Fisheries of Northeast U.S. Continental Shelf Shift as Climate Changes

Key findings were reported in "Changing spatial distribution of fish stocks in relation to climate and population size on the Northeast United States continental shelf," an article published in the 30 October 2009 issue of the journal Marine Ecology Progress Series.  The researchers observed a northward shift in about half of the 36 species they examined, with some stocks nearly disappearing from U.S. waters. “During the last forty years, many familiar stocks have been shifting to the north where ocean waters are cooler, or staying in the same general area but moving into deeper, cooler waters than where they traditionally have been found,” said Janet Nye, lead author of the report.

The study suggests that fish are shifting to remain within their ideal temperature range. However, both temperature change and fishing pressure are playing a role. Heavily fished stocks appeared to be more sensitive to climate change and tend to show larger shifts in range. 

Many of the fish are commercially valuable and include:

•  Atlantic cod
•  Haddock
•  Yellowtail and winter flounders
• Spiny dogfish
• Atlantic herring

The report suggests that in the foreseeable future local fish markets will still contain familiar fish species but as fisherman have to travel farther to catch some species, the fish may eventually become uneconomical. “Consumers in the Northeast, for example, may eventually start seeing less familiar species like Atlantic croaker at local markets and on restaurant menus as southern and Mid-Atlantic species move northward into New England waters,” says Nye.

See:

• Nye JA, Link JS, Hare JA, Overholtz WJ (2009) Changing spatial distribution of fish stocks in relation to climate and population size on the Northeast United States continental shelf. Mar Ecol Prog Ser 393:111-129.   
• Fish Populations Shifting as Ocean Temperatures Warm.  Research Communications, 2 November 2009, from the Northeast Fisheries Science Center of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.