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Description: The School for Marine Science and Technology
Department of Fisheries Oceanography
Masters Thesis Defense

"AN ECOLOGICAL APPROACH CHARACTORIZING THE FACTORS INFLUENCING THE YELLOWTAIL FLOUNDER POPULATION IN CLOSED AREA II ON GEORGES BANK"


By:
Patricia J. Perez

Advisor:
Kevin Stokesbury, Department of Fisheries Oceanography, School for Marine Science and Technology at University of Massachusetts Dartmouth

Committee:
Steven Cadrin, Department of Fisheries Oceanography, School for Marine Science and Technology at University of Massachusetts Dartmouth
Cate O'Keefe, Principal Consultant, Fishery Application Consulting Team


Tuesday, June 28, 2022
10:00 am - 11:00 am
SMAST East, Rooms 101/102
and via Zoom


Abstract:
The Georges Bank yellowtail flounder (Limanda ferruginea) fishery was once vibrant in the 1960s and 1970s with landings reaching 15,000 MT, but has since collapsed to only 6 MT landed in 2020. Despite reductions in the total allowable catch, biomass estimates from federal fisheries independent trawl surveys are at historical lows, suggesting biotic and abiotic factors are influencing abundance. The stock has become concentrated in Closed Area II Access Area; an area closed in 1994 to protect groundfish but is rotationally opened to the Atlantic sea scallop fishery, resulting in bycatch of yellowtail flounder. Working collaboratively with fishermen, we conducted a seasonal video trawl survey from 2013 to 2021 to better estimate yellowtail flounder population size within the Access Area. Using our trawl survey data, drop camera scallop survey data and FVCOM temperature data, we characterized the yellowtail flounder population and physical and biological variability within Closed Area II Access Area. This yellowtail flounder aggregation has continued to decline and sustained low numbers over our time series, while the Access Area has experienced changes in substrate composition, fluctuating seasonal temperatures, and strong increases in skate and dogfish density across the time series. These variable physical and biological processes could affect yellowtail recruitment success and the rebuilding capacity of this stock, in turn affecting how we manage bycatch of yellowtail flounder in the sea scallop fishery.
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For more information, please contact Sue Silva at s1silva@umassd.edu