Variation in Pacific Hake (Merluccius productus) Summer Length-at-Age Near Southern Vancouver Island and Its Relationship to Fishing and Oceanography

1990 ◽  
Vol 47 (11) ◽  
pp. 2195-2211 ◽  
Author(s):  
Barry D. Smith ◽  
Gordon A. McFarlane ◽  
Mark W. Saunders

Male and female Pacific hake (Merluccius productus) sampled in summer off southern Vancouver Island since 1976 show a general decline, plus marked variability, in mean lengths-at-age. Multiple regression analysis related the length-at-age pattern to von Bertalanffy and density-dependent growth, length-selective fishing mortalities, and a suite of oceanographic covariates (sea level height, temperature, and salinity anomalies). Because offshore Pacific hake migrate annually between southern California and British Columbia, with larger fish migrating further north, we deduce that the summer fishery in Canadian waters selectively removes the larger hake each year causing a decline over time in mean lengths-at-age. Apart from the general decline, oceanographic factors explained most interannual variability in mean lengths-at-age. Specifically, mean lengths-at-age were generally smaller in years of above normal sea level height and temperature, and below normal salinity. Sea level anomalies in particular have been associated with the relative strength of the alongshore currents within the coastal upwelling domain; thus, we argue that stronger northward (or weaker southward) flows assist the northward migration of hake. Consequently, in years of higher than normal sea level, such as during major El Niño–Southern Oscillation (ENSO) events, more smaller hake arrive off Vancouver Island in summer resulting in lower mean lengths-at-age.

2008 ◽  
Vol 26 (6) ◽  
pp. 1331-1334 ◽  
Author(s):  
K. Muni Krishna

Abstract. An index of El Niño Southern Oscillation (ENSO) in the Pacific during pre monsoon season is shown to account for a significant part of the variability of coastal Sea Surface Temperature (SST) anomalies measured a few months later within the wind driven southwest coast of India coastal upwelling region 7° N–14° N. This teleconnection is thought to result from an atmospheric bridge between the Pacific and north Indian Oceans, leading to warm (cold) ENSO events being associated with relaxation (intensification) of the Indian trade winds and of the wind-induced coastal upwelling. This ENSO related modulation of the wind-driven coastal upwelling appears to contribute to the connection observed at the basin-scale between ENSO and SST in the Arabian Sea. The ability to use this teleconnection to give warning of large changes in the southwest coast of India coastal upwelling few months in advance is successfully tested using data from 1998 and 1999 ENSO events.


1991 ◽  
Vol 42 (3) ◽  
pp. 263 ◽  
Author(s):  
WW Hsieh ◽  
BV Hamon

Using four decades of hydrographic data collected off the coast near Sydney, New South Wales, and sea-level data at Sydney, we studied the interannual variability in south-eastern Australian shelf waters. The first two empirical orthogonal function (EOF) modes of the band-pass-filtered 50-m-depth hydrographic data (temperature, T; salinity, S; nitrate, N; inorganic phosphate, P; and oxygen, O) and the sea level (SL) and adjusted sea level (ASL) data accounted respectively for 51 and 27% of the total variance. Both modes were significantly correlated with the Southern Oscillation Index (SOI). The first mode, with T, S, O and ASL varying in opposition to N and P, represented the internal or baroclinic response, associated with vertical displacements of the isopycnals. The second mode, with large in-phase fluctuations in SL and ASL but small changes in the hydrographic variables, represented mainly the external or barotropic response during the El Niiio-Southern Oscillation (ENSO). Three-year composites centred around seven ENSO warm episodes revealed that T, S, O and ASL were generally low and N, P, SL and SO1 were high in the year before each ENSO warm episode, but the former group rose while the latter group dropped in the year of the warm episode. The changes in the hydrographic variables at 50 m depth were consistent with relatively shallow isopycnals in the year before the ENSO warm episode, followed by a deepening of the isopycnals during the warm episode. Estimates of this downward displacement of isopycnals, as determined from T, N, P and O, were in the range 7-10 m. The geostrophic wind arising from the pressure fluctuations during ENSO is proposed as a probable cause for the vertical displacement of the isopycnals. In the year before the warm episode, the low air pressure over Australia would produce a clockwise geostrophic wind around south-eastern Australia, generating offshore Ekman transport and coastal upwelling. During the warm episode, air pressure over Australia rises, the geostrophic wind reverses, and downward movement of the isopycnals would occur off south-eastern Australia.


1994 ◽  
Vol 6 (2) ◽  
pp. 249-258 ◽  
Author(s):  
M.J. Roberts ◽  
W.H.H. Sauer

This paper explores effects of environmental variability on the life cycle of the chokka squid, Loligo vulgaris reynaudii in South Africa, particularly the effect of physical and chemical influences on adult distribution, and the availability of spawning aggregations to the local jig fishery. The following hypotheses are presented: 1) temperature, dissolved oxygen and currents have a direct effect on the demersal distribution of adult chokka on the feeding grounds, but this is restricted to the west coast where environmental conditions are more extreme relative to the south coast, 2) chokka catches increase in proportion to the extent of coastal upwelling, 3) spawning behavior along the inshore regions (<50m) is strongly influenced by turbidity near the seabed. High turbidity forces the spawning popuation to lay their eggs in deeper waters, and are thus not available to the jig fishery. 4) El Niño – Southern Oscillation (ENSO) events are linked with large fluctuations in the availability of spawning squid aggregations to the inshore jig fishery.


2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
S. Abhik ◽  
Pandora Hope ◽  
Harry H. Hendon ◽  
Lindsay B. Hutley ◽  
Stephanie Johnson ◽  
...  

Abstract This study investigates the underlying climate processes behind the largest recorded mangrove dieback event along the Gulf of Carpentaria coast in northern Australia in late 2015. Capitalizing on the satellite observation-based mangrove green-fraction dataset, variation of the mangroves during recent decades are studied, including their dieback during 2015. The relationship between mangrove greenness and the climate conditions is examined using available observations and by exploring the possible role of the mega 2015-16 El Niño in altering the favorable conditions for the mangroves. The mangrove greenness is shown to be coherent with the low-frequency component of sea-level height variation related to the El Niño southern oscillation (ENSO) cycle in the equatorial Pacific. The sea-level drop associated with the 2015-16 El Niño is identified to be the crucial factor leading to the dieback event. A stronger sea-level drop occurred during austral autumn and winter, when the anomalies were more than 12% greater than the previous very strong El Niño events. The persistent drop in sea-level height occurred in the dry season of the year when sea-level was seasonally at its lowest, so potentially exposed the mangroves to unprecedented hostile conditions. The influence of other key climate factors is also discussed, and a multiple linear regression model is developed to understand the combined role of the important climate variables on the mangrove greenness variation.


Ocean Science ◽  
2013 ◽  
Vol 9 (3) ◽  
pp. 535-543 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. Park ◽  
G. Dusek

Abstract. The El Niño Southern Oscillation (ENSO) and the Atlantic Multidecadal Oscillation (AMO) are known to influence coastal water levels along the East Coast of the United States. By identifying empirical orthogonal functions (EOFs), which coherently contribute from the Multivariate ENSO Index (MEI) to the AMO index (AMOI), we characterize both the expression of ENSO in the unsmoothed AMOI, and coherent relationships between these indices and interannual sea level anomalies at six stations in the Gulf of Mexico and western North Atlantic. Within the ENSO band (2–7 yr periods) the total contribution of MEI to unsmoothed AMOI variability is 79%. Cross correlation suggests that the MEI leads expression of the ENSO signature in the AMOI by six months, consistent with the mechanism of an atmospheric bridge. Within the ENSO band, essentially all of the coupling between the unsmoothed AMOI and sea level anomalies is the result of ENSO expression in the AMOI. At longer periods we find decadal components of sea level anomalies linked to the AMOI at three southern stations (Key West, Pensacola, Charleston), but not at the northern stations (Baltimore, Boston, Portland), with values of coherence ranging from 20 to 50%. The coherence of MEI to coastal sea level anomalies has a different structure and is generally weaker than that of the ENSO expressed AMOI influence, suggesting distinct physical mechanisms are influencing sea level anomalies due to a direct ENSO teleconnection when compared to teleconnections based on ENSO expression in the AMOI. It is expected that applying this analysis to extremes of sea level anomalies will reveal additional influences.


Ocean Science ◽  
2016 ◽  
Vol 12 (6) ◽  
pp. 1165-1177 ◽  
Author(s):  
Christopher G. Piecuch ◽  
Katherine J. Quinn

Abstract. Previous studies show that nonseasonal variations in global-mean sea level (GMSL) are significantly correlated with El Niño–Southern Oscillation (ENSO). However, it has remained unclear to what extent these ENSO-related GMSL fluctuations correspond to steric (i.e., density) or barystatic (mass) effects. Here we diagnose the GMSL budget for ENSO events observationally using data from profiling floats, satellite gravimetry, and radar altimetry during 2005–2015. Steric and barystatic effects make comparable contributions to the GMSL budget during ENSO, in contrast to previous interpretations based largely on hydrological models, which emphasize the barystatic component. The steric contributions reflect changes in global ocean heat content, centered on the Pacific. Distributions of ocean heat storage in the Pacific arise from a mix of diabatic and adiabatic effects. Results have implications for understanding the surface warming slowdown and demonstrate the usefulness of the Global Ocean Observing System for constraining Earth's hydrological cycle and radiation imbalance.


Author(s):  
Guntur Adhi Rahmawan ◽  
Ulung Jantama Wisha

Long-term sea level rise (SLR) leads to increasing frequency in overtopping events resulting from polar ice liquefaction triggered by rising global temperatures. Aceh province is directly bordered by the Indian Ocean, and is subject to the influence of ocean–atmosphere interactions which have a role in triggering temperature and sea level anomalies. Elevated sea level is possibly caused by temperature-induced water mass redistributions. This study aimed to prove that the Indian Ocean Dipole (IOD) and El-Nino–Southern Oscillation (ENSO) had an influence on sea level change in Aceh waters over the six years 2009–2015. Sea level anomaly (SLA) was identified using Jason-2 satellite data for the 2009–2015 period, to enable the mathematical prediction of SLR rate for further years. We found that SLR was approximately 0.0095 mm/year with an upward trend during the six years of observation. Overall, negative mode of IOD and positive phase of ENSO tend to trigger anomalies of sea level at certain times, and have a stronger influence on increasing SLA and sea surface temperature anomaly (SSTA) which takes place in a ‘see-saw’ fashion. Over the period of observation, the strongest evidence of IOD-correlated SLA, ENSO-correlated SLA and SSTA-correlated SLA were identified in second transitional seasons, with more than 50% of R2 value. The upward trend in SLA is influenced by climatic factors that successively control ocean–atmosphere interactions in Aceh’s marine waters. 


Author(s):  
Bisman Nababan ◽  
Sri Hadianti ◽  
Nyoman M.N. Natih

A trend in sea level rise as a result of global warming could be a threat to small islands and coastal areas in Indonesia. The objective of this study was to determine the trend and variability of mean sea level anomaly (MSLA) in Indonesian waters during the 20 years of observation. The data used in this study were monthly MSLA data obtained from the AVISO website (ftp://ftp.aviso.oceanobs.com). Supporting data were the Southern Oscillation Index (SOI) (http://www.gom.gov.au/climate/enso), Dipole Indian Mode (DIM) index (http://gcmd.nasa.gov/records/GCMD_Indian_Ocean_Dipole.html), and the Pacific Decadal Oscillation (PDO) index (http://research.jisao.washington.edu/pdo/). Eigth stations of Indonesian waters were selected to study the variability of MSLA. In general, MSLA variabilities of Indonesian waters had a seasonal pattern, positively correlated with the SOI index, and negatively correlated with DIM and PDO indexes. The partial correlation of DIM was more dominant in west of Sumatra (r=-0.52) and south of Java (r=-0.44), PDO was more dominant in the northern waters of Papua (r=-0.37) and Makassar Strait (r=-0.33), and SOI was more dominant in northern Papua (r=0.52) and less toward the west of Indonesian waters. Overall, the MSLA variability of Indonesian waters can be explained by the variabilities of SOI, DIM, and PDO indexes with the lowest value in Natuna waters by 12% (R2=0.12) and the highest value in the northern waters of Papua by 54% (R2=0.54). Interannual variabilities were observed during ENSO events (SOI<-10) along with the maximum value of DIM index resulted in the lowest value of MSLA. Meanwhile, the highest value of MSLA was found during La Nina events (SOI>10) in conjunction with a minimum value of DIM and PDO indexes. The average rate of sea level rise in Indonesian waters was 5.84 mm/yr, almost two times higher than the average rate of global sea level rise (3.2 mm/yr). Keywords: mean sea level, anomaly, SOI, DIM, PDO, interannual, ENSO


Water ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 11 (11) ◽  
pp. 2249 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hrishikesh A. Chandanpurkar ◽  
John T. Fasullo ◽  
John T. Reager ◽  
Robert S. Nerem ◽  
James S. Famiglietti

Emergence of global mean sea level (GMSL) from a ‘hiatus’ following a persistent La Niña highlights the need to understand the causes of interannual variability in GMSL. Several studies link interannual variability in GMSL to anomalous transport of water mass between land and ocean—and subsequent changes in water storage in these reservoirs—primarily driven by El Niño/Southern Oscillation (ENSO). Despite this, asymmetries in teleconnections between ENSO mode and land water storage have received less attention. We use historical simulations of natural climate variability to characterize asymmetries in the hydrological response to ENSO based on phase and duration. Findings indicate pronounced phase-specific and duration-specific asymmetries covering up to 93 and 50 million km2 land area, respectively. The asymmetries are seasonally dependent, and based on the mean regional climate are capable of influencing inherently bounded storage by pushing the storage-precipitation relationship towards nonlinearity. The nonlinearities are more pronounced in dry regions in the dry season, wet regions in the wet season, and during Year 2 of persistent ENSO events, limiting the magnitude of associated anomalies under persistent ENSO influence. The findings have implications for a range of stakeholders, including sea level researchers and water managers.


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