summer temperature, and high growth rate. Thus, growth and mortality during the juvenile stage do not appear to be limiting the recovery of this depleted winter flounder population.

Impact of elevated temperature on the growth, survival, and trophic dynamics of winter flounder larvae: a mesocosm study

2000 ◽  
Vol 57 (12) ◽  
pp. 2382-2392 ◽  
Author(s):  
Aimee A Keller ◽  
Grace Klein-MacPhee
Keyword(s):  
Rhode Island ◽  
Narragansett Bay ◽  
Winter Flounder ◽  
Trophic Dynamics ◽  
Zooplankton Abundance ◽  
Pseudopleuronectes Americanus ◽  
Egg Survival ◽  
Cumulative Impact ◽  
Commercial Fish ◽  
The Impact

Winter flounder (Pseudopleuronectes americanus) is a dominant commercial fish in Narragansett Bay, Rhode Island, and yet factors controlling its recruitment remain unclear. An experiment was conducted with six 13-m3 land-based mesocosms (5 m deep) from February to April 1997 to address the impact of increased temperature (+3°C) on growth, survival, and trophic dynamics of winter flounder larvae. Objectives were to determine if warmer winter temperatures result in lower survival of winter flounder as a result of increased predator activity or if temperature-induced alterations in the food web result in greater food availability, perhaps leading to increased survival. Analyses of variance revealed significant (P < 0.05) or near-significant (P < 0.10) differences in phytoplankton and zooplankton abundance and biomass between warm and cool mesocosms. Winter flounder egg survival, percent hatch, time to hatch, and initial size were significantly greater in cool systems (P < 0.05). Mortality rates were lower in cool systems and significantly related to the abundance of active predators (P < 0.05). The cumulative impact of decreased survival of eggs and larvae in warm systems may partially explain the decline of winter flounder in Narragansett Bay, which has experienced elevated winter water temperatures in recent years.

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document