Recruitment Processes Program

The Recruitment Processes Program studies marine ecosystems in the Bering Sea, Gulf of Alaska and Arctic. In particular, the program studies zooplankton and seeks to understand more about fish development, when fish are in the "nektonic" stage or able to swim freely in the water. Scientists also look at what influences whether or not larval fish survive to the age of "recruitment." Recruitment for commercially fished species occurs when they grow to the size captured or retained by nets or gear currently used in commercial fishing. For each species or ecosystem that we study, we attempt to understand what factors cause or contribute to population fluctuations.