Science & Data

This is a three species stock assessment for walleye pollock (Gadus chalcogrammus), Pacific cod (Gadus macrocephalus) and arrowtooth flounder (Atheresthes stomias), from the Eastern Bering Sea (EBS), Alaska updated from Holsman et al. (2016).

Pacific cod (Gadus macrocephalus) is a transoceanic species, occurring at depths from shoreline to 500 m. The southern limit of the species’ distribution is about 34° N latitude, with a northern limit of about 63° N latitude.

Pacific cod are not known to exhibit any special life history characteristics that would require it to be assessed or managed differently from other groundfish stocks in the BSAI.

Pacific cod are not known to exhibit any special life history characteristics that would require it to be assessed or managed differently from other groundfish stocks in the BSAI.

This is a three species stock assessment for walleye pollock (Gadus chalcogrammus), Pacific cod (Gadus macrocephalus) and arrowtooth flounder (Atheresthes stomias), from the Eastern Bering Sea (EBS), Alaska updated from Holsman et al.(2016).

Pacific cod (Gadus macrocephalus) is a transoceanic species, occurring at depths from shoreline to 500 m. The southern limit of the species’ distribution is about 34° N latitude, with a northern limit of about 63° N latitude. Pacific cod is distributed widely over Gulf of Alaska (GOA), as well as the eastern Bering Sea (EBS) and the Aleutian Islands (AI) area. The Aleut word for Pacific cod, atxidax, literally translates to “the fish that stops” (Betts et al. 2011). Recoveries from archeological middens on Sanak Island in the Western GOA show a long history (at least 4500 years) of exploitation. Over this period, the archeological record reveals fluctuations in Pacific cod size distribution which Betts et al. (2011) tie to changes in abundance due to climate variability (Fig. 2.1). Over this long period colder climate conditions appear to have consistently led to higher abundance with more small/young cod in the population and warmer conditions to lower abundance with fewer small/young cod in the population.

Pacific cod (Gadus macrocephalus) is a transoceanic species, ranging from Santa Monica Bay, California, northward along the North American coast; across the Gulf of Alaska and Bering Sea north to Norton Sound; and southward along the Asian coast from the Gulf of Anadyr to the northern Yellow Sea; and occurring at depths from shoreline to 500 m (Ketchen 1961, Bakkala et al. 1984). The southern limit of the species’ distribution is about 34° N latitude, with a northern limit of about 65° N latitude (Lauth 2011). Pacific cod is distributed widely over the eastern Bering Sea (EBS) as well as in the Aleutian Islands (AI) area. Tagging studies (e.g., Shimada and Kimura 1994) have demonstrated significant migration both within and between the EBS, AI, and Gulf of Alaska (GOA). However, recent research indicates the existence of discrete stocks in the EBS and AI (Canino et al. 2005, Cunningham et al. 2009, Canino et al. 2010, Spies 2012). Research conducted in 2018 indicates that the genetic samples from the NBS survey in 2017 are very similar to those from the EBS survey area, and quite distinct from samples collected in the Aleutian Islands and the Gulf of Alaska (Spies et al., in prep.).

Pacific cod (Gadus macrocephalus) is a transoceanic species, ranging from Santa Monica Bay, California, northward along the North American coast; across the Gulf of Alaska and Bering Sea north to Norton Sound; and southward along the Asian coast from the Gulf of Anadyr to the northern Yellow Sea; and occurring at depths from shoreline to 500 m (Ketchen 1961, Bakkala et al. 1984). The southern limit of the species’ distribution is about 34° N latitude, with a northern limit of about 65° N latitude (Lauth 2011). Pacific cod is distributed widely over the eastern Bering Sea (EBS) as well as in the Aleutian Islands (AI) area. Tagging studies (e.g., Shimada and Kimura 1994) have demonstrated significant migration both within and between the EBS, AI, and Gulf of Alaska (GOA). However, recent research indicates the existence of discrete stocks in the EBS and AI (Canino et al. 2005, Cunningham et al. 2009, Canino et al. 2010, Spies 2012). Research conducted in 2018 indicates that the genetic samples from the NBS survey in 2017 are very similar to those from the EBS survey area, and quite distinct from samples collected in the Aleutian Islands and the Gulf of Alaska (Spies et al., in prep.).

The goals of the Ecosystem Status Reports are to: (1) provide stronger links between ecosystem research and fishery management and (2) spur new understanding of the connections between ecosystem components by bringing together the results of diverse research efforts into one document. Beginning in 2016, we split the report into four separate documents, one for the Gulf of Alaska, Aleutian Islands, eastern Bering Sea, and the Arctic.

The goals of the Ecosystem Status Reports are to (1) provide stronger links between ecosystem research and fishery management and to (2) spur new understanding of the connections between ecosystem components by bringing together the results of diverse research efforts into one document. Beginning in 2016, we split the report into four separate documents, one for the Gulf of Alaska, Aleutian Islands, eastern Bering Sea, and the Arctic.