Preliminary status of Lake Ontario Alewife based on the 2019 spring trawl survey
-The 2019 spring prey fish trawl survey was the most extensive fish survey ever conducted on Lake Ontario with 252 bottom trawls collecting 214,569 fish from 39 species, in main-lake and embayment habitats, at depths ranging from 5 to 225 meters (16.5 – 742.5 feet).
-Alewife distribution was similar in U.S. (southern) and Canadian (northern) portions of the lake, which differs from the previous three years of whole-lake surveys when Alewife in April were more abundant in either U.S. (2017) or Canadian (2016, 2018) waters.
-The 2019 lake-wide average biomass index for adult Alewife (Age2+) declined 29% relative to 2018.
-The lake-wide biomass index for Age-1 Alewife in 2019 (2.2 kg/ha) declined relative to 2018 (2.6 kg/ha) and was the lowest Age-1 biomass observed since whole-lake sampling began in 2016.
-The current biomass, size structure, and age structure of the adult Alewife population reflect the lower than-average Alewife reproductive success observed in the 2013- and 2014-year classes.
-Reproductive success was also lower than average in 2017 and 2018, suggesting the adult Alewife biomass may continue to decline.
Citation Information
Publication Year | 2019 |
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Title | Preliminary status of Lake Ontario Alewife based on the 2019 spring trawl survey |
Authors | Brian Weidel, Jeremy P. Holden, Michael J. Connerton |
Publication Type | Report |
Publication Subtype | Other Report |
Series Title | Lake Ontario Prey Fish Working Group to the Lake Ontario Committee |
Index ID | 70204588 |
Record Source | USGS Publications Warehouse |
USGS Organization | Great Lakes Science Center |