STATE OF CALIFORNIA MARINE RESEARCH COMMITTEE This report is not copyrighted and may be reproduced in other publications provided due credit is given the California Marine Research Committee, the author, and the reporting agencies. Inquiries concerning this report should be addressed to the State Fisheries Laboratory, California Department of Fish and Game, 350 Golden Shore, Long Beach, California 90802. EDITORIAL BOARD Herbert W. Frey John D. lsaacs Brian J. Rothschild Marston C. Sargent CODEN COFR-A STATE OF CALIFORNIA DEPARTMENT OF FISH AND GAME MARINE RESEARCH COMMITTEE CALIFORNIA COOPERATIVE OCEANIC FISHERIES INVESTIGATIONS VOLUME XVll 1 July 1971 to 30 June 1973 Cooperating Agencies: CALIFORNIA ACADEMY OF SCIENCES CALIFORNIA DEPARTMENT OF FISH AND GAME STANFORD UNIVERSITY, HOPKINS MARINE STATION UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA, SCRIPPS INSTITUTION OF OCEANOGRAPHY NATIONAL OCEANIC AND ATMOSPHERIC ADMINISTRATION, NATIONAL MARINE FISHERIES SERVICE 1 October 1974 STATE OF CALIFORNIA-RESOURCES AGENCY RONALD REAGAN, Governor DEPARTMENT OF FISH AND GAME MARINE RESEARCH COMMITTEE 28 January 1975 The Honorable Edmund G. Brown Jr. Governor of the State of California Sacramento, California Dear Governor Brown : We have the honor to submit the seventeenth report of the California Cooperative Oceanic Fisheries Investigations. The report consists of four sections. The first contains a review of the administrative and research activities during the period 1 July 1971 to 30 June 1973, a description of the fisheries, and a list of pub1 ications arising from the programs. The second section consists of papers presented at two symposia, "Large scale aperiodic fluctuations in the Pacific Ocean" and "New challenges to accepted dogmas about productivity in the sea," held in November 1971. Participants in the symposia included key members of the scientific community who provided new insight to some fundamental oceanographic problems. The third section consists of papers presented at a symposium, "Oceanography and fisheries of Baja California waters," held in November 1972, which brought together members of the scientific com- munities and governmental agencies of California and Mexico. This symposium demonstrated the spirit prevailing in the informal cooperative research programs that have been initiated between CalCOFI agencies, Instituto Nacional de Pesca of Mexico, and the Instituto de Investi- gaciones Oceanol ogicas, Universidad Autonoma de Baja California. The fourth section consists of scientific contributions which are either a direct result of CalCOFI research programs or represent research directly pertinent to the living marine resources of California. Respectfully submitted, THE MARINE RESEARCH COMMITTEE ' Char1 es R. Carry , &aiman CONTENTS I. Review of Activities of 1 July 1971-30 June 1973 ___-_______ _ _____- 5 Report of the CalCOFI Committee ................................ 5 Agency Reports ................................................ 6 Review.. of the Pelagic Wet Fisheries for 1971 and 1972 ___________-_- 30 Publications .................................................... 33 11. Symposia of the CalCOFI Conference Goleta, California November 8-10,1971 A. Large Scale Aperiodic Fluctuations in the Pacific Ocean _-________ 37 A Possible Explanation of Anomalous Events Observed in the Ocean/Atmosphere System of the North Pacific 1955-1960. TV. B. White and T. P. Barnett ...................... _ __________-_ 39 The North Pacific’s Role as a World Weather Factory. Abstract Jerome Nanzias ............................................ 48 Physical Oceanography of Coastal Upwelling : Present Knowledge- Future Plans. Abstract Robert L. Smith and J. J. O’Brien _---- 49 B. New Challenges to Accepted Dogmas About Productivity in the Sea 51 Review and Critique of Primary Productivity Measurements. Osmzcnd Holm-Hansen ........................... _ __-______ 53 Evidence for and Implications of Stochastic Food Chains. Abstract John D. Isaacs ............................................ 57 111. Symposium of the CalCOFI Conference Yosemite Park, California November 12-15,1972 Oceanography and Fisheries of Baja California Waters -__~___~__-__59 Introduction... The Californias and Some Fishes of Common Con- cern. Phzlzp M. Roedel ______________________________________ 61 Institute of Oceanological.. Investigations Work Program 1972-1973. Katsuo Nzshzkawa K. .............................. ________ 66 Notas Sobre el Crucero del ALEJANDRO DE HUMBOLDT en la Parte Norte del Golfo de California, durante Septiembre de 1971. Jose’ Ma. Robles Pacheco and Richard A. Schwartzlosc _________ 69 Cruceros del JORDAN y del HUMBOLDT in Enero y Febrero de 1972. Richard A. Schwartzlose and Jose’ Ma. Robles Pacheco _-__ 86 Investigaciones Biol6gico Pesqueras de 101sPeces Pelggicos del Golf o de California. V. A. Sokolov _______ _ ...................... _- 92 Biologia de la Sardina del Golfo de California. Myrna Wong -__-__ 97 Results of the Exploratory Cruises of the ALEJANDRO DE HUM- BOLDT in the Gulf of California. C. P. Mathews, J. L. Gralzados and J. Arvizu _________________________________________-___ 101 Distribution and Abundance of Fish Eggs and Larvae in the Gulf ob California. H. Geofrey Moser, Elbert H. Ahlstrom, David Kramer, and Elizabeth G. Stevens ................................... 112 IV. Scientific Contributions The MortaJity Rate of Engradis mordax in Southern California. Alec D. MacCall ........................................... 133 Exploitation and Recruitment of Pacific Mackerel, Scomber japoni- cus, in the Northeastern Pacific. Richard H. Parrkh ____________ 136 Southern California’s Inshore Demersal Fishes : Diversity, Distribu- tion, and Disease as Responses to Environmental Quality. Alan J. Mearns ....................... _ _____- _ ______-_-____ __-- 141 (3) Part I REVIEW OF ACTIVITIES 1 July 1971 to 30 June 1973 REPORT OF THE CALCOFI COMMITTEE Over the 25 years of its existence, the CalCOFI 2. To use comparable methods and equipment in program has undergone considerable evolution. This making observations and collections at sea. evolution has emerged from the advancing perception 3. To share all data and collections obtained dur- of the nature of broad populations of pelagic crea- ing these joint operations. tures and the nature of large-scale events in the ocean and atmosphere that strongly influence the Profitable discussions have continued between the relative abundance and distribution of these oceanic groups since that time. CalCOFI agencies have sup- inhabitants. Thus CalCOFI investigations not only plied INP with help in developing the techniques to initiated inquiries into vital current aspects of ocean use CalCOFI-type equipment, by putting personnel climatology, but into recent past changes of climate on their ships and receiving INP personnel aboard and populations, into the creatures of the deep sea CalCOFI ships. floor, into food webs and trophic interrelationships, The Southwest Fisheries Center invited two biolo- into better measures of plankton biomass, and into a gists from INP for training in identifying fish eggs host of other aspects of the oceanic environment. The and larvae of species of interest to CalCOFI in sam- great majority of these inquiries has demonstrated ples collected by all cooperating ships and shared fundamental value not only in understanding the between appropriate agencies. living resources of the California Current, but in There has been increased participation of the many other scientific areas such as climatology and Escuela Superior de Ciencias Marinas of the Uni- studies of pollution, and in broader geographical versidad Autcinoma de Baja California in Ensenada areas. Indeed, CalCOFI has set the philosophy, ap- in cooperative research with the CalCOFI agencies in proaches, and methodology for similar inquiries the California Current and the Gulf of California. around the world. It has set a firm base for the re- Also many of these students are gaining experience establishment of a major pelagic fishery in the Cali- by participation in our cruises. fornia Current. The need for this cooperation was succinctly ex- Clearly further enlargement and evolution of the pressed by Philip M. Roedel in 1968 and at the 1972 program are necessary, and these are being consid- CalCOFI Conference, as follows : ered at this time. “Because the eastern Pacific fishery resources One important development in the program during and interests, particularly those of Southern Cali- the last two years has been the inclusion of the In- fornia and the west coast of the Baja California stituto Nacional de Pesca (INP) of Mexico in the peninsula, are in such large degree the same, there cooperative planning of CalCOFI cruises in the is the very evident need for cooperation between ocean off Baja California and the Gulf of California. the United States and Mexico in fishery matters if In the fall of 1971 the beginning steps were taken their common resources are to be properly hus- between the Subdirector of INP, the Co-Director of banded.” the Mexico/FAO Project of Fisheries Research and Several of the papers in this volume of the Development, and members of the CalCOFI cornmit- CalCOFI Reports are based wholly partly on data tee. At that meeting it was agreed: or cooperatively obtained in 1972 by INP and CalCOFI. 1. To schedule research cruises in Baja California waters in time and area coverage in such a way Herbert 1V. Prey, John D. Isaacs, Briart J. Rothschild, as to complement each other’s efforts. and Marston C. Xargent