Reproductive Potential of Pacific Cod (Gadus Macrocephalus) in Alaska
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
Reproductive Potential Of Pacific Cod (Gadus Macrocephalus) In Alaska Item Type Thesis Authors Ormseth, Olav Aleksander Download date 28/09/2021 04:53:02 Link to Item http://hdl.handle.net/11122/8941 REPRODUCTIVE POTENTIAL OF PACIFIC COD (GADUS MACROCEPHALUS) IN ALASKA A THESIS Presented to the Faculty of the University of Alaska Fairbanks in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY By Olav Aleksander Ormseth, M.S. Fairbanks, Alaska December 2007 Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. UMI Number: 3302509 INFORMATION TO USERS The quality of this reproduction is dependent upon the quality of the copy submitted. Broken or indistinct print, colored or poor quality illustrations and photographs, print bleed-through, substandard margins, and improper alignment can adversely affect reproduction. In the unlikely event that the author did not send a complete manuscript and there are missing pages, these will be noted. Also, if unauthorized copyright material had to be removed, a note will indicate the deletion. ® UMI UMI Microform 3302509 Copyright 2008 by ProQuest LLC. All rights reserved. This microform edition is protected against unauthorized copying under Title 17, United States Code. ProQuest LLC 789 E. Eisenhower Parkway PO Box 1346 Ann Arbor, Ml 48106-1346 Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. REPRODUCTIVE POTENTIAL OF PACIFIC COD (GADUS MACROCEPHALUS) IN ALASKA By Olav Aleksander Ormseth RECOMMENDED: A Advisory Committee Chair Head, Program in Marine Science and Limnology APPROVED: DearTT^chool of Fisheries and Oc&an Sciences Dean of the Graduate $ 'f - 2 o 0 7 Date Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. Abstract The reproductive potential of female fishes, which results from the number of eggs they produce and the quality of individual eggs, is a critical factor in fisheries biology. Reproductive potential is important to individuals because maternal fitness is the product of the number of offspring produced and how many offspring survive. The growth rate of populations and their capacity for supporting commercial fisheries also depend on the number of viable offspring that females produce. I studied the reproductive potential of female Pacific cod (Gadus macrocephalus) in the North Pacific Ocean. Pacific cod is an important ecological and economic resource, yet much of its reproductive biology remains unexplored. I used several different approaches to investigate whether egg number or egg size are more important in determining reproductive potential, and to evaluate factors that influence reproduction. An analysis of life history variation among Pacific cod in Canada and Alaska demonstrated that despite differences in life history strategies, females from different populations had similar lifetime reproductive success (a proxy for individual fitness). I also collected Pacific cod in the Gulf of Alaska, eastern Bering Sea, and western Aleutian Islands from 2002 to 2005. Biochemical analyses of Pacific cod eggs revealed that Pacific cod produce low- energy eggs that are adapted for rapid development on the seafloor. Larger females produce eggs with less arachidonic acid (a fatty acid that has been linked to egg quality) than smaller females, suggesting that they may sacrifice egg quality to maintain fecundity. Determination of fecundity and egg size in 590 females from different areas and years revealed that maternal length and weight are excellent predictors of fecundity, but that variability in egg size is not related to the age or size of females. The greatest Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. iv difference in reproductive potential among years and areas was reduced egg size in the eastern Bering Sea in 2003, which may have been due to changes in ocean temperature or prey availability that impacted the ability of females to store energy. These results suggest that female Pacific cod maximize their fitness through increased egg production, not egg quality, and that their reproductive success is under strong environmental control. Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. Table of Contents Page Signature Page ........................................................................................................................ i Title Page .................................................................................................................................ii Abstract ................................................................................................................................... iii Table of Contents ....................................................................................................................v List of Figures ......................................................................................................................... ix List of Tables ......................................................................................................................... xii List of Appendices ................................................................................................................xiv Acknowledgements .............................................................................................................. xv Dedication ............................................................................................................................xvii General Introduction............................................................................................................ 1 Literature Cited ...........................................................................................................5 Chapter 1. Cause and consequence of life history variation in North American Pacific cod stocks................................................................................................................ 7 Abstract .......................................................................................................................7 Introduction ................................................................................................................. 8 Methods .....................................................................................................................11 Life history strategies and fitness......................................................................11 Fishing effects.....................................................................................................15 Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. Results 17 Discussion .................................................................................................................18 Acknowledgements .................................................................................................. 27 Literature Cited .........................................................................................................41 Appendices ............................................................................................................... 46 Chapter 2: Proximate, lipid class, and free amino acid composition of Pacific cod eggs.......................................................................................................................................49 Abstract .................................................................................................................... 49 Introduction ............................................................................................................... 49 Methods .....................................................................................................................51 Results ......................................................................................................................55 Discussion ................................................................................................................ 55 Acknowledgements .................................................................................................. 59 Literature Cited .........................................................................................................64 Chapter 3: Influence of geographic area and maternal attributes on the lipid and fatty acid composition of Pacific cod eggs................................................................... 66 Abstract .....................................................................................................................66 Introduction ............................................................................................................... 67 Methods .....................................................................................................................69 Results ......................................................................................................................73 Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. Discussion 75 Acknowledgements .................................................................................................. 84 Literature Cited .........................................................................................................99 Chapter 4: Reproductive potential of Pacific cod