Like when we came out in May, we didn't catch any age zero rock sole or flathead sole, and that was something new, that nobody had known, we didn't know in the past when they settle out, and we were able to find out by the fact that we didn't catch any in May because they hadn't settled out yet in May. That's significant right there for management. On this cruise, Abookire hopes to find out whether flatfishes migrate to new habitats during winter, and what species predominate on the bay's muddy bottom. Brenda Holladay is curious about that too. Her studies of flatfishes off Kodiak Island found halibut and rock sole to be most common on that region's sandy and rocky bottom, and she wonders if it will be any different here, where the bottom is mostly mud.
Different species settle in different types of physical environments.
From the mud, scientists also find out what's available for young flatfishes to eat. Pat Lovely pushes and swirls the mud through a screen, as if panning for gold, to get the answer. A lot of them are bi-valves different types of worms, small crustaceans, crabs and stuff, and we'll get a lot of fragments when we're done with it that will be in the sample too. Abookire's study is expected to continue for another year, after that her findings will be combined with similar research off Kodiak Island and in Cook Inlet. Ultimately, the discoveries will help protect critical flatfish nurseries and help fishery managers know what to expect as stocks mature.