# NOAA Technical Memorandum NMFS-NE-131



# Essential Fish Habitat Source Document: 

# Pollock, Pollachius virens , Life History and Habitat Characteristics

U. S. DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration National Marine Fisheries Service Northeast Region Northeast Fisheries Science Center Woods Hole, Massachusetts
September 1999

# Recent Issues

105. Review of American Lobster ( Homarus americanus ) Habitat Requirements and Responses to Contaminant Exposures. By Renee Mercaldo-Allen and Catherine A. Kuropat. July 1994. v + 52 p., 29 tables. NTIS Access. No. PB96-115555.

106. Selected Living Resources, Habitat Conditions, and Human Perturbations of the Gulf of Maine: Environmental and Ecological Considerations for Fishery Management. By Richard W. Langton, John B. Pearce, and Jon A. Gibson, eds. August 1994. iv + 70 p., 2 figs., 6 tables. NTIS Access. No. PB95-270906.

107. Invertebrate Neoplasia: Initiation and Promotion Mechanisms -- Proceedings of an International Workshop, 23 June 1992, Washington, D.C. By A. Rosenfield, F.G. Kern, and B.J. Keller, comps. & eds. September 1994. v + 31 p., 8 figs., 3 tables. NTIS Access. No. PB96-164801.

108. Status of Fishery Resources off the Northeastern United States for 1994. By Conservation and Utilization Division, Northeast Fisheries Science Center. January 1995. iv + 140 p., 71 figs., 75 tables. NTIS Access. No. PB95-263414.

109. Proceedings of the Symposium on the Potential for Development of Aquaculture in Massachusetts: 15-17 February 1995, Chatham/Edgartown/Dartmouth, Massachusetts. By Carlos A. Castro and Scott J. Soares, comps. & eds. January 1996. v + 26 p., 1 fig., 2 tables. NTIS Access. No. PB97-103782.

110. Length-Length and Length-Weight Relationships for 13 Shark Species from the Western North Atlantic. By Nancy E. Kohler, John G. Casey, Patricia A. Turner. May 1996. iv + 22 p., 4 figs., 15 tables. NTIS Access. No. PB97-135032.

111. Review and Evaluation of the 1994 Experimental Fishery in Closed Area II on Georges Bank. By Patricia A. Gerrior, Fredric M. Serchuk, Kathleen C. Mays, John F. Kenney, and Peter D. Colosi. October 1996. v + 52 p., 24 figs., 20 tables. NTI S Access. No. PB98-119159.

112. Data Description and Statistical Summary of the 1983-92 Cost-Earnings Data Base for Northeast U.S. Commercial Fishing Vessels: A Guide to Understanding and Use of the Data Base. By Amy B. Gautam and Andrew W. Kitts. December 1996. v + 21 p., 11 figs., 14 tables. NTIS Access. No. PB97-169320.

113. Individual Vessel Behavior in the Northeast Otter Trawl Fleet during 1982-92. By Barbara Pollard Rountree. August 1997. v + 50 p., 1 fig., 40 tables. NTIS Access. No. PB99-169997.

114. U.S. Atlantic and Gulf of Mexico Marine Mammal Stock Assessments -- 1996. By Gordon T. Waring, Debra L. Palka, Keith D. Mullin, James H.W. Hain, Larry J. Hansen, and Kathryn D. Bisack. October 1997. viii + 250 p., 42 figs., 47 tables. NTIS Access. No. PB98-112345.

115. Status of Fishery Resources off the Northeastern United States for 1998. By Stephen H. Clark, ed. September 1998. vi + 149 p., 70 figs., 80 tables. NTIS Access. No. PB99-129694.

116. U.S. Atlantic Marine Mammal Stock Assessments -- 1998. By Gordon T. Waring, Debra L. Palka, Phillip J. Clapham, Steven Swartz, Marjorie C. Rossman, Timothy V.N. Cole, Kathryn D. Bisack, and Larry J. Hansen. February 1999. vii + 182 p., 16 figs., 56 tables. NTIS Access. No. PB99-134140.

117. Review of Distribution of the Long-finned Pilot Whale ( Globicephala melas) in the North Atlantic and Mediterranean. By Alan A. Abend and Tim D. Smith. April 1999. vi + 22 p., 14 figs., 3 tables. NTIS Access. No. PB99-165029.

118. Tautog ( Tautoga onitis) Life History and Habitat Requirements. By Frank W. Steimle and Patricia A. Shaheen. May 1999. vi + 23 p., 1 fig., 1 table. NTIS Access. No. PB99-165011.

119. Data Needs for Economic Analysis of Fishery Management Regulations. By Andrew W. Kitts and Scott R. Steinback. August 1999. iv + 48 p., 10 figs., 22 tables. NTIS Access. No. PB99-171456.

120. Marine Mammal Research Program of the Northeast Fisheries Science Center during 1990-95. By Janeen M. Quintal and Tim D. Smith. September 1999. v + 28 p., 4 tables, 4 app. NTIS Access. No. PB2000-100809.

## U. S. DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE William Daley, Secretary 

## National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration D. James Baker, Administrator 

## National Marine Fisheries Service Penelope D. Dalton, Assistant Administrator for Fisheries 

## Northeast Region Northeast Fisheries Science Center Woods Hole, Massachusetts
September 1999 

# Essential Fish Habitat Source Document: 

# Pollock, Pollachius virens , Life History and Habitat Characteristics

Luca M. Cargnelli, Sara J. Griesbach, David B. Packer, Peter L. Berrien, Donna L. Johnson, and Wallace W. Morse

National Marine Fisheries Serv., James J. Howard Marine Sciences Lab., 74 Magruder Rd., Highlands, NJ 07732 This series represents a secondary level of scientifiic publishing. All issues employ thorough internal scientific review; some issues employ external scientific review. Reviews are -- by design -- transparent collegial reviews, not anonymous peer reviews. All issues may be cited in formal scientific communications.



# NOAA Technical Memorandum NMFS-NE-131

## Editorial Notes on Issues 122-152 in the NOAA Technical Memorandum NMFS-NE Series

Editorial Production For Issues 122-152, staff of the Northeast Fisheries Science Center's (NEFSC's) Ecosystems Processes Division have largely assumed the role of staff of the NEFSC's Editorial Office for technical and copy editing, type composition, and page layout. Other than the four covers (inside and outside, front and back) and first two preliminary pages, all preprinting editorial production has been performed by, and all credit for such production rightfully belongs to, the authors and acknowledgees of each issue, as well as those noted below in "Special Acknowledgments."

Special Acknowledgments David B. Packer, Sara J. Griesbach, and Luca M. Cargnelli coordinated virtually all aspects of the preprinting editorial production, as well as performed virtually all technical and copy editing, type composition, and page layout, of Issues 122-152. Rande R. Cross, Claire L. Steimle, and Judy D. Berrien conducted the literature searching, citation checking, and bibliographic styling for Issues 122-152. Joseph J. Vitaliano produced all of the food habits figures in Issues 122- 152.

Internet Availability Issues 122-152 are being copublished, i.e. , both as paper copies and as web postings. All web postings are, or will soon be, available at: www.nefsc.nmfs.gov/nefsc/habitat/efh . Also, all web postings will be in "PDF" format.

Information Updating By federal regulation, all information specific to Issues 122-152 must be updated at least every five years. All official updates will appear in the web postings. Paper copies will be reissued only when and if new information associated with Issues 122-152 is significant enough to warrant a reprinting of a given issue. All updated and/or reprinted issues will retain the original issue number, but bear a "Revised (Month Year)" label.

Species Names The NMFS Northeast Regions policy on the use of species names in all technical communications is generally to follow the American Fisheries Societys lists of scientific and common names for fishes ( i.e. , Robins et al. 1991 a 

### ), mollusks ( i.e. , Turgeon et al. 1998 b 

### ), and decapod crustaceans ( i.e. , Williams et al. 1989 c 

### ), and to follow the Society for Marine Mammalogy's guidance on scientific and common names for marine mammals ( i.e. , Rice 1998 d 

### ). Exceptions to this policy occur when there are subsequent compelling revisions in the classifications of species, resulting in changes in the names of species ( e.g. , Cooper and Chapleau 1998 e

### ).

aRobins, C.R. (chair); Bailey, R.M.; Bond, C.E.; Brooker, J.R.; Lachner, E.A.; Lea, R.N.; Scott, W.B. 1991. Common and scienti fic names of fishes from the United States and Canada. 5th ed. Amer. Fish. Soc. Spec. Publ. 20; 183 p.

b Turgeon, D.D. (chair); Quinn, J.F., Jr.; Bogan, A.E.; Coan, E.V.; Hochberg, F.G.; Lyons, W.G.; Mikkelsen, P.M.; Neves, R.J.; Roper, C.F.E.;

Rosenberg, G.; Roth, B.; Scheltema, A.; Thompson, F.G.; Vecchione, M.; Williams, J.D. 1998. Common and scientific names of aq uatic invertebrates from the United States and Canada: mollusks. 2nd ed. Amer. Fish. Soc. Spec. Publ. 26; 526 p.

c Williams, A.B. (chair); Abele, L.G.; Felder, D.L.; Hobbs, H.H., Jr.; Manning, R.B.; McLaughlin, P.A.; Pérez Farfante, I. 1989. Common and

scientific names of aquatic invertebrates from the United States and Canada: decapod crustaceans. Amer. Fish. Soc. Spec. Publ. 17; 77 p.

d Rice, D.W. 1998. Marine mammals of the world: systematics and distribution. Soc. Mar. Mammal. Spec. Publ. 4; 231 p.

e Cooper, J.A.; Chapleau, F. 1998. Monophyly and interrelationships of the family Pleuronectidae (Pleuronectiformes), with a revised classification.

Fish. Bull. (U.S.) 96:686-726.

### Page iii



## FOREWORD
One of the greatest long-term threats to the viability of commercial and recreational fisheries is the continuing loss of marine, estuarine, and other aquatic habitats

. Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act (October 11, 1996)
The long-term viability of living marine resources depends on protection of their habitat. NMFS Strategic Plan for Fisheries Research (February 1998)
The Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act (MSFCMA), which was reauthorized and amended by the Sustainable Fisheries Act (1996), requires the eight regional fishery management councils to describe and identify essential fish habitat (EFH) in their respective regions, to specify actions to conserve and enhance that EFH, and to minimize the adverse effects of fishing on EFH. Congress defined EFH as “those waters and substrate necessary to fish for spawning, breeding, feeding or growth to maturity.” The MSFCMA requires NMFS to assist the regional fishery management councils in the implementation of EFH in their respective fishery management plans. NMFS has taken a broad view of habitat as the area used by fish throughout their life cycle. Fish use habitat for spawning, feeding, nursery, migration, and shelter, but most habitats provide only a subset of these functions. Fish may change habitats with changes in life history stage, seasonal and geographic distributions, abundance, and interactions with other species. The type of habitat, as well as its attributes and functions, are important for sustaining the production of managed species. The Northeast Fisheries Science Center compiled the available information on the distribution, abundance, and habitat requirements for each of the species managed by the New England and Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Councils. That information is presented in this series of 30 EFH species reports (plus one consolidated methods report). The EFH species reports comprise a survey of theimportant literature as well as original analyses of fisheryJ AMES 

### J. H OWARD 

### M ARINE 

### S CIENCES 

### LABORATORY 

### H IGHLANDS 

### , N EW 

### J ERSEY 

### S EPTEMBER 

### 1999 independent data sets from NMFS and several coastal states. The species reports are also the source for thecurrent EFH designations by the New England and MidAtlantic Fishery Management Councils, and have understandably begun to be referred to as the “EFH source documents.” NMFS provided guidance to the regional fishery management councils for identifying and describing EFH of their managed species. Consistent with this guidance, the species reports present information on current and historic stock sizes, geographic range, and the period and location of major life history stages. The habitats of managed species are described by the physical, chemical, and biological components of the ecosystem where the species occur. Information on the habitat requirements is provided for each life history stage, and it includes, where available, habitat and environmental variables that control or limit distribution, abundance, growth, reproduction, mortality, and productivity. Identifying and describing EFH are the first steps in the process of protecting, conserving, and enhancing essential habitats of the managed species. Ultimately, NMFS, the regional fishery management councils, fishing participants, Federal and state agencies, and other organizations will have to cooperate to achieve the habitat goals established by the MSFCMA. A historical note: the EFH species reports effectively recommence a series of reports published by the NMFS Sandy Hook (New Jersey) Laboratory (now formally known as the James J. Howard Marine Sciences Laboratory) from 1977 to 1982. These reports, which were formally labeled as Sandy Hook Laboratory Technical Series Reports , but informally known as “Sandy Hook Bluebooks,” summarized biological and fisheries data for 18 economically important species. The fact that the bluebooks continue to be used two decades after their publication persuaded us to make their successors – the 30 EFH source documents – available to the public through publication in the NOAA Technical Memorandum NMFSNE series.

J EFFREY 

### N. C ROSS 

### , C HIEF 

### E COSYSTEMS 

### P ROCESSES 

### D IVISION 

### N ORTHEAST 

### F ISHERIES 

### S CIENCE 

### C ENTER

### Page v



## Contents

Introduction................................................................................................................... ............................................................................1 Life History ................................................................................................................... ............................................................................1 Habitat Characteristics ........................................................................................................ ......................................................................2 Geographical Distribution...................................................................................................... ...................................................................3 Status of the Stocks ........................................................................................................... ........................................................................5 Research Needs ................................................................................................................. ........................................................................5 Acknowledgments................................................................................................................ .....................................................................5 References Cited ............................................................................................................... ........................................................................5



## Tables

Table 1. Size and age at maturity of U.S. pollock, Pollachius virens .......................................................................................................8 Table 2. Summary of life history and habitat parameters for pollock, Pollachius virens .........................................................................9



## Figures

Figure 1. The pollock, Pollachius virens (from Goode 1884)

.............................................................................................................. 11 Figure 2. Summary of the early life history of pollock ........................................................................ .................................................12 Figure 3. Pollock spawning locations based on the distribution of eggs and larvae from ichthyoplankton surveys................ .............13 Figure 4. Abundance of the major prey items in the pollock diet from NEFSC bottom trawl survey data on food habits ............ .......14 Figure 5. Distribution and abundance of polluck from Newfoundland to Cape Hatteras during 1975-1994 ........................... ............15 Figure 6. Distribution of pollock eggs collected during NEFSC MARMAP offshore ichthyoplankton surveys......................... .........16 Figure 7. Abundance of pollock eggs relative to water temperature and depth based on NEFSC MARMAP surveys..................... ....19 Figure 8. Distribution of pollock larvae collected during NEFSC MARMAP offshore ichthyoplankton surveys ....................... ........20 Figure 9. Abundance of pollock larvae relative to water temperature and depth based on NEFSC MARMAP surveys ................... ...23 Figure 10. Distribution of juveniles and adults collected during NEFSC trawl surveys............................................ .............................24 Figure 11. Abundance of juvenile and adult pollock relative to water temperature and depth based on NEFSC surveys............... .......26 Figure 12. Distribution of juvenile and adult pollock collected during Massachusetts inshore trawl surveys...................... ..................27 Figure 13. Abundance of juvenile and adult pollock relative to water temperature and depth based on Massachusetts surveys ....... ....28 Figure 14. Occurrence of pollock in Narragansett Bay during 1990-1996 based on Rhode Island bottom trawl surveys................ ......29 Figure 15. Commercial landings and survey indices of pollock for Gulf of Maine, Georges Bank and the Scotian Shelf.............. .......30

### Page 1



## INTRODUCTION
The pollock, Pollachius virens(Figure 1), is a gadoid species inhabiting both sides of the North Atlantic. In the northwest Atlantic they are most common on the Scotian Shelf, Georges Bank, in the Great South Channel, and in the Gulf of Maine. There is considerable movement of the species between the Scotian Shelf, Georges Bank and the Gulf of Maine. Thus, although some differences in meristic and morphometric characters have been shown, there are no significant genetic differences among areas (Mayo et al. 1989). As a result, the Scotian Shelf, Georges Bank and the Gulf of Maine pollock (NAFO divisions 4V, 4W, 4X and subareas 5, 6) are assessed as a single unit. In U.S. waters, the species is managed under the New England Fishery Management Council’s Northeast Multispecies Fishery Management Plan (NEFMC 1993). This Essential Fish Habitat source document provides information on the life history and habitat requirements of pollock inhabiting the Gulf of Maine, Georges Bank, and the Scotian Shelf.



## LIFE HISTORY
A brief synopsis of the life history characteristics of pollock is provided in Amendment #5 to the Northeast Multispecies Fishery Management Plan (NEFMC 1993). More detailed information is provided here and in reviews by Bigelow and Schroeder (1953), Hardy (1978), and Collette and Klein-MacPhee (in prep.).



## EARLY LIFE HISTORY
Pollock eggs are buoyant, rising into the water column after fertilization. The pelagic larval stage lasts for three to four months, at which time the small juveniles or “harbor pollock” migrate inshore where they inhabit rocky subtidal and intertidal zones. They undergo a series of inshore-offshore movements linked to temperature (Ojeda and Dearborn 1990; Rangeley and Kramer 1995; Collette and Klein-MacPhee, in prep.) until near the end of their second year (summarized in Figure 2). At this point the juveniles move offshore where they remain throughout the adult stage.



## ADULTS
Adult pollock can attain maximum lengths of 120 cm,but are usually less than 110 cm (Collette and KleinMacPhee, in prep.). A maximum age of 18 years has been recorded, although the major portion of the catch consists of 3-6 year old fish (Mayo 1994). Growth rate is rapid until sexual maturity, at which time it declines (Steele 1963). Pollock are a schooling species and are found throughout the water column (Hardy 1978). With the exception of short migrations due to temperature changes and north-south movements for spawning, pollock are fairly stationary in the Gulf of Maine and along the Nova Scotian coast (Hardy 1978; Collette and Klein-MacPhee, in prep.).



## REPRODUCTION
Male pollock reach sexual maturity at a larger size and older age than females (Table 1). Age and size at maturity of pollock have declined in recent years, a trend which has also been reported in other marine fish species (e.g., haddock, witch flounder). During 1985-1990, male and female pollock attained sexual maturity more than a year earlier than during 1970-1984. Data from the Bay of Fundy (Steele 1963) provide further evidence of a decline: during 1960-1961, females attained maturity at 62.5 cm and 5-7 years, and males attained maturity at 58 cm and 4- 7 years. The decline in size and age at maturity is potentially an effect of size-selective overfishing and/or recent declines in stock abundance or density (see Status of the Stocks below). The principal pollock spawning sites in the northwest Atlantic are in the western Gulf of Maine, Great South Channel, Georges Bank, and on the Scotian Shelf (Figure 3). In the Gulf of Maine, spawning is concentrated in Massachusetts Bay, Stellwagen Bank, and from Cape Ann to the Isle of Shoals (Steele 1963; Hardy 1978; Collette and Klein-MacPhee, in prep.). Spawning is believed to occur throughout the Scotian Shelf; Emerald, LaHave, and Browns banks are the principal sites (Mayo et al. 1989). Spawning takes place from September to April. Spawning time is more variable in northern sites than in southern sites. In the Gulf of Maine spawning occurs from November to February (Steele 1963; Colton andMarak 1969), peaking in December (Collette and KleinMacPhee, in prep.). On the Scotian Shelf, spawning occurs from September to April (Markle and Frost 1985; Clay et al. 1989) and peaks from December to February (Clay et al. 1989). Spawning occurs over hard, stony or rocky bottom (Hardy 1978). Spawning activity begins when the water column cools to near 8 o 

### C, and peaks when temperatures are approximately 4.5-6 o 

### C (Collette and Klein-MacPhee, in prep.). Thus, most spawning occurs within a comparatively narrow range of temperatures. There is little information on salinity, but in Massachusetts Bay, spawning is reported to occur at salinities of 32-32.8 ppt (Collette and Klein-MacPhee, in prep.).

### Page 2



## FOOD HABITS
Pollock initially inhabit the water column and therefore feed on pelagic prey. The primary prey of small larvae (4-18 mm) are larval copepods (Marak 1960; Steele 1963) while larger larvae (> 18 mm) feed primarily on adult copepods (Marak 1960). The primary prey of juvenile pollock are crustaceans. Euphausiids, in particularMeganyctiphanes norvegica , are the most important crustacean prey of juveniles (Tyler 1972;Bowman and Michaels 1984; Collette and KleinMacPhee, in prep.). Fish and mollusks make up a smaller proportion of the juvenile diet (Bowman and Michaels 1984); however, in some cases fish may play a more important role in the diet. For example, Ojeda and Dearborn (1991) reported that the diet of subtidal juveniles in the Gulf of Maine was dominated by fish, especially young Atlantic herring ( Clupea harengus ). The diet of adults is comprised of, in order of decreasing importance, euphausiids, fish and mollusks (Steele 1963;Bowman and Michaels 1984; Collette and KleinMacPhee, in prep.). M. norvegica is the single most important prey item and Atlantic herring is the most important fish species. Bowman and Michaels (1984) found that the diet preferences of adults vary with size: crustaceans were the most important prey item among smaller adults (41-65 cm), fish were most important among medium size adults (66-95 cm), and mollusks (the squid Loligo ) were the most important prey among the largest adults (> 95 cm). The 1973-1990 Northeast Fisheries Science Center (NEFSC) bottom trawl survey data on food habits [see Reid et al. (1999) for details] verify that crustaceans, especially M. norvegica , are the most important prey item of juvenile and adult pollock (Figure 4). The 1973-1980 data indicate that juveniles fed primarily on crustaceans (56%), but also on nematodes (10%), fish (9%) and annelids (4%) (Figure 4a). Crustaceans were also the most important food item of adults. However, they were less common than for juveniles (37% vs. 56%), while fish (16%) and nematodes (15%) were more common in the adult diet. The 1981-1990 data also indicate that crustaceans are the most important food item of pollock, and that fish are more important in the diet of adults than juveniles (Figure 4b). Crustaceans (mostly euphausiids) made up 69% of the juvenile diet and 60% of the adult diet. Fish comprised only 12% of the juvenile diet, but made up 28% of the adult diet. Sand lance ( Ammodytes sp.) was the most common fish prey for both juveniles and adults, and Atlantic herring were also common.



## STOCK STRUCTURE
Tagging studies have shown that there is considerable movement of pollock across the Scotian Shelf and the Gulf of Maine (Mayo et al. 1989). For most of the year, adult pollock undergo minor inshore-offshore movements linked to temperature (Collette and Klein-MacPhee, in prep.). However, mixing of stocks occurs in winter when adults undergo migrations to the spawning grounds. For example, Bay of Fundy pollock are thought to migrate south or southeast and spawn with fish from the Gulf of Maine and possibly the Scotian Shelf (Steele 1963). Eggs and larvae undergo significant movement away from the spawning area as they drift with currents (Hardy 1978). For example, larvae from the northern Gulf of Maine are thought to originate from spawning grounds in the southern Gulf of Maine (Bigelow and Schroeder 1953). Thus, although some morphometric and meristic differences have been reported among pollock from different areas, electrophoretic analyses show no significant genetic differences (Mayo et al. 1989). There is evidence that different age classes do not mix, forming large size-segregated schools throughout the water column (Hardy 1978). In the Bay of Fundy, 0+ and 1+ schools are distinct, with 1+ juveniles inhabiting slightly deeper water (Steele 1963).



## HABITAT CHARACTERISTICS
Information on the habitat characteristics of pollock is presented here and is summarized in Table 2. This information is restricted to pollock inhabiting U.S. waters and the Scotian Shelf in Canadian waters since they are considered a single stock for assessment and management purposes (Mayo et al. 1989). Information from other stocks (e.g., European) was not considered.



## EGGS
Pollock eggs are spawned over broken substrate at salinities of 32-32.8 ppt (Collette and Klein-MacPhee, in prep.). They are pelagic and free-floating, usually found in water 50-250 m in depth (Hardy 1978). Pollock eggs taken during NEFSC Marine Resources Monitoring, Assessment and Prediction (MARMAP) ichthyoplankton surveys (see Geographical Distribution below) were at temperatures ranging from 2-17 o 

### C, although most were at temperatures of 5-11 o 

### C. Eggs were taken at depths ranging from 30-270 m, but most were at 50-90 m (Figure 7).



## LARVAE
Larvae are also pelagic, commonly found at temperatures of 3-9 o 

### C (Bigelow and Schroeder 1953), and normally occur from the shore out to the 200 m depth contour, but have been reported in waters as deep as 1550 m (Hardy 1978). Pollock larvae taken during MARMAP

### Page 3

ichthyoplankton surveys (see Geographical Distribution below) were at temperatures ranging from 2-17 o 

### C, but this varied seasonally and temperatures of 5-10 o 

### C were most common. Larvae were taken at depths ranging from 10 to > 1000 m, but most were at 50-90 m (Figure 9).



## JUVENILES
Juveniles have been reported over a wide variety of substrates, including sand, mud, or rocky bottom and vegetation (Hardy 1978). They are found at temperatures ranging from 0-16 o 

### C and prefer salinities of around 31.5 ppt (Hardy 1978). Inshore subtidal and intertidal zones are utilized by age 0+ and 1+ juveniles and serve as important nursery areas (Steele 1963; Ojeda and Dearborn 1990; Rangeley and Kramer 1995). Age 2+ juveniles move offshore, inhabiting depths of 130-150 m (Steele 1963). Juvenile haddock taken during NEFSC trawl surveys (see Geographical Distribution below) were at temperatures ranging from 1-18 o 

### C, but most were taken at 3-12 o 

### C. They were taken at depths ranging from 5-125 m, but most were taken at 25-75 m (Figure 11). Juveniles taken during Massachusetts trawl surveys (see Geographical Distribution below) were at 6-13 o 

### C and 0- 75 m (Figure 13).



## ADULTS
Adults show little preference for bottom type (Scott 1982b). They are found at high salinities, 31-34 ppt (Scott 1982a), and temperatures of 0-14 o 

### C (Hardy 1978; Scott 1982a; Collette and Klein-MacPhee, in prep.), although they tend to avoid temperatures > 11 o 

### C and < 3 o 

### C. They inhabit a wide range of depths, 35-365 m (Hardy 1978; Scott 1982a), but most occur within the 137 m depth contour and depths of 100-125 m are preferred (Hardy 1978). Adults tend to inhabit deeper waters in spring and summer than in winter and they are typically found further offshore than juveniles (Mayo et al. 1989; Collette and Klein-MacPhee, in prep.). Adult haddock taken during NEFSC trawl surveys (see Geographical Distribution below) were at temperatures ranging from 1-12 o 

### C, but most were taken at 6-8 o 

### C. Adults were taken at depths ranging from 15-325 m, but most were taken at 75-175 m (Figure 11). Most adults taken during Massachusetts trawl surveys (see Geographical Distribution below) were at 5-7 o 

### C and 10- 30 m (Figure 13). 

## GEOGRAPHICAL DISTRIBUTION

Pollock in the northwest Atlantic were distributed from the Delmarva Peninsula north to the Gulf of St. Lawrence and the Grand Banks during 1975-1994 (Figure 5). The areas of highest abundance of the species are the Scotian Shelf and the Gulf of Maine.



## EGGS
The 1978-1987 MARMAP offshore ichthyoplankton surveys [see Reid et al. (1999) for details] collected eggs during October to June from off Delaware Bay to southwest Nova Scotia (Figure 6). Highest monthly mean egg densities occurred in November (24.4 eggs/10 m2 

### ), December (36.8 eggs/10 m 2 

### ), January (86.1 eggs/10 m 2 

### ) and February (19.6 eggs/10 m 2 

### ) in Massachusetts Bay, Georges Bank, and Browns Bank. Egg densities were considerably lower in months prior to and after this period ( ≤ 1.40 eggs/m2 

### ). This concurs with reports that peak spawning occurs during November to February (Hardy 1978; Fahay 1983; Clay et al. 1989). Eggs were collected at temperatures ranging from about 2-17 o 

### C (Figure 7). From October to February, eggs were found at increasingly lower temperatures, with most eggs found at 10-11 o 

### C in October and most eggs found at 5-6 o 

### C in February. From March to June the majority of eggs were found at temperatures from around 5-7 o 

### C. Optimal development of eggs occurs at 3.3-8.9 o 

### C (Hardy 1978). Eggs were found over depths ranging from 30-270 m, but the majority of eggs were collected at a more restricted range, 50-90 m (Figure 7). Hardy (1978) reported that eggs are found in water 50-250 m deep.



## LARVAE
The 1977-1987 MARMAP offshore ichthyoplankton surveys [see Reid et al. (1999) for details] found larvae during September to July from off Chesapeake Bay to southwest Nova Scotia (Figure 8). The highest monthly mean larval densities occurred in December (3.6 larvae/10
m2 

### ), January (9.0 larvae/10 m 2 

### ) and February (10.3 larvae/10 m2 

### ). Larval densities were considerably lower in months prior to and after this period ( ≤ 0.72 larvae/10
m2 

### ). This corresponds to peak spawning occurring from November to February (Hardy 1978; Fahay 1983; Clay et al. 1989). The highest densities in December and January appear to be in Massachusetts Bay, Georges Bank, and the western edge of Browns Bank; by Febraury the highest abundances are in Massachusetts Bay, off the east coast of Cape Cod, and in the vicinity of Jeffreys Ledge. Larvae were collected within a temperature range of about 2-17 o 

### C (Figure 9). There appears to be a seasonal difference in larval occurrence with bottom temperatures.

### Page 4

In fall, larvae were found at temperatures of 8-17 o 

### C. Larvae were bimodally distributed relative to temperature in October and November. In winter, larvae were found at colder temperatures, approximately 2-13 o 

### C. In spring and summer larvae were collected in slightly warmer temperatures ranging from 3-15 o 

### C, although the majority were at 5-10 o 

### C. Larvae were collected at depths ranging from 10-250 m from October to July (Figure 9). For most of the year, the majority of larvae were found at 50-90 m. Hardy (1978) reported that larvae are normally found out to the 200 m depth contour, but that they have been found as deep as 1550 m.



## JUVENILES NEFSC Bottom Trawl Surveys
In the winter, NEFSC bottom trawl surveys [see Reid et al. (1999) for details] captured juveniles from throughout the Gulf of Maine, Browns Bank, and along the edges of Georges Bank (Figure 10). In summer, they were spread along the inshore areas of the Gulf of Maine, off the coast of Rhode Island and Long Island, the western edge of the Great South Channel, off Massachusetts, and the northern edge of Georges Bank. In spring, the highest densities of pollock were found along the fringes of the Gulf of Maine, as well as the western edge of the Great South Channel, the northeastern edge of Georges Bank, Browns Bank, and southwest Nova Scotia. Densities were similar in the autumn, with highest densities in Massachusetts Bay. Juveniles were found at temperatures ranging from 1- 18 o 

### C, although most were found at 4-12 o 

### C (Figure 11). There is a slight seasonal difference in juvenile occurrence with bottom temperatures: juveniles were found at colder temperatures in spring than in autumn. In the spring > 60% were collected at temperatures of around 4-6 o 

### C, while in autumn > 60% were collected at temperatures of 8-11 o 

### C (Figure 11). Murawski and Finn (1988) found a similar trend for age 0+ and age 1+ juveniles. In the spring and fall, juveniles were caught at depths ranging from 5-250 m, but most were found between 25- 75 m (Figure 11).


## Massachusetts Inshore Trawl Survey
In spring, the 1978-1996 Massachusetts inshore surveys [see Reid et al. (1999) for details] captured high densities of juveniles north of Cape Ann, in the vicinity of Boston Harbor, and the western shore of Martha’s Vineyard (Figure 12). In the autumn, densities were lower and juveniles were concentrated around the tip of Cape Cod (Figure 12). Juveniles were more abundant in inshore Massachusetts waters in spring than in autumn. There is a seasonal difference in juvenile occurrence with bottom temperature. Juveniles were found over a wider range of temperatures in spring than in autumn. In the spring, juveniles occurred primarily between 6-13 o 

### C, while in the fall they occurred mostly at temperatures between 8 and 11 o 

### C (Figure 13). There is also a seasonal difference in juvenile occurrence with depth, with slightly deeper waters inhabited in autumn. In the spring, juveniles were found from 0-75 m, but roughly 90% of juveniles were caught at depths of # 20 m. In autumn they occurred from 0-70 m with 40% caught at 45 m (Figure 13).


## Rhode Island Bottom Trawl Survey
A total of only 336 pollock, all juveniles, were caught in Narragansett Bay from 1990-1996 [see Reid et al. (1999) for details]. They were caught in all seasons, but the vast majority (97%) were caught in spring (Figure 14).


## Connecticut Fisheries Division Survey
Pollock are not commonly caught in the surveys of Long Island Sound, and none have been recorded since 1989 (Gottschall et al. , in review). In surveys conducted from 1984-1990 thro ughout Long Island Sound, just 24 juveniles were caught. All were caught during summer (July-August), at all depths and bottom types except sand.



## ADULTS NEFSC Bottom Trawl Survey
In winter, NEFSC bottom trawl surveys [see Reid et al. (1999) for details] captured adults mostly in the offshore regions of the Gulf of Maine, Great South Channel, and along the northern edges of Georges Bank (Figure 10). The distribution of adults was similar in summer, although they were also present in nearshore areas of the Gulf. In spring, adult pollock were spread throughout the Gulf of Maine with highest densities in the central Gulf, along the northeastern edge of Georges Bank, the Great South Channel, and Browns Bank. In autumn, the highest densities of adults were in the southwestern Gulf of Maine, the northeastern edge of Georges Bank, and Browns Bank. Adults were distributed further south in winter and spring than in summer and autumn. Adults were found at temperatures of 1-12 o 

### C (Figure 11). There does not appear to be a significant seasonal difference in adult occurrence with bottom temperature, although in spring most adult pollock were found at 6-7 o 

### C while in autumn most were found at 8 o 

### C. These results

### Page 5

support previous reports that adults occur from 1-14 o 

### C and that temperatures > 3.3 o 

### C are optimal (Collette and Klein-MacPhee, in prep.). There also does not appear to be a major seasonal difference in adult occurrence with depth. Adults were caught at depths ranging from about 15- 325 m, with the majority at 75-175 m (Figure 11).


## Massachusetts Inshore Trawl Survey
Few adults were caught during the spring 1978-1996 Massachusetts inshore surveys [see Reid et al. (1999) for details]. Those that were caught were mostly found north of Cape Ann; lower numbers were found in Massachusetts Bay and around Cape Cod (Figure 12). No adults were caught in the autumn surveys. In the spring, adults occurred at temperatures ranging from 3-13 o 

### C, but approximately 60% were caught at temperatures of around 5-7 o 

### C (Figure 13). Approximately 55% of adult pollock were caught at depths ranging from 10-30 m, while the remainder were found at 45-75 m (Figure 13).



## STATUS OF THE STOCKS

Commercial catches from the entire Scotian Shelf, Gulf of Maine and Georges Bank increased from an annual average of 38, 200 mt during 1972-1976 to 68,900 mt during 1986, but have since steadily declined to historic lows. The total landings in 1996 were 12,300 metric tons (mt), a 7.5% decrease from 1995 (13,300 mt), a 35% decrease from 1994 (18,900 mt), and a 82% decrease from the 1986 peak (Figure 15; Mayo 1998). Total stock size, after increasing throughout the late 1970’s and early 1980’s, has since markedly declined. Biomass indices for the Gulf of Maine-Georges Bank increased during the mid-1970’s but declined sharply during the early 1980’s and have remained low. Spawning stock biomass increased from 90,000 mt in 1974 to over 200,000 mt in 1985; SSB declined by 36% between 1986-1991 (Mayo 1995). The September 1997 report to congress “Status of Fisheries of the United States” (National Marine Fisheries Service 1997) reports that the state of overfishing of U.S. pollock stocks is currently unknown.



## RESEARCH NEEDS
Many details of the biology of pollock from the northwest Atlantic are not well known. No information is available on the actual spawning event. This is potentially important information for understanding or modelling the genetics and population dynamics of pollock stocks. Information on predation of the various life history stages is lacking, and data on species interactions in general are needed. More information is needed on the importance of inshore areas, specifically rocky subtidal and intertidal zones and salt marshes, as nursery grounds for juvenile pollock. A better understanding of the role of these areas to recruitment and year-class strength is necessary. These habitats may be critical bottleneck areas. Finally, the genetic differentiation of stocks should be investigated further using more advanced and powerful genetic (e.g., microsatellite DNA markers) and biochemical (e.g., elemental fingerprinting of otoliths) techniques. Currently, the management of Gulf of Maine area pollock as a single unit stock is based on allozyme electrophoresis analyses which indicate that the stocks are genetically uniform (Mayo et al. 1989). Newer, more powerful methods may reveal significant differences. Most of the available information on northwest Atlantic pollock is restricted to distribution and abundance (EFH Level 2). Growth and survival (Level 3) and production rates (Level 4) by habitat are necessary in order to accurately designate the essential habitat of pollock.



## ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
The literature review was greatly aided by the draft update to the Bigelow and Schroeder (1953) section on pollock provided by Bruce Collette. Joseph Vitaliano provided gut contents data from the food habits database. The authors also wish to thank C. Steimle, J. Berrien, and R. Ramsey-Cross for help with the literature reviews.



## REFERENCES CITED
Bigelow, H.B. and W.C. Schroeder. 1953. Fishes of the Gulf of Maine. U.S. Fish Wildl. Serv., Fish. Bull. 53. 577 p. Bowman, R.E. and W.L. Michaels. 1984. Food of seventeen species of northwest Atlantic fish. NOAA Tech. Mem. NMFS-F/NEC-28. 183 p. Campana, S.E. 1989. Otolith microstructure of three larval gadids in the Gulf of Maine, with inferences on early life history. Can. J. Zool. 67: 1401-1410. Clay, D., W.T. Stobo, B. Beck, and P.C.F. Hurley. 1989. Growth of juvenile pollock ( Pollachius virensL.) along the Atlantic coast of Canada with inferences of inshore-offshore movements. J. Northwest Atl. Fish. Sci. 9: 37-43. Collette, B.B. and G. Klein-MacPhee. In preparation. Pollock, Pollachius virens. In B.B. Collette and G. Klein-MacPhee eds. Bigelow and Schroeder’s fishes of the Gulf of Maine. Smithsonian Institution Press, Washington, DC. Colton, J.B., Jr. and R.R. Marak. 1969. Guide for identifying the common planktonic fish eggs and

### Page 6

larvae of continental shelf waters, Cape Sable to Block Island. U.S. Bur. Comm. Fish. Biol. Lab. Woods Hole Lab. Ref. No. 69-9. 43 p. Fahay, M.P. 1983. Guide to the early stages of marine fishes occurring in the western North Atlantic Ocean, Cape Hatteras to the southern Scotian Shelf. J. Northwest Atl. Fish. Sci. 4: 1-423. Goode, G.B. 1884. The fisheries and fishery industries of the United States. Section I: Natural history of useful aquatic animals. Govt. Print. Office, Washington, DC. Plates. Gottschall, K., M.W. Johnson, and D.G. Simpson. In review. The distribution and size composition of finfish, American lobster, and long-finned squid in Long Island Sound, based on the Connecticut Fisheries Division bottom trawl survey, 1984-1994. NOAA Tech. Rep.Hardy, J.D., Jr. 1978. Development of fishes of the MidAtlantic Bight: An atlas of egg, larval and juvenile stages. Vol. 2 Anguillidae through Syngnathidae.U.S. Fish Wildl. Serv. Biol. Serv. Prog. FWS/OBS78/12. 458 p. Hoberman, J.M. and A.C. Jensen. 1962. The growth rate of New England pollock. Trans. Am. Fish. Soc. 91: 227-228. Langton, R.W. and R.E. Bowman. 1980. Food of fifteen northwest Atlantic gadiform fishes. NOAA Tech. Rep. SSRF-740. 23 p. MacDonald, J.S., M.J. Dadswell, R.G. Appy, G.D. Melvin, and D.A. Methven. 1984. Fishes, fish assemblages, and their seasonal movements in the lower Bay of Fundy and Passamaquoddy Bay, Canada. Fish. Bull. (U.S.) 82: 121-139. Marak, R.R. 1960. Food habits of larval cod, haddock and coalfish in the Gulf of Maine and Georges Bank area. J. Cons. Int. Explor. Mer 25: 147-157. Markle, D.F. and L.-A. Frost. 1985. Comparative morphology, seasonality, and a key to planktonic fish eggs from the Nova Scotian shelf. Can. J. Zool. 63: 246-257. Maurer, R.O., Jr. and R.E. Bowman. 1975. Food habits of marine fishes of the northwest Atlantic – data report. U.S. Natl. Mar. Fish. Serv. Northeast Fish. Cent. Woods Hole Lab. Ref. Doc. 75-3. 90 p. Mayo, R. 1994. Life histories and habitat requirements of demersal fishes. In R.W. Langton, J.B. Pearce, and J.A. Gibson eds. Selected living resources, habitat conditions, and human perturbations of the Gulf of Maine: Environmental and ecological considerations for fishery management. p. 2-3. NOAA Tech. Mem. NMFS-NE-106. Mayo, R. 1995. Pollock. In Conservation and Utilization Division, Northeast Fisheries Science Center eds. Status of the fishery resources off the northeastern United States for 1994. p. 61-63. NOAA Tech. Mem. NMFS-NE-108. Mayo, R. 1998. Pollock. In S.H. Clark ed. Status of the fishery resources off the northeastern United Statesfor 1998. p. 67-69. NOAA Tech. Mem. NMFS-NE115. Mayo, R.K., J.M. McGlade, and S.H. Clark. 1989. Patterns of exploitation and biological status of pollock ( Pollachius virensL.) in the Scotian Shelf, Georges Bank, and Gulf of Maine area. J. Northwest Atl. Fish. Sci. 9: 13-36. Murawski, S.A. and J.T. Finn. 1988. Biological bases for mixed-species fisheries: species co-distribution in relation to environmental and biotic variables. Can. J. Fish. Aquat. Sci. 45: 1720-1735. National Marine Fisheries Service. 1997. Report to Congress. Status of fisheries of the United States: Report on the status of fisheries of the United States. September 1997. [Homepage of the National Marine Fisheries Service]. [Online]. Available: http://www. nmfs.gov/sfa/Fstatus.html. [NEFMC] New England Fishery Management Council. 1993. Final amendment #5 to the Northeast Multispecies Fishery Management Plan incorporating the supplemental environmental impact statement. Vol. I. September 1993. NEFMC. [Saugus, MA.] 361 p. O’Brien, L., J. Burnett, and R.K. Mayo. 1993. Maturation of nineteen species of finfish off the Northeast coast of the United States, 1985-1990. NOAA Tech. Rep. NMFS 113. 66 p. Ojeda, F.P. and J.H. Dearborn. 1990. Diversity, abundance, and spatial distribution of fishes and crustaceans in the rocky subtidal zone of the Gulf of Maine. Fish. Bull. (U.S.) 88: 403-410. Ojeda, F.P. and J.H. Dearborn. 1991. Feeding ecology of benthic mobile predators: experimental analyses of their influence in rocky subtidal communities of the Gulf of Maine. J. Exp. Mar. Biol. Ecol. 149: 13-44. Rangeley, R.W. and D.L. Kramer. 1995. Use of rocky intertidal habitats by juvenile pollock Pollachius virens . Mar. Ecol. Prog. Ser. 126: 9-17. Reid, R., F. Almeida, and C. Zetlin. 1999. Essential fish habitat source document: Fishery independent surveys, data sources, and methods. NOAA Tech. Mem. NMFS-NE-122. 39 p. Rountree, R.A. and K.W. Able. 1992. Fauna of polyhaline subtidal marsh creeks in southern New Jersey: composition, abundance and biomass. Estuaries 15: 171-185. Scott, J.S. 1980. Occurrence of pollock, Pollachius virens , and sand lance, Ammodytes sp., larvae in the Bay of Fundy. J. Northwest Atl. Fish. Sci. 1: 45-48. Scott, J.S. 1982a. Depth, temperature and salinity preferences of common fishes of the Scotian Shelf. J. Northwest Atl. Fish. Sci. 3: 29-39. Scott, J.S. 1982b. Selection of bottom type by groundfishes of the Scotian Shelf. Can. J. Fish. Aquat. Sci. 39: 943-947. Steele, D.H. 1963. Pollock ( Pollachius virens(L.)) in the

### Page 7

Bay of Fundy. J. Fish. Res. Board Can. 20: 1267-1314. Tyler, A.V. 1972. Food resource division among northern marine demersal fishes. J. Fish. Res. Board Can. 29: 997-1003.

### Page 8

Table 1. Size and age at maturity of U.S. pollock, Pollachius virens

.



## Time Period L 50

## (cm) A 50

## (years) Reference Male Female Male Female

1986-1988 41.8 39.1 2.3 2.0 O’Brien et al. 1993

1970-1984 50.5 47.9 3.5 3.2 Mayo et al. 1989

### Page 9

Table 2. Summary of life history and habitat parameters for pollock, Pollachius virens . ‘MARMAP’ and ‘NEFSC’ refer to data discussed in the Geographical Distribution section of this report.

Life Stage Size Range and Growth Habitat Substrate Temperature

Eggs 1 Egg diameter ranges from 1.0- 1.22 mm, mean = 1.14 mm. Eggs are pelagic; usually in water 50-250 m deep. MARMAP: found at 30-270 m, but most at 50-90 m. Incubation time ranges from 5 to 15 days; 9-12 days at 6-7 o C, 6 days at 9.4 o C; optimal development at 3.3- 8.9 o C. MARMAP: found at 2-17 o C, but most at 5-11 o C.

Larvae 2 Size at hatch ranges from 3.0-4.2 mm; mean = 4.0 mm. Size at transformation ranges from 23-30
mm. Youngest larvae found nearest the surface. Normally occur from shore out to the 200 m line, but reported as deep as 1550 m. MARMAP: found at 10-1250 m, most at 50-90 m. From Jan-Feb are found in southern Gulf of Maine and Cape Cod; from Mar-May are found throughout the Gulf of Maine and south and east of Cape Cod. On the Scotian Shelf, larvae (0.3-1.1 cm) are offshore in Nov; by May the largest (4.2 cm) start to move inshore. One study has reported larvae in the Bay of Fundy; may be limited to years with high larval abundance. In Massachusetts Bay, newly hatched larvae found in temperatures ranging from 3-9 o C. MARMAP: found at 2-17 o C, most at 5-10 o C. Yolk sac is absorbed in 5 days at 6.1 o C.

Juveniles 3 Overall size range is approximately 2.5-40 cm. Descend to bottom at 3-4 months (< 50 mm length). Two distinct length groups inshore during July to November: (1) first year fish (mean 17-18 cm by end of 1st year); and (2) second year fish (mean 27-30 cm by end of 2nd year). Average depths inhabited on Georges Bank (m): age 0: spring: 73, summer: 191, fa ll: 69; age 1+: winter: 132, spring: 106, summer: 109, fa ll: 136. NEFSC: found at 5-250 m, but most at 25-75 m. Young juveniles typically found inshore but can also be found on offshore banks. In MA Bay swarm at inshore areas after early April; move offshore in June to avoid warm temps; return again in fall. But remain abundant inshore during summer/fall from Cape Ann to Nova Scotia; seek deeper water in winter. On the Scotian Shelf, 7-11cm juveniles are inshore in July; remain inshore until temp drops to < 4 o C from Jan-April (16-24 cm); return inshore in May and remain until ~30 cm in their 2nd year. In the Bay of Fundy, 0+/1+ fish are in the sha llow sublittoral zone by first summer; 20-25 cm fish move away to deeper water. 2+ fish are found nearshore or on offshore banks in 130-150 m of water; move offshore after first summer. Overwinter in large pelagic schools. In southern New Jersey, YOY were prominent in spring collections in subtidal marsh creeks. Juveniles have been reported over substrates varying from sand, mud, rocky bottom or aquatic vegetation. In the NW Atlantic, juveniles occur from 0-15.6 o C. Average water temp ( o C) for Georges Bank: age 0: spring 4.4, summer 8.2, autumn 11.5; age 1+: winter 4.8, spring 5.5, summer 6.8, autumn 7.5. NEFSC: most found at 4-6 o C in spring and 8-11 o C in autumn. There is evidence for seasonal inshore-offshore migration linked to temperature - juveniles in the Gulf of Maine are more abundant inshore in summer/fall (warm) than in winter/spring (cold). Juveniles enter rocky subtidal zone when temperatures increase to 8-12 o C and reach maximum abundance in midsummer or early fall.

Adults 4 Maximum length is 120 cm, but usually < 110 cm. Mean length (1969-1972) in Gulf of Maine (66.4 cm) was greater than Georges Bank (38.2 cm) and western Nova Scotia (44.6 cm). Sexual maturity: Bay of Fundy (1960-1961): female 5-7 yrs, 55-70 cm; male 4- 7 yrs, 50-65 cm. Gulf of Maine/Scotian Shelf (1970-1984): female A 50 =3.2 yrs, L50 = 47.4-47.9 cm; male A 50 = 3.5 yrs, L50 =50.5 cm. Gulf of Maine/Georges Bank (1986-1988): female A 50 =2 yrs, L50 =39.1 cm; male A 50 =2.3 yrs, A 50 =41.8 cm. Occur from Gulf of St. Lawrence to Cape Lookout, NC, inshore and on offshore banks, usually at edges of shoals and banks. Location governed by prey movements. Commonly range from the surface to 180 m. NEFSC: found at 15-325 m, but most at 75-175 m. Pollock school throughout the water column. In the Gulf of Maine adults are further offshore than juveniles and in more specific locations. From Dec-March adults in western Gulf of Maine concentrate in relatively shallow water (< 100 m); in spring/summer they disperse to deeper offshore waters (100-200 m). Mean depth of occurrence is greatest in eastern Scotian Shelf and lowest in Bay of Fundy. Adults are segregated by size into sch ools: 65-85 cm off New Brunswick, 60-75 cm near Grand Manan, NB, and 45-60 cm off western Nova Scotia. Pollock are unselective for bottom type on the Scotian Shelf; associated with sediments ranging from gravels to clay. Spawning is generally over hard bottom near coastal slopes and banks. Occur from 0-14.0 o C; > 3.3 o C is optimal, preferred range 6-10 o C. Large fish avoid the surface when temperature is > 11.1 o C. Spawning activity starts when water column has cooled to ~8.3 o C; peaks at 4.4- 6.1 o C; the majority of egg production is complete before water reaches winter minimum of 1.7- 2.2 o C. NEFSC: found at 1-12 o C, but most at 6-8 o C.

1 Colton and Marak (1969), Hardy (1978), Fahay (1983), Markle and Frost (1985), Collette and Klein-MacPhee (in prep.) 2 Bigelow and Schroeder (1953), Steele (1963), Colton and Marak (1969), Hardy (1978), Scott (1980), Fahay (1983), Clay et al. (1989) 3 Steele (1963), Tyler (1972), Hardy (1978), Fahay (1983), MacDonald et al. (1984), Murawski and Finn (1988), Clay et al. (1989), Ojeda and Dearborn (1990), Rountree and Able (1992), Rangeley and Kramer (1995), Collette and Klein-MacPhee (in prep.) 4Hoberman and Jensen (1962), Steele (1963), Hardy (1978), Langton and Bowman (1980), Scott (1982a, b), Mayo et al. (1989), O’Brien et al. (1993), Collette and Klein- MacPhee (in prep.)

### Page 10

Table 2. cont’d.

Life Stage Salinity Currents Prey Spawning Notes

Eggs 1 In MA Bay, spawning occurs at salinities ranging from 32-32.8 ppt. Eggs sometimes drift far from spawning grounds. Eggs are buoyant, spherical, transparent, nonadhesive and do not possess an oil globule. Hatching peaks in mid- November.

Larvae 2 Small larvae drift with currents, generally away from the spawning grounds. Larger larvae can direct their movements. Counter-clockwise spring/summer circulation patterns in the Gulf of Maine, suggest that larvae off the eastern coast of Maine probably originate from spawning grounds off the western coast of Maine (south of Cape Elizabeth). Other studies suggest that larvae are retained within the Gulf and on the Scotian Shelf by the Gulf of Maine eddy. Size selective feeders. Larvae generally ate the most abundant species of prey within the appropriate size range. Primary prey for 4-18 mm larvae were larval copepods; primary prey for > 18 mm larvae were adult copepods. Drift patterns suggest that larvae in the Bay of Fundy region originate from spawning locations outside the Bay of Fundy, possibly in southern Gulf of Maine and/or the Scotian Shelf. Pollock migrate inshore as they grow.

Juveniles 3 In the NW Atlantic, juveniles have been found at salinities ranging from an average of 29-32 ppt. Drift patterns suggest that juveniles at the mouth of the Bay of Fundy originate from spawning locations outside the Bay of Fundy, possibly in southern Gulf of Maine and/or the Scotian Shelf. Crustaceans are the most important prey (66.1-99.9% by weight; Euphausiids, especially Meganyctiphanes norvegica , are most important), followed by fish (0.0-31.0%) and mollusks (0- 1.1%). Local abundance of juveniles related to plankton concentrations. The intertidal zone may be an important nursery area; juveniles present in the shallow intertidal zone at all stages of the tide throughout the summer. Subtidal marsh creeks, such as those in Little Egg Harbor, NJ, are also seasonally important as nursery areas. Size segregation in the Bay of Fundy shows schooling is an important aspect of pollock behavior. 0+ and 1+ schools segregated by size, with 1+ in slightly deeper water.

Adults 4 Range 31-34 ppt, mean 33.7 ppt, preferred 33-34 ppt ( lower in Bay of Fundy). In MA Bay, salinity at spawning ranges from 32-32.8 ppt. Major prey on Georges Bank, western Nova Scotia and the Bay of Fundy region are crustaceans (primarily the Euphausiid Meganyctiphanes norvegica ) and fish. In the Gulf of Maine primary prey are fish (mostly Atlantic herring, but also p ollock, redfish, hake) and crustaceans. On the Scotian Shelf and Gulf of St. Lawrence fish are most important. Diet varies with size of fish: 41-65 cm: crustaceans (31- 97%), fish (0.7-54%) and mollusks (0-1%); 6-95 cm: fish (29-74%), crustaceans (12-63%) & mollusks (0- 12%); > 95 cm: mollusks (76% Loligo spp.), crustaceans (15%) & fish (7%). Pollock are cannibalistic. Spawning occurs from SeptApril; peaks in early Nov to mid-Jan. Spawn as temperature is falling, at depths of 42-140 m, possibly to 170 m; but generally shallower than 110 m. Spawning locations: from Nova Scotia to Cape Cod, in the vicinity of coastal slopes and banks; highest concentration is in MA Bay; also Stellwagen Bank, Cape Ann to Isle of Shoals, western Gulf of Maine and on the Scotian Shelf. Bay of Fundy and northern Gulf of Maine pollock probably spawn in southern Gulf of Maine and possibly on the Scotian Shelf. Pollock complete short migrations linked to temperature changes and north-south movements for spawning. Otherwise, are fairly stationary in the Gulf of Maine and along the Nova Scotian coast. In the summer, Bay of Fundy fish are a distinct group from w. Nova Scotia and southern Gulf of Maine fish. However, in w inter, they migrate south, spawn & probably mix with s. Gulf of Maine and Scotian Shelf fish. Growth curves for pollock from the SW Grand Banks show a faster rate of growth than those from the Gulf of Maine. Growth rate is rapid until sexual maturity, then slows. Fecundity ranges from 200,000- 8,260,000 eggs. The primary predator of pollock is goosef ish.

1 Hardy (1978), Fahay (1983), Markle and Frost (1985), Campana (1989), Collette and Klein-MacPhee (in prep.) 2 Bigelow and Schroeder (1953), Marak (1960), Steele (1963), Hardy (1978), Scott (1980), Clay et al. (1989) 3 Steele (1963), Tyler (1972), Bowman and Michaels (1984), Ojeda and Dearborn (1991), Rountree and Able (1992), Rangeley and Kram er (1995), Collette and Klein- MacPhee (in prep.) 4 Hoberman and Jensen (1962), Steele (1963), Maurer & Bowman (1975), Hardy (1978), Langton and Bowman (1980), Bowman and Michaels (1984), Mayo et al. (1989), Collette and Klein-MacPhee (in prep.)

### Page 11

Figure 1. The pollock, Pollachius virens(from Goode 1884).

### Page 12

December - January Peak Spawning Spawning ranges from September to March 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 

### Eggs hatch in 6-9 days after fertilization 3



### Resulting larvae are 3.0-4.2 mm2, 4, 6, 7 

### Transformation occurs at 23-30 mm5,7,8 

### Remain pelagic for 3-4 months 9 

### (< 50 mm) 7


### May Move Inshore Small juveniles (mean size 3.7-4.2 cm 4,10 

### ) begin to appear in the intertidal and subtidal zones 11



### June In southern Massachusetts Bay, move offshore to avoid rising temperatures; return inshore in autumn. However, north of Cape Ann, remain inshore 5


### July Remain Inshore Range in size from 7-11 cm 4



### October Remain Inshore Average size of 17-18 cm 4,10


### January Move Offshore In large pelagic schools 1 

### When temperatures drop to < 4 o 

### C, move to more stable offshore temperatures 4 

### Range in size from 16-24 cm 4


### May Return Inshore When water temperatures have warmed up 4

### to > 4 o 

### C Range in size from 20-25 cm5 

### Size-segregated schools (0+ and 1+ do not mix) 1



### October Begin To Move Offshore Mean length of 27-30 cm 4,10

### (in Bay of Fundy, 20-25 cm 1 

### ) Largest begin to move offshore permanently4,10



### Figure 2. Summary of the early life history of pollock. References: 1 

### Steele (1963), 2

### Colton and Marak (1969), 3 

### Markle and Frost (1985), 4

### Clay et al. (1989), 5 

### Collette and Klein-MacPhee (in prep.), 6

### Scott (1980), 7 

### Fahay (1983), 8 

### Hardy (1978), 9 

### Mayo et al. (1989), 10

### Rangeley and Kramer (1995), 11 

### MacDonald et al. (1984).

### Page 13

Figure 3. Pollock spawning locations based upon the distribution of eggs and larvae (number/m2 

### ) from American and Canadian ichthyoplankton surveys (from Mayo et al. 1989).

### Page 14

Figure 4. Abundance (% occurrence) of the major prey items in the pollock diet from NEFSC bottom trawl survey data on food habits. Methods for sampling, processing, and analysis of samples differed between the time periods [see Reid et al. (1999) for details]. (a) 1973-1980, 0-40 cm: n=124, 41-110 cm: n=371; (b) 1981-1990, 0-40 cm: n=413, 41-110 cm, n=686. The 0-40 cm size range corresponds, at least roughly, to juveniles, and the 41-110 cm size class corresponds to adults. The category “animal remains” refers to unidentifiable animal matter. Crustacea 56.4%

Unkown Animal Remains 11.8%

Nematoda 10.3% Fish 9.2% Annelida 4.1% All Other Groups 8.2% Crustacea 36.6%

Unknown Animal Remains 24.4%

Fish 16.1% Nematoda 14.8% All Other Prey 8.1%

Crustacea 68.9%

Unknown Animal Remains 16.6% Fish 11.9% All Other Prey 2.6% Crustacea 60.3%

Fish 27.9% Unknown Animal Remains 5.1% All Other Prey 6.8% 

## a) 1973-1980

b) 1981-1990 0-40 cm 41-110 cm

0-40 cm 41-110 cm

### Page 15

Figure 5. Distribution and abundance of polluck from Newfoundland to Cape Hatteras during 1975-1994. Data are from the U.S. NOAA/Canada DFO East Coast of North America Strategic Assessment Project (http://www-orca.nos.noaa. gov/projects/ecnasap/ecnasap_table1.html).

### Page 16

Figure 6. Distribution of pollock eggs collected during NEFSC MARMAP offshore ichthyoplankton surveys (October to December and January to June, 1978-1987). Egg densities are represented by dot size [see Reid et al. (1999) for details].

76 75 74 73 72 71 70 69 68 67 66 65 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 44 45
Eggs MARMAP Ichthyoplankton Surveys

Oct to Dec, and Jan to Jun; 1978 to 1987 Number of tows = 7087; with eggs = 588 

### Pollock

61-cm Bongo Net; 0.505-mm mesh

Eggs / 10m2 1 to <10 10 to <100 100 to <1000 1000 to <10000 10000 to 14886

76 75 74 73 72 71 70 69 68 67 66 65 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 44 45
Eggs MARMAP Ichthyoplankton Surveys

October; 1978 to 1987 Number of tows = 1044; with eggs = 45 

### Pollock

Monthly Mean Density = 1.40 eggs/10m 2 61-cm Bongo Net; 0.505-mm mesh

None 1 to <10 10 to <100 100 to 185 Eggs / 10m2

76 75 74 73 72 71 70 69 68 67 66 65 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 44 45
Eggs MARMAP Ichthyoplankton Surveys

November; 1978 to 1987 Number of tows = 915; with eggs = 102 

### Pollock

Monthly Mean Density = 24.40 eggs/10m2 61-cm Bongo Net; 0.505-mm mesh

None 1 to <10 10 to <100 100 to <1000 Eggs / 10m 2

1000 to <10000 10000 to 10328

76 75 74 73 72 71 70 69 68 67 66 65 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 44 45
Eggs MARMAP Ichthyoplankton Surveys

December; 1978 to 1987 Number of tows = 569; with eggs = 163 

### Pollock

Monthly Mean Density = 36.82 eggs/10m2 61-cm Bongo Net; 0.505-mm mesh

None 1 to <10 10 to <100 100 to <1000 Eggs / 10m2

1000 to 2568

### Page 17

Figure 6. cont’d.

76 75 74 73 72 71 70 69 68 67 66 65 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 44 45
Eggs MARMAP Ichthyoplankton Surveys

January; 1978 to 1987 Number of tows = 433; with eggs = 114 

### Pollock

Monthly Mean Density = 86.08 eggs/10m2 61-cm Bongo Net; 0.505-mm mesh

None 1 to <10 10 to <100 100 to <1000 Eggs / 10m 2

1000 to <10000 10000 to 14886

76 75 74 73 72 71 70 69 68 67 66 65 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 44 45
Eggs MARMAP Ichthyoplankton Surveys

February; 1978 to 1987 Number of tows = 459; with eggs = 76 

### Pollock

Monthly Mean Density = 19.60 eggs/10m 2 61-cm Bongo Net; 0.505-mm mesh

None 1 to <10 10 to <100 100 to <1000 Eggs / 10m 2

1000 to 3875

76 75 74 73 72 71 70 69 68 67 66 65 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 44 45
Eggs MARMAP Ichthyoplankton Surveys

March; 1978 to 1987 Number of tows = 853; with eggs = 29 

### Pollock

Monthly Mean Density = 0.55 eggs/10m 2 61-cm Bongo Net; 0.505-mm mesh

None 1 to <10 10 to 53 Eggs / 10m2

76 75 74 73 72 71 70 69 68 67 66 65 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 44 45
Eggs MARMAP Ichthyoplankton Surveys

April; 1978 to 1987 Number of tows = 1020; with eggs = 50 

### Pollock

Monthly Mean Density = 1.12 eggs/10m 2 61-cm Bongo Net; 0.505-mm mesh

None 1 to <10 10 to <100 100 to 399 Eggs / 10m2

### Page 18

Figure 6. cont’d.

76 75 74 73 72 71 70 69 68 67 66 65 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 44 45
Eggs MARMAP Ichthyoplankton Surveys

May; 1978 to 1987 Number of tows = 1085; with eggs = 4 

### Pollock

Monthly Mean Density = 0.03 eggs/10m 2 61-cm Bongo Net; 0.505-mm mesh

None 1 to <10 10 to 15 Eggs / 10m 2

76 75 74 73 72 71 70 69 68 67 66 65 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 44 45
Eggs MARMAP Ichthyoplankton Surveys

June; 1978 to 1987 Number of tows = 709; with eggs = 5 

### Pollock

Monthly Mean Density = 0.05 eggs/10m 2 61-cm Bongo Net; 0.505-mm mesh

None 1 to <10 10 to 14 Eggs / 10m 2

### Page 19

Figure 7. Abundance of pollock eggs relative to water temperature (to a maximum of 200 m) and depth based on NEFSC MARMAP surveys (October to June, 1978-1987). Open bars represent the proportion of all stations surveyed, while solid bars represent the proportion of the sum of all standardized catches (number/10 m2 

### ). June

Bottom Depth (m), Interval Midpoint 10 30 50 70 90 110 130 150 170 190 210 230 250 270 290 325 375 450 750 1250

1750

> 200

0 0 20 40 60 

### May

0 20 40 60 

### April

0 20 40 60 

### March

0 10 20 30 40 

### FebruaryPercent

0 20 40 60 

### January

0 20 40 60 

### December

0 20 40 60 

### November

0 20 40 60 

## Pollock Eggs

October

0 10 20 30 40 50

Stations Egg Catch



### January

0 10 20 30 40 50



### April

0 10 20 30 40 50



### May

0 10 20 30 40 50



### June

Water-Column Temperature (0-200m, C) 0 2 4 6 8 10 12 14 16 18 20 22 24 26 28 0 10 20 30 40 

### October

0 10 20 30 40
Stations Egg Catch 

## Pollock Eggs

FebruaryPercent

0 10 20 40 50 60



### March

0 10 20 30 40 50 

### November

0 10 50 60 70



### December

0 10 20 30 40 50

### Page 20

Figure 8. Distribution of pollock larvae (< 26.0 mm) collected during NEFSC MARMAP offshore ichthyoplankton surveys (September to December and January to July, 1977-1987). Larval densities are represented by dot size [see Reid et al. (1999) for details].

76 75 74 73 72 71 70 69 68 67 66 65 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 44 45

MARMAP Ichthyoplankton Surveys 61-cm Bongo Net; 0.505-mm mesh Jan. - July & Sept. - Dec. (1977 to 1987) 

### Pollock

Number of Tows = 10290, with larvae = 407 Larvae <26.0 mm

1 to < 10 10 to < 100 100 to < 1000 1000 to 3742 Number of Larvae / 10m 2

76 75 74 73 72 71 70 69 68 67 66 65 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 44 45 January (1977 to 1987) Number of Tows = 434, with larvae = 75 Monthly Mean Density = 9.02 larvae/10m2

Number of Larvae / 10m2
None 1 to < 10 10 to < 100 100 to 476

76 75 74 73 72 71 70 69 68 67 66 65 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 44 45 February (1977 to 1987) Number of Tows = 686, with larvae = 73 Monthly Mean Density = 10.29 larvae/10m 2

None 1 to < 10 10 to < 100 100 to < 1000 1000 to 3742 Number of Larvae / 10m2

76 75 74 73 72 71 70 69 68 67 66 65 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 44 45 March (1977 to 1987) Number of Tows = 1031, with larvae = 69 Monthly Mean Density = 0.72 larvae/10m 2

Number of Larvae / 10m 2
None 1 to < 10 10 to 70

### Page 21

Figure 8. cont’d.

76 75 74 73 72 71 70 69 68 67 66 65 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 44 45 April (1977 to 1987) Number of Tows = 1281, with larvae = 84 Monthly Mean Density = 0.70 larvae/10m 2

Number of Larvae / 10m2
None 1 to < 10 10 to 97

76 75 74 73 72 71 70 69 68 67 66 65 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 44 45 May (1977 to 1987) Number of Tows = 1472, with larvae = 31 Monthly Mean Density = 0.23 larvae/10m 2

Number of Larvae / 10m 2
None 1 to < 10 10 to 99

76 75 74 73 72 71 70 69 68 67 66 65 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 44 45 June (1977 to 1987) Number of Tows = 893, with larvae = 3 Monthly Mean Density = 0.02 larvae/10m2

Number of Larvae / 10m2
None 1 to < 10 10 to 12

76 75 74 73 72 71 70 69 68 67 66 65 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 44 45 July (1977 to 1987) Number of Tows = 938, with larvae = 2 Monthly Mean Density = 0.01 larvae/10m 2

Number of Larvae / 10m 2
None 1 to 9

### Page 22

Figure 8. cont’d.

76 75 74 73 72 71 70 69 68 67 66 65 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 44 45 September (1977 to 1987) Number of Tows = 774, with larvae = 1 Monthly Mean Density = 0.01 larvae/10m 2

Number of Larvae / 10m2
None 1 to 7

76 75 74 73 72 71 70 69 68 67 66 65 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 44 45 October (1977 to 1987) Number of Tows = 1147, with larvae = 4 Monthly Mean Density = 0.04 larvae/10m 2

Number of Larvae / 10m2
None 1 to < 10 10 to 26

76 75 74 73 72 71 70 69 68 67 66 65 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 44 45 November (1977 to 1987) Number of Tows = 1031, with larvae = 23 Monthly Mean Density = 0.23 larvae/10m 2

Number of Larvae / 10m2
None 1 to < 10 10 to 50

76 75 74 73 72 71 70 69 68 67 66 65 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 44 45 December (1977 to 1987) Number of Tows = 603, with larvae = 42 Monthly Mean Density = 3.63 larvae/10m 2

Number of Larvae / 10m2
None 1 to < 10 10 to < 100 100 to 926

### Page 23

Figure 9. Abundance of pollock larvae relative to water temperature (to a maximum of 200 m) and depth based on NEFSC MARMAP surveys (September to July, 1977-1987). Open bars represent the proportion of all stations surveyed, while solid bars represent the proportion of the sum of all standardized catches (number/10 m2 

### ). January

0 10 20 30 50

April

0 20 40 60

May

0 10 20 30 40

June

0 20 40 60

July

Water-Column Temperature (0-200m, C) 0 2 4 6 8 10 12 14 16 18 20 22 24 26 28 0 20 40 60 November

0 10 20 

### Pollock Larvae (<26.0 mm length)
September

0 10 90 100 Stations Egg Catch

March

0 10 20 30 40 50 October

0 10 20 60 70

FebruaryPercent

0 10 20 60 80 December

0 10 20 30 60 70

January

0 10 20 30 40

April

0 10 20 30 40 December

0 10 20 60 80 

### Pollock Larvae (<26.0 mm length) September

0 10 20 80 100 Stations Larva Catch

May

0 10 20 30 40

June

0 10 20 60 80

July

Bottom Depth (m), Interval Midpoint 10 3

0 5

0 70 9 0 110 1 30 1

50 170 19 0 2

10 2

30 250 2 70 2

90 325 3 75 4

50 750 1250 1750 >20

0 0 0 20 40 60 October

0 10 20 50 60

March

0 10 20 30 40 FebruaryPercent

0 10 20 30 60 70 November

0 10 20 30

### Page 24

Figure 10. Distribution of juveniles and adults collected during NEFSC trawl surveys (winter, spring, summer, and autumn, 1963-1997). Densities are represented by dot size in spring and autumn plots, while only presence and absence are represented in winter and summer plots [see Reid et al. (1999) for details]. Number/Tow
1 to 10 10 to 25 25 to 100 100 to 500 500 to 995 NMFS Trawl Surveys

Spring 1968 - 97 Juveniles (<39cm) Pollock NMFS Trawl Surveys

Winter 1964 - 97 Juveniles (<39cm)

= Absent = Present Pollock

Number/Tow
1 to 10 10 to 25 25 to 50 50 to 100 100 to 241 NMFS Trawl Surveys

Autumn 1963 - 96 Juveniles (<39cm) Pollock NMFS Trawl Surveys

Summer 1963 - 95 Juveniles (<39cm)

= Absent = Present Pollock

### Page 25

Figure 10. cont’d. NMFS Trawl Surveys

Winter 1964 - 97 Adults (>=39cm)

= Total Tows = Positive Tow Pollock

Number/Tow
1 to 10 10 to 50 50 to 100 100 to 500 500 to 1028 NMFS Trawl Surveys

Spring 1968 - 97 Adults (>=39cm) Pollock

NMFS Trawl Surveys

Summer 1963 - 95 Adults (>=39cm)

= Absent = Present Pollock

Number/Tow
1 to 10 10 to 50 50 to 100 100 to 500 500 to 1282 NMFS Trawl Surveys

Autumn 1963 - 96 Adults (>=39cm) Pollock

### Page 26

Figure 11. Abundance of juvenile and adult pollock relative to water temperature and depth based on NEFSC trawl surveys (spring and autumn, 1963-1997). Open bars represent the proportion of all stations surveyed, while solid bars represent the proportion of the sum of all standardized catches (number/10 m2 

### ).

### Page 27

Figure 12. Distribution of juvenile and adult pollock collected in inshore waters of Massachusetts during Massachusetts inshore trawl surveys (spring and autumn, 1978-1996) [see Reid et al. (1999) for details]. Pollock Mass. Inshore Trawl Survey Spring 1978 - 1996 Juveniles (<39cm)

Number/Tow 1 to 10 10 to 25 25 to 100 100 to 200 200 to 460 

### Pollock Mass. Inshore Trawl Survey Autumn 1978 - 1996 Juveniles (<39cm)

Number/Tow 1 to 5 5 to 10 10 to 25 25 to 100 100 to 196



### Pollock Mass. Inshore Trawl Survey Spring 1978 - 1996 Adult (>=39cm)

Number/Tow

1 to 2 2 to 3 3 to 4 4 to 5 5 to 6

### Page 28

Figure 13. Abundance of juvenile and adult pollock relative to water temperature and depth based on Massachusetts inshore surveys (spring and autumn, 1978-1996). Open bars represent the proportion of all stations surveyed, while solid bars represent the proportion of the sum of all standardized catches (number/10 m2 

### ).

### Page 29

Figure 14. Occurrence of pollock in Narragansett Bay during 1990-1996. The numbers shown at each station are the average catch per tow rounded to one decimal place. Data are from the Rhode Island Division of Fish and Wildlife bottom trawl surveys conducted each month [see Reid et al. (1999) for details]. 0.2 0.0 0.0 0.0

0.1 0.0

0.0 0.0

0.0 0.0

0.0

0.0 0.2

0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0

0.0 0.0

8.9 0.0

0.0 0.1

0.0

0.0 5.9

0.0 0.0 0.1 0.0

0.0 0.0

0.0 0.0

0.0 0.0

0.0

0.0 0.0

0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0

0.0 0.0

0.0 0.0

0.0 0.1

0.0

0.0 0.0 

## Spring

Summer Autumn 

# Winter 

# Pollock Juveniles (<39cm) Rhode Island Division of Fish and Wildlife Trawl Survey of Narragansett Bay 1990 - 1996

### Page 30

Figure 15. Commercial landings and survey indices of pollock for Gulf of Maine, Georges Bank and Scotian Shelf, 1963-1996. 

# Pollock Scotian Shelf - Gulf of Maine - Georges Bank

Year 1960 1965 1970 1975 1980 1985 1990 1995 2000Landings (mt x 1000)



## 0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80Stratified mean catch/tow (kg)



## 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 Landings (mt) Survey index (kg) Smoothed survey index (kg)

### NORTHEAST FISHERIES SCIENCE CENTER Dr. Michael P. Sissenwine, Science & Research Director CAPT John T. Moakley, Operations, Management & Information Services Staff Chief Teri L. Frady, Research Communications Unit Chief Jon A. Gibson, Biological Sciences Editor & Laura S. Garner, Editorial Assistant 

# Publishing in NOAA Technical Memorandum NMFS-NE

Manuscript Qualification
This series represents a secondary level of scientific publishing in the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS). For all issues, the series employs thorough internal scientific review, but not necessarily external scientific review. For most issues,the series employs rigorous technical and copy editing. Manuscripts that may warrant a primary level of scientific publishing should be initially submitted to one of NMFSs primary series ( i.e., Fishery Bulletin, NOAA Technical Report NMFS, or Marine Fisheries Review ). Identical, or fundamentally identical, manuscripts should not be concurrently submitted to this and any other publication series. Manuscripts which have been rejected by any primary series strictly because of geographic or temporal limitations may be submitted to this series. Manuscripts by Northeast Fisheries Science Center (NEFSC) authors will be published in this series upon approvalby the NEFSC's Deputy Science & Research Director. Manuscripts by non-NEFSC authors may be published in this series if:1) the manuscript serves the NEFSCs mission; 2) the manuscript meets the Deputy Science & Research Directors approval; and 3) the author arranges for the printing and bindingfunds to be transferred to the NEFSCs Research Communications Unit account from another federal account. For all manuscripts submitted by non-NEFSC authors and published in thisseries, the NEFSC will disavow all responsibility for the manuscripts contents; authors must accept such responsibility. The ethics of scientific research and scientific publishing are a serious matter. All manuscripts submitted to this series are expected to adhere -- at a minimum -- to the ethical guidelines contained in Chapter 1 (Ethical Conduct in Authorship and Publication) of the CBE Style Manual , fifth edition (Chicago, IL: Council of Biology Editors). Copies of the manual are available at virtually all scientific libraries. 

## Manuscript Preparation
Organization: Manuscripts must have an abstract, table of contents, and -- if applicable -- lists of tables, figures, andacronyms. As much as possible, use traditional scientific manuscript organization for sections: Introduction, Study Area,Methods & Materials, Results, Discussion and/or Conclusions, Acknowledgments, and References Cited. Style: All NEFSC publication and report series are obligated to conform to the style contained in the most recent edition of the United States Government Printing Office Style Manual

.That style manual is silent on many aspects of scientific manuscripts. NEFSC publication and report series rely more on the CBE Style Manual, fifth edition. For in-text citations, use the name-date system. A special effort should be made to ensure that the list of cited workscontains all necessary bibliographic information. For abbreviating serial titles in such lists, use the most recent edition of the Serial Sources for the BIOSIS Previews Database(Philadelphia,PA: Biosciences Information Service). Personal communications must include date of contact and full name and mailing address of source. For spelling of scientific and common names of fishes, mollusks, and decapod crustaceans from the United States and Canada, use Special PublicationsNo. 20 (fishes), 26 (mollusks), and 17 (decapod crustaceans) of the American Fisheries Society (Bethesda, MD). For spelling of scientific and common names of marine mammals, use Special PublicationNo. 4 of the Society for Marine Mammalogy (Lawrence, KS). For spelling in general, use the most recent edition of Websters Third New International Dictionary of the English Language Unabridged (Springfield, MA: G.&C. Merriam). Typing text, tables, and figure captions: Text, including tables and figure captions, must be converted to, or able to be coverted to, WordPerfect. In general, keep text simple ( e.g. , dont switch fonts, dont use hard returns within paragraphs, dont indent except to begin paragraphs). Especially, dont use WordPerfect graphics for embedding tables and figures in text. If the automatic footnoting function is used, also save a list of footnotes as a separate WordPerfect file. When the final draft is ready for review, save the text, tables, figure captions, footnotes, and front matter as separate document files. Tables should be prepared using all tabs or all spaces between columnar data, but not a combination of the two. Figures must be original (even if oversized) and on paper; they cannot be photocopies ( e.g., Xerox) unless that is all that isavailable, nor be on disk. Except under extraordinary circumstances, color will not be used in illustrations. 

## Manuscript Submission
Authors must submit one paper copy of the double-spaced manuscript, one magnetic copy on a disk, and original figures (ifapplicable). NEFSC authors must include a completely signedoff NEFSC Manuscript/Abstract/Webpage Review Form. Non-NEFSC authors who are not federal employees will be required to sign a Release of Copyright form. Send all materials and address all correspondence to: Jon A. Gibson, Biological Sciences Editor Northeast Fisheries Science Center National Marine Fisheries Service 166 Water Street Woods Hole, MA 02543-1026 USAResearch Communications Unit Northeast Fisheries Science Center National Marine Fisheries Service, NOAA 166 Water St. Woods Hole, MA 02543-1026



### NOAA Technical Memorandum NMFS-NE-- This series is issued irregularly. The series includes: data reports of longterm or large area studies; synthesis reports for major resources or habitats; annual reports of assessment or monitoring progr ams; documentary reports of oceanographic conditions or phenomena; manuals describing field and lab techniques; literature surveys o f major resource or habitat topics; findings of task forces or working groups; summary reports of scientific or technical workshops; an d indexed and/or annotated bibliographies. All issues receive internal scientific review and most issues receive technical and copy editi ng. Limited free copies are available from authors or the NEFSC. Issues are also available from the National Technical Information Service , 5285 Port Royal Rd., Springfield, VA 22161.



### Fishermen's Report and The Shark Tagger -- The Fishermen's Report (FR ) is a quick-turnaround report on the distribution and relative abundance of commercial fisheries resources as derived from each of the NEFSC's periodic research ves sel surveys of the Northeast's continental shelf. There is no scientific review, nor any technical or copy editing, of the FR; cop ies are available through free subscription. The Shark Tagger (TST )is an annual summary of tagging and recapture data on large pelagic sharks as derived from the NMFS's Cooperative Shark Tagging Program; it also presents information on the biology (movement, growth, reproduction, etc.) of these sharks as subsequently derived from the tagging and recapture data. There is internal scientific review, but no techni cal or copy editing, of the TST; copies are available only to participants in the tagging program. 

### Northeast Fisheries Science Center Reference Document -- This series is issued irregularly. The series includes: data reports on field and lab observations or experiments; progress reports on continuing experiments, monitoring, and assessments; background papers for scientific or technical workshops; and simple bibliographies. Issues receive internal scien tific review but no technical or copy editing. No subscriptions. Free distribution of single copies. 

### The mission of NOAA's National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) is "stewardship of living marine resources for the benefit of the nation through their science-based conservation and management and promotion of the health of their environment." As the research arm of the NMFS's Northeast Region, the Northeast Fisheries Science Center (NEFSC) supports the NMFS mission by "planning, developing, and managing multidisciplinary programs of basic and applied research to: 1) better understand the living marine resources (including marine mammals) of the Northwest Atlantic, and the environmental quality essential for their existence and continued productivity; and 2) describe and provide to management, industry, and the public, options for the utilization and conservation of living marine resources and maintenance of environmental quality which are consistent with national and regional goals and needs, and with international commitments." Results of NEFSC research are largely reported in primary scientific media ( e.g. , anonymously-peer-reviewed scientific journals). However, to assist itself in providing data, information, and advice to its constituents, the NEFSC occasionally releases its results in its own media. Those media are in three categories: 

# Publications and Reports of the Northeast Fisheries Science Center

To obtain a copy of a technical memorandum or a reference document, or to subscribe to the fishermen's report, write: Research Communications Unit, Northeast Fisheries Science Center, 166 Water St., Woods Hole, MA 02543-1026. An annual list of NEFSC publications and reports is available upon request at the above address. Any use of trade names in any NEFSC publication or report does not imply endorsement. 

## STANDARD MAIL A