Modeling the larval growth and survival of Pacific cod (Gadus macrocephalus) in the eastern Bering Sea

Abstract

The eastern Bering Sea (EBS) is a highly productive ecosystem that supports several important commercial species such as the Pacific cod (Gadus macrocephalus). Climate variability affects the population dynamics of this stock throughout its life stages, especially early life stages, since they are particularly susceptible to environmental changes. In recent decades, warm and cold stanzas (i.e., 3–5 year periods) have been observed in the EBS, and there is evidence that they can modulate the recruitment of this stock, causing important socioeconomic impacts. Using a mechanistic individual-based model, this study investigates the spatial and temporal variability of growth and survival of Pacific cod's early life stages during 2000–2020. We examined changes by year and over space and compared our results with published literature to validate our model. We found that temperature played a key role in modulating the survival of fish larvae, observing an increase in starvation events in warmer years or locations. Periods or areas with low prey density, especially small-bodied copepods, also contributed to increased starvation. The average temperature in the fish habitat was negatively correlated with recruitment estimates from the stock assessment model. Growth was primarily temperature-driven; however, food-limited growth became more frequent when larvae were smaller during cold years. Spatially, we found that the environmental conditions in the southeastern Bering Sea may favor larval survival but reduce growth, and higher mortality may be persistent on the middle and outer shelf. Our model produces results that agree with previous field studies, and it offers a valuable tool to investigate other ecological questions on the impact of the environment on early life stages of fishes.