NOAA Technical Memorandum NMFS-NWFSC-108 Status Review of Five Rockfish Species in Puget Sound, Washington Bocaccio (Sebastes paucispinis), Canary Rockfish S.( pinniger), Yelloweye Rockfish S.( ruberrimus), Greenstriped Rockfish S.( elongatus), and Redstripe Rockfish S.( proriger) December 2010 U.S. DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration National Marine Fisheries Service NOAA Technical Memorandum NMFS-NWFSC Series The Northwest Fisheries Science Center of the National Marine Fisheries Service, NOAA, uses the NOAA Techni- cal Memorandum NMFS-NWFSC series to issue scientific and technical publications. Manuscripts have been peer reviewed and edited. Documents published in this series may be cited in the scientific and technical literature. The NMFS-NWFSC Technical Memorandum series of the Northwest Fisheries Science Center continues the NMFS- F/NWC series established in 1970 by the Northwest & Alaska Fisheries Science Center, which has since been split into the Northwest Fisheries Science Center and the Alaska Fisheries Science Center. The NMFS-AFSC Techni- cal Memorandum series is now being used by the Alaska Fisheries Science Center. Reference throughout this document to trade names does not imply endorsement by the National Marine Fisheries Service, NOAA. This document should be referenced as follows: Drake J.S., E.A. Berntson, J.M. Cope, R.G. Gustafson, E.E. Holmes, P.S. Levin, N. Tolimieri, R.S. Waples, S.M. Sog- ard, and G.D. Williams. 2010. Status review of five rockfish species in Puget Sound, Washington: bocaccio (Sebastes pau- cispinis), canary rockfish S.( pinniger), yelloweye rockfish S.( ruberrimus), greenstriped rockfish S.( elongatus), and redstripe rockfish S.( proriger). U.S. Dept. Commer., NOAA Tech. Memo. NMFS-NWFSC-108, 234 p. NOAA Technical Memorandum NMFS-NWFSC-108 Status Review of Five Rockfish Species in Puget Sound, Washington Bocaccio (Sebastes paucispinis), Canary Rockfish S.( pinniger), Yelloweye Rockfish S.( ruberrimus), Greenstriped Rockfish S.( elongatus), and Redstripe Rockfish S.( proriger) Jonathan S. Drake, Ewann A. Berntson, Jason M. Cope, Richard G. Gustafson, Elizabeth E. Holmes, Phillip S. Levin, Nick Tolimieri, Robin S. Waples, Susan M. Sogard,* and Gregory D. Williams Northwest Fisheries Science Center 2725 Montlake Boulevard East Seattle, Washington 98112 * Southwest Fisheries Science Center 110 Shaffer Road Santa Cruz, California 95060 December 2010 U.S. DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration National Marine Fisheries Service Most NOAA Technical Memorandums NMFS-NWFSC are available online at the Northwest Fisheries Science Center web site (http://www.nwfsc.noaa.gov) Copies are also available from: National Technical Information Service 5285 Port Royal Road Springfield, VA 22161 phone orders (1-800-553-6847) e-mail orders ([email protected]) ii Table of Contents List of Figures...............................................................................................................................................v List of Tables ..............................................................................................................................................vii Executive Summary.....................................................................................................................................ix Introduction...................................................................................................................................................1 The Species Question....................................................................................................................................3 Approaches to Addressing Discreteness and Significance.......................................................................4 Ecological Features and DPS Discreteness ............................................................................................14 Genetic Differentiation...........................................................................................................................36 DPS Scenarios ........................................................................................................................................44 Western Boundary of the Puget Sound/Georgia Basin Bocaccio, Yelloweye Rockfish, and Canary Rockfish DPSs........................................................................................................................................52 The Extinction Risk Question.....................................................................................................................55 Approaches to the Determination of Extinction Risk.............................................................................55 Data Reviewed by the BRT ....................................................................................................................60 Additional Information on Rockfish Distribution and Abundance in Puget Sound ...............................73 Summary of Previous Assessments........................................................................................................74 Species Composition Trends ..................................................................................................................75 Estimates of Rockfish Trends in Puget Sound........................................................................................98 Methods ................................................................................................................................................100 Long-term Mean Population Growth Estimates...................................................................................105 Size Data for Each DPS........................................................................................................................107 Threats Assessment for Petitioned Species of Rockfish.......................................................................111 Overall Risk Determination..................................................................................................................120 Conclusions Regarding Risk Status for Each of the Five DPSs of Puget Sound Rockfish ......................122 Bocaccio ...............................................................................................................................................122 Canary Rockfish ...................................................................................................................................126 Yelloweye Rockfish .............................................................................................................................129 Greenstriped Rockfish ..........................................................................................................................132 Redstripe Rockfish ...............................................................................................................................134 References.................................................................................................................................................137 iii Appendix A: Technical Comments and Reviews .....................................................................................161 Public Comments..................................................................................................................................161 External Peer Reviews..........................................................................................................................189 Appendix B: Responses to Comments and Reviews ................................................................................195 Responses to Peer Reviews ..................................................................................................................195 Responses to Public Comments............................................................................................................203 Appendix C: Marine Species in Greater Puget Sound..............................................................................213 Primary Producers ................................................................................................................................213 Zooplankton..........................................................................................................................................213 Benthic Invertebrates............................................................................................................................214 Fish .......................................................................................................................................................215 Birds and Mammals..............................................................................................................................216 Appendix D: Issues Pertaining to the Species Composition Data ............................................................219 Appendix E: Geological and Climatic History of Puget Sound................................................................223 Appendix F: Rockfish Historic Data Summary and Synthesis .................................................................227 Supplemental Fishery-independent Data..............................................................................................230 Fishery-dependent Data........................................................................................................................231 iv List of Figures