Type
Text
Type
Thesis
Advisor
Nye, Janet Nye | Lwiza, Kamazima | Cerrato, Robert.
Date
2015-05-01
Keywords
Black sea bass, overwinter survivorship, ROMS | Aquatic sciences
Department
Department of Marine and Atmospheric Science.
Language
en_US
Source
This work is sponsored by the Stony Brook University Graduate School in compliance with the requirements for completion of degree.
Identifier
http://hdl.handle.net/11401/77783
Publisher
The Graduate School, Stony Brook University: Stony Brook, NY.
Format
application/pdf
Abstract
As global ocean temperatures continue to increase, marine fauna are redistributing themselves to remain in preferred water temperatures. The Northwest Atlantic has experienced a number of species distribution shifts over the last few decades and black sea bass (Centropristis striata) is one of these species. Black sea bass are extending the northern extent of their range to include the southern Gulf of Maine where historically they have existed in very low abundance. The ability of black sea bass to expand their distribution is partially dependent upon the ability of the northern stock to survive winter. Specifically, the ability of young of the year (YOY) to survive their first winter is important to the success or failure of continued ranged expansion. In order to test the ability of YOY to survive winter a series of experiments were conducted to examine growth at low temperatures, lower thermal tolerance and overwintering ability. Results indicated that YOY black sea bass stopped growing at 6°C and weight loss began below 6°C at a range of salinities. In the acute thermal tolerance experiment exposure to temperatures below 5°C for nine days resulted in 11.5% mortality. Interestingly, mortality continued to occur even after the temperature increased slowly to 10°C. Continued mortality at temperatures above 5°C indicates that irreparable damage was likely endured by the fish at temperatures below 5°C. The overwintering experiment indicated that all fish will die when exposed to temperatures of 5°C and 3°C within 32 days. Fish held at 5°C, however, lived significantly longer than fish at 3°C. In addition, fish in 15 psu lived significantly longer than fish at 35 psu at both temperatures. Using survival analysis an accelerated failure time model was created to quantify the rate of mortality during the overwintering experiment. Within the model, temperature, salinity and their interaction were significant variables, but mass was not. Using the accelerated failure time model to estimate survivorship on the NE US continental shelf during winter, daily winter bottom temperature and bottom salinity hindcasts from the Regional Ocean Modelling System (ROMS) between 1967-2007 were used to force the survivorship model. Relative estimated survivorship on the shelf was compared to the relative abundance of YOY caught in the NMFS spring trawl surveys during the same period by visual inspection of maps and by correlation analysis. Although there were many years where the amount of suitable overwintering habitat and YOY abundance were high (and vice versa), there was no statistically significant correlation between suitable habitat and YOY abundance following spring. It is likely that other factors in addition to temperature and salinity during winter are affecting the relative abundance of YOY black sea bass in the spring trawl survey. | As global ocean temperatures continue to increase, marine fauna are redistributing themselves to remain in preferred water temperatures. The Northwest Atlantic has experienced a number of species distribution shifts over the last few decades and black sea bass (Centropristis striata) is one of these species. Black sea bass are extending the northern extent of their range to include the southern Gulf of Maine where historically they have existed in very low abundance. The ability of black sea bass to expand their distribution is partially dependent upon the ability of the northern stock to survive winter. Specifically, the ability of young of the year (YOY) to survive their first winter is important to the success or failure of continued ranged expansion. In order to test the ability of YOY to survive winter a series of experiments were conducted to examine growth at low temperatures, lower thermal tolerance and overwintering ability. Results indicated that YOY black sea bass stopped growing at 6°C and weight loss began below 6°C at a range of salinities. In the acute thermal tolerance experiment exposure to temperatures below 5°C for nine days resulted in 11.5% mortality. Interestingly, mortality continued to occur even after the temperature increased slowly to 10°C. Continued mortality at temperatures above 5°C indicates that irreparable damage was likely endured by the fish at temperatures below 5°C. The overwintering experiment indicated that all fish will die when exposed to temperatures of 5°C and 3°C within 32 days. Fish held at 5°C, however, lived significantly longer than fish at 3°C. In addition, fish in 15 psu lived significantly longer than fish at 35 psu at both temperatures. Using survival analysis an accelerated failure time model was created to quantify the rate of mortality during the overwintering experiment. Within the model, temperature, salinity and their interaction were significant variables, but mass was not. Using the accelerated failure time model to estimate survivorship on the NE US continental shelf during winter, daily winter bottom temperature and bottom salinity hindcasts from the Regional Ocean Modelling System (ROMS) between 1967-2007 were used to force the survivorship model. Relative estimated survivorship on the shelf was compared to the relative abundance of YOY caught in the NMFS spring trawl surveys during the same period by visual inspection of maps and by correlation analysis. Although there were many years where the amount of suitable overwintering habitat and YOY abundance were high (and vice versa), there was no statistically significant correlation between suitable habitat and YOY abundance following spring. It is likely that other factors in addition to temperature and salinity during winter are affecting the relative abundance of YOY black sea bass in the spring trawl survey. | 80 pages
Recommended Citation
Younes, Adam F., "Overwinter Survivorship and Relative Mortality of Young-of-the-Year Black Sea Bass (Centropristis striata) on the Northeast United States Continental Shelf Between 1967-2007" (2015). Stony Brook Theses and Dissertations Collection, 2006-2020 (closed to submissions). 3561.
https://commons.library.stonybrook.edu/stony-brook-theses-and-dissertations-collection/3561