Fisheries Ecology in the Northeast
We study the relationship between marine life and their environment to support sustainable wild and farmed fisheries on the Northeast shelf, creating opportunities and benefits for the economy and ecosystem.
The United States is a world leader in sustainably managed fisheries and seafood. To ensure our fisheries are resilient to climate change and other human-caused environmental issues, we conduct science with our partners in support of sustainable fishery management. Our research is conducted at the James J. Howard Marine Sciences Laboratory in Highlands, New Jersey.
From surveys to experiments, we measure and assess changes in our oceans and estuaries caused by climate change, measuring adaptation and seeking mitigation strategies. Our research on the effects of climate change on marine life and their environment informs sustainable ocean management.
Overwintering Survival of Black Sea Bass
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Black sea bass are a commercially and recreationally important species found along the U.S. East Coast from Cape Cod, Massachusetts, to Florida. Black sea bass’ range has been shifting northward in recent years. In the mid-Atlantic, this federally managed species migrates seasonally as water temperatures change. They move offshore and south in the fall as water temperatures cool and return north to coastal areas and bays in spring as the water warms.
Stock assessments for black sea bass have a high degree of uncertainty because some aspects of the species’ biology are not well understood. To improve models and better manage the species, scientists need to know how resilient adult black sea bass are to cold winter temperatures. Using the Howard Lab’s recirculating aquaculture systems, our scientists studied the physiological effects of cold temperatures on the fish. They gradually exposed black sea bass to their lowest known thermal tolerance for 1 day and up to 3 days. They found adult black sea bass to be more resilient to very cold temperatures than previously reported for younger fish. A second experiment exposed adult black sea bass to their thermal limit for a longer period of time. It showed that they were resilient to exposure for up to 5 days. This suggests that more adult black sea bass may survive cold conditions during mid-Atlantic winters than previously understood.
Future research will explore how resilience is affected when black sea bass are acclimated to cold temperatures more quickly versus over a longer period of time. Scientists will also study whether black sea bass from different parts of their north-south range differ in their resilience to cold temperatures. Additional planned experiments hope to identify:
- Threshold cold temperatures that cause adult black sea bass to leave the area
- Whether the rate of temperature decline affects that behavior
Understanding the thermal tolerance and winter survival of adult black sea bass will support more effective fisheries management, ensuring fishermen continue to enjoy catching black sea bass for years to come.
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Ocean Acidification
Many processes can change seawater pH. Offshore, carbon dioxide absorption from the atmosphere is the primary driver of ocean acidification. Human activities are generating more carbon dioxide. As carbon dioxide increases, it mixes into the ocean water and raises its acidity, which can harm marine life.
Closer to shore, coastal acidification can include human inputs on land as well as natural processes. In addition to humans generating more carbon dioxide, excess nutrient run-off in coastal zones and changes in land usage can result in changes in aquatic pH. Local runoff from land ends up in rivers which empty into estuaries and coastal waters. Runoff can be influenced by agriculture, sediment, deforestation, and urbanization. Natural coastal acidification can include coastal upwelling and changes in water column circulation.
We study how these changes affect the survival, growth, and metabolism of economically-important finfish and crustaceans. This can help us anticipate future changes to fishery resources, assess their resiliency, and better manage our ecosystems for the future.
Marine Development and Fish Behavior
We work to understand the interactions among offshore development projects, marine life, and habitats. We have studied the impact noise has on black sea bass behavior with funding from the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management. This research informs management to protect fisheries as offshore development continues.
Many commercial and recreational fish produce sounds for reproductive and/or alarm communication, including most cod, hake, croakers, and drum. We use a medical testing technique for auditory brainstem response to record how a fish’s brain responds to underwater sounds that vary in intensity (volume) and frequency (pitch) so we can describe what a species can hear. We compare these data to field recordings of marine noise to identify and protect critical spawning habitats, guide quieter marine construction of energy platforms and bridges, create more sustainable low-noise coastal and shoreline development plans, and refine shipping routes—all in support of the sustainable blue economy.
We study fish hearing to
- Better understand reproductive ecology in sound-producing species
- Reveal potential effects of environmental changes such as ocean acidification on auditory ecology
- Predict the possible effects of human activities and coastal development on the ocean’s soundscape and marine life
For more information, contact Andrij Horodysky.
Finfish Aquaculture
Food security, or knowing where our food will come from, is a growing concern around the globe. Cultivating fish for food in land-based recirculating systems or in controlled open-water containment areas can increase food security and reduce pressure on wild fisheries. Understanding the factors that affect fish growth and health is key to sustainably raising fish.
We are working with Manna Fish Farms and Stony Brook University to study productive and sustainable ways to raise finfish in our region. Our aquaculture research helps inform management and benefits the aquaculture industry.
Turning Waste into Resources: Testing the Feasibility of Integrated Multi-Trophic Aquaculture
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Aquaculture supplies nearly half of the world’s seafood. However, finfish aquaculture can affect the environment by adding excess fish food and fish waste to an ecosystem. Integrated multi-trophic aquaculture is a potential solution to this problem. In these systems, two or more species from different trophic levels are grown together. The wastes from one species can be used to feed another, producing additional products for farmers to sell.
We are testing the feasibility of an integrated multi-trophic aquaculture system consisting of striped bass, sand worms, and sea beans. We chose these species because striped bass are a “good eating” fish with high market value, sand worms are a highly sought-after bait and feed for farmed fish, and sea beans are an edible sea vegetable, a biofuel crop, and livestock fodder. All species are native to the Northeast United States.
Our study focuses on answering three main questions:
- How does this type of system affect striped bass survival, growth, and food conversion ratio?
- How much striped bass waste can sand worms and sea beans consume?
- How much marketable biomass can a striped bass-sand worm-sea bean system generate?
NOAA Fisheries Feature Story:
Tautog Aquaculture
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We are collaborating with Ward Aquafarms to study the potential of finfish aquaculture using tautog. Our goal is to document the best conditions for spawning adult fish and rearing embryos, larvae, and juveniles. We have been exposing tautog eggs and early larvae to a wide range of temperatures, stocking densities, tank sizes and styles, and prey quality and quantity.
We will transfer the juvenile fish to Ward Aquafarms. They will identify the best conditions for growing juvenile fish into adults. Aquacultured tautog offer a year-round supply of market-size fish, boosting regional economies while offsetting fishing pressure. This research is funded by the Northeast Regional Aquaculture Center and the joint project agreement between NOAA and the Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries of the Republic of Korea.
Pollution and Fish Health
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Industrial waste is an ongoing problem in our urban waterways and is harmful to wildlife. We study the effects of industrial pollution on fish health to help managers prevent pollution and clean up and restore polluted rivers. These studies help protect New Jersey's waterways and fish populations along with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and National Ocean Service. We study the environmental impacts of Superfund sites on fish populations in the Lower Passaic River, New Jersey. From studies in Newark Bay and the Elizabeth River to the Superfund sites, our research supports the future of fish and other wildlife in our waters.
Health and Reproduction in Recovering River Herring Populations
River herring populations are at historic lows despite mitigation efforts such as dam removal and habitat restoration. Are legacy contaminants affecting herring reproduction, recruitment, and population growth in some rivers? We are collecting adult and juvenile river herring from New Jersey, New York, and Maine rivers as part of a pilot study to examine the health and reproductive potential of several river systems. Herring returns are much higher in Maine, especially the Penobscot River, than in New Jersey and New York. We are assessing relationships between contaminants and river herring health, and comparing results across river systems. The data may provide insight into challenges that pollution poses to herring recovery, and information important to improving the habitat of these iconic fish.
Diamond Alkali Natural Resource Damage Assessment
Decades of industrial pollution in the Lower Passaic River have impacted human and wildlife health. NOAA and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service are working together to study how pollution affects fish health in the river by measuring white perch reproduction and lifespan. The data will be used as part of a long-term Natural Resource Damage Assessment.
Contacts
Our Fisheries Ecology Branch uses a multi-disciplinary approach to evaluate the environmental conditions that affect recruitment, distribution, growth and survival of fisheries on the Northeast continental shelf.
Learn more about the people who do this work and how to contact them