HomeMy WebLinkAboutBlack Sea Bass Life History & Hab CharacteristicsNOAA Technical Memorandum NMFS-NE-200
U. S. DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
National Marine Fisheries Service
Northeast Fisheries Science Center
Woods Hole, Massachusetts
February 2007
Essential Fish Habitat Source Document:
Black sea bass, Centropristis striata,
Life History and Habitat Characteristics
Second Edition
182. U.S. Atlantic and Gulf of Mexico Marine Mammal Stock Assessments – 2003. By Gordon T. Waring, Richard M. Pace,
Janeen M. Quintal, Carol P. Fairfield, and Katherine Maze-Foley, eds., Nicole Cabana, Phillip J. Clapham, Timothy V.N. Cole,
Gregory L. Fulling, Lance P. Garrison, Aleta A. Hohn, Blair G. Maise, Wayne E. McFee, Keith D. Mullin, Debra L. Palka, Patricia
E. Rosel, Marjorie C. Rossman, Frederick W. Wenzel, and Amy L. Whitingham, contribs. May 2004. vii + 287 p., 47 figs., 58
tables, 4 app., index. NTIS Access. No. PB2004-106431.
183. NOAA Fisheries Service's Large Marine Ecosystems Program: Status Report. By Kenneth Sherman, Peter Celone, and
Sally Adams. July 2004. iv + 21 p., 11 figs., 4 tables. NTIS Access. No. PB2006-102420.
184. A Large Marine Ecosystem Approach to Fisheries Management and Sustainability. By Frank J. Gable. August 2004.
v + 84 p., 38 figs., 10 tables. NTIS Access. No. PB2005-101435. [Online publication only.]
185. Revised and Updated Edition of F. Bruce Sanford's 1957 "Planning Your Scientific Research Paper." By Jon A. Gibson.
August 2004. x + 36 p., 5 figs., 12 tables.
186. Essential Fish Habitat Source Document: Silver Hake, Merluccius bilinearis, Life History and Habitat Characteristics.
2nd ed. By Meredith C. Lock and David B. Packer. August 2004. v + 68 p., 28 figs., 6 tables. NTIS Access. No. PB2005-101436.
[Online publication only.]
187. Essential Fish Habitat Source Document: American Plaice, Hippoglossoides platessoides, Life History and Habitat
Characteristics. 2nd ed. By Donna L. Johnson. August 2004. vi + 72 p., 23 figs., 6 tables. [Online publication only.]
188. Northeast Regional Commercial Fishing Input-Output Model, by Scott R. Steinback and Eric M. Thunberg. NTIS Access
No ________. April 2006. [Online publication only.]
189. Essential Fish Habitat Source Document: Sea Scallop, Placopecten magellanicus, Life History and Habitat Charac-
teristics. 2nd ed. By Deborah R. Hart and Antonie S. Chute. September 2004. v + 21 p., 6 figs., 2 tables. NTIS Access. No.
PB2005-104079. [Online publication only.]
190. Essential Fish Habitat Source Document: Atlantic Cod, Gadus morhua, Life History and Habitat Characteristics. 2nd
ed. By R. Gregory Lough. November 2004. vi + 94 p., 27 figs., 5 tables, 1 app. NTIS Access. No. PB2006-101528. [Online
publication only.]
191. Essential Fish Habitat Source Document: Northern Shortfin Squid, Illex illecebrosus, Life History and Habitat Charac-
teristics. 2nd ed. By Lisa C. Hendrickson and Elizabeth M. Holmes. November 2004. v + 36 p., 13 figs., 1 table. NTIS Access.
No. PB2005-101437. [Online publication only.]
192. Essential Fish Habitat Source Document: Atlantic Herring, Clupea harengus, Life History and Habitat Characteristics.
2nd ed. By David K. Stevenson and Marcy L. Scott. July 2005. vi + 84 p., 40 figs., 7 tables. NTIS Access. No. PB2005-107567.
[Online publication only.]
193. Essential Fish Habitat Source Document: Longfin Inshore Squid, Loligo pealeii, Life History and Habitat Charac-
teristics. 2nd ed. By Larry D. Jacobson. August 2005. v + 42 p., 20 figs., 1 table. NTIS Access. No. PB2005-110684. [Online
publication only.]
195. A Large Marine Ecosystem Voluntary Environmental Management System Approach to Fisheries Practices. By Frank
J. Gable. December 2005. v + 84 p., 38 figs., 10 tables. NTIS Access. No. PB____-______.
196. Essential Fish Habitat Source Document: Haddock, Melanogrammus aeglefinus, Life History and Habitat Character-
istics. 2nd ed. By Jon K.T. Brodziak. December 2005. vi + 64 p., 27 figs., 2 tables. NTIS Access. No. PB2006-103439. [On-
line publication only.]
197. In preparation by authors.
Recent Issues in This Series:
198. Essential Fish Habitat Source Document: Bluefish, Pomatomus saltatrix, Life History and Habitat Characteristics. 2nd
ed. By Jon K.T. Brodziak. December 2005. vi + 89 p., 48 figs., 5 tables, 1 app. NTIS Access. No. PB2006-103439. [Online pub-
lication only.]
199. Distribution and Abundance of Fish Eggs Collected during the GLOBEC Broad-Scale Georges Bank Surveys, 1995-
1999.By John D. Sibunka, Donna L. Johnson, and Peter L. Berrien. August 2006. iv + 72 p., 28 figs., 1 table. NTIS Access. No.
PB____-______. [Online publication only.]
U. S. DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
Carlos M. Gutierrez, Secretary
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
Vice Admiral Conrad C. Lautenbacher, Jr., USN (ret.), Administrator
National Marine Fisheries Service
William T. Hogarth, Assistant Administrator for Fisheries
Northeast Fisheries Science Center
Woods Hole, Massachusetts
February 2007
This series represents a secondary level of scientific publishing. All issues employ
thorough internal scientific review; some issues employ external scientific review.
Reviews are -- by design -- transparent collegial reviews, not anonymous peer reviews.
All issues may be cited in formal scientific communications.
NOAA Technical Memorandum NMFS-NE-200
Postal Addresses: 1Geo-Marine Inc, 2713 Magruder Blvd, Suite D, Hampton VA 23666
2National Marine Fisheries Serv., 74 Magruder Rd., Highlands NJ 07732
E-Mail Addresses: adrohan@geo-marine.com
john.manderson@noaa.gov
dave.packer@noaa.gov
Essential Fish Habitat Source Document:
Black Sea Bass, Centropristis striata,
Life History and Habitat Characteristics
Second Edition
Amy F. Drohan1, John P. Manderson2, and David B. Packer2
Editorial Notes on "Essential Fish Habitat Source Documents"
Issued in the NOAA Technical Memorandum NMFS-NE Series
Editorial Production
For "Essential Fish Habitat Source Documents" issued in the NOAA Technical Memorandum NMFS-NE series, staff
of the Northeast Fisheries Science Center's (NEFSC's) Ecosystems Processes Division largely assume the role of staff of
the NEFSC's Editorial Office for technical and copy editing, type composition, and page layout. Other than the four covers
(inside and outside, front and back) and first two preliminary pages, all preprinting editorial production is performed by,
and all credit for such production rightfully belongs to, the staff of the Ecosystems Processes Division.
Internet Availability and Information Updating
Each original issue of an "Essential Fish Habitat Source Document" is published both as a paper copy and as a Web
posting. The Web posting, which is in "PDF" format, is available at: http://www.nefsc.noaa.gov/nefsc/habitat/efh.
Each issue is updated at least every five years. The updated edition will be published as a Web posting only; the
replaced edition(s) will be maintained in an online archive for reference purposes.
Species Names
The NMFS Northeast Region's policy on the use of species names in all technical communications is generally to
follow the American Fisheries Society's lists of scientific and common names for fishes (i.e., Nelson et al. 2004a; Robins
et al. 1991b), mollusks (i.e., Turgeon et al. 1998c), and decapod crustaceans (i.e., Williams et al. 1989d), and to follow the
Society for Marine Mammalogy's guidance on scientific and common names for marine mammals (i.e., Rice 1998e).
Exceptions to this policy occur when there are subsequent compelling revisions in the classifications of species, resulting
in changes in the names of species.
aNelson, J.S.; Crossman, E.J.; Espinosa-Pérez, H.; Findley, L.T.; Gilbert, C.R.; Lea, R.N.; Williams, J.D. 2004. Common and scientific names
of fishes from the United States, Canada, and Mexico. 6th ed. Amer. Fish. Soc. Spec. Publ. 29; 386 p.
bRobins, C.R. (chair); Bailey, R.M.; Bond, C.E.; Brooker, J.R.; Lachner, E.A.; Lea, R.N.; Scott, W.B. 1991. World fishes important to
North Americans. Amer. Fish. Soc. Spec. Publ. 21; 243 p.
cTurgeon, D.D. (chair); Quinn, J.F., Jr.; Bogan, A.E.; Coan, E.V.; Hochberg, F.G.; Lyons, W.G.; Mikkelsen, P.M.; Neves, R.J.; Roper, C.F.E.;
Rosenberg, G.; Roth, B.; Scheltema, A.; Thompson, F.G.; Vecchione, M.; Williams, J.D. 1998. Common and scientific names of aquatic
invertebrates from the United States and Canada: mollusks. 2nd ed. Amer. Fish. Soc. Spec. Publ. 26; 526 p.
dWilliams, A.B. (chair); Abele, L.G.; Felder, D.L.; Hobbs, H.H., Jr.; Manning, R.B.; McLaughlin, P.A.; Pérez Farfante, I. 1989. Common
and scientific names of aquatic invertebrates from the United States and Canada: decapod crustaceans. Amer. Fish. Soc. Spec. Publ. 17;
77 p.
eRice, D.W. 1998. Marine mammals of the world: systematics and distribution. Soc. Mar. Mammal. Spec. Publ. 4; 231 p.
Page iii
PREFACE TO SECOND EDITION
One of the greatest long-term threats to the viability of
commercial and recreational fisheries is the continuing
loss of marine, estuarine, and other aquatic habitats.
Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and
Management Act (October 11, 1996)
The long-term viability of living marine resources
depends on protection of their habitat.
NMFS Strategic Plan for Fisheries Research
(February 1998)
The Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and
Management Act (MSFCMA), which was reauthorized
and amended by the Sustainable Fisheries Act (1996),
requires the eight regional fishery management councils
to describe and identify essential fish habitat (EFH) in
their respective regions, to specify actions to conserve
and enhance that EFH, and to minimize the adverse
effects of fishing on EFH. Congress defined EFH as
“those waters and substrate necessary to fish for
spawning, breeding, feeding or growth to maturity.”
The MSFCMA requires NOAA Fisheries to assist the
regional fishery management councils in the
implementation of EFH in their respective fishery
management plans.
NOAA Fisheries has taken a broad view of habitat
as the area used by fish throughout their life cycle. Fish
use habitat for spawning, feeding, nursery, migration,
and shelter, but most habitats provide only a subset of
these functions. Fish may change habitats with changes
in life history stage, seasonal and geographic
distributions, abundance, and interactions with other
species. The type of habitat, as well as its attributes and
functions, are important for sustaining the production of
managed species.
The Northeast Fisheries Science Center compiled
the available information on the distribution,
abundance, and habitat requirements for each of the
species managed by the New England and Mid-Atlantic
Fishery Management Councils. That information is
presented in a series of EFH species reports (plus one
consolidated methods report). The EFH species reports
are a survey of the important literature as well as
original analyses of fishery-independent data sets from
NOAA Fisheries and several coastal states. The species
reports are also the source for the current EFH
designations by the New England and Mid-Atlantic
Fishery Management Councils, and understandably are
referred to as the “EFH source documents.”
NOAA Fisheries provided guidance to the regional
fishery management councils for identifying and
describing EFH of their managed species. Consistent
with this guidance, the species reports present
information on current and historic stock sizes,
geographic range, and the period and location of major
life history stages. The habitats of managed species are
described by the physical, chemical, and biological
components of the ecosystem where the species occur.
Information on the habitat requirements is provided for
each life history stage, and it includes, where available,
habitat and environmental variables that control or limit
distribution, abundance, growth, reproduction,
mortality, and productivity.
The initial series of EFH species source documents
were published in 1999 in the NOAA Technical
Memorandum NMFS-NE series. Updating and review
of the EFH components of the councils’ Fishery
Management Plans is required at least every 5 years by
the NOAA Fisheries Guidelines for meeting the
Sustainable Fisheries Act/EFH Final Rule. The second
editions of these species source documents were written
to provide the updated information needed to meet
these requirements. The second editions provide new
information on life history, geographic distribution, and
habitat requirements via recent literature, research, and
fishery surveys, and incorporate updated and revised
maps and graphs.
Identifying and describing EFH are the first steps
in the process of protecting, conserving, and enhancing
essential habitats of the managed species. Ultimately,
NOAA Fisheries, the regional fishery management
councils, fishing participants, Federal and state
agencies, and other organizations will have to cooperate
to achieve the habitat goals established by the
MSFCMA.
Page iv
Page v
Contents
INTRODUCTION................................................................................................................................................................1
LIFE HISTORY ...................................................................................................................................................................1
GEOGRAPHICAL DISTRIBUTION..................................................................................................................................5
HABITAT CHARACTERISTICS .......................................................................................................................................7
RESEARCH NEEDS .........................................................................................................................................................10
REFERENCES CITED ......................................................................................................................................................10
Tables
Table 1. Diet composition of black sea bass by fish length category.............................................................................17
Table 2. Diet composition of black sea bass by geographic area...................................................................................18
Figures
Figure 1. The black sea bass, Centropristis striata (from Goode 1884)..........................................................................19
Figure 2. Percent by weight of the major prey items in the diet of two size categories of black sea bass.......................20
Figure 3. Distributions and abundances of black sea bass eggs collected during NEFSC MARMAP ichthyoplankton
surveys.............................................................................................................................................................21
Figure 4. Distributions and abundances of black sea bass larvae collected during NEFSC MARMAP ichthyoplankton
surveys.............................................................................................................................................................24
Figure 5. Seasonal distributions and abundances of juvenile black sea bass collected during NEFSC bottom trawl
surveys.............................................................................................................................................................28
Figure 6. Seasonal distributions and abundances of juvenile black sea bass in Massachusetts coastal waters...............32
Figure 7. Seasonal distribution and abundance of juvenile black sea bass collected in Narragansett Bay during 1990-
1996 Rhode Island bottom trawl surveys.........................................................................................................34
Figure 8. Monthly log10 length frequencies of juvenile and adult black sea bass collected in Long Island Sound.........35
Figure 9. Distribution and abundances of juvenile and adult black sea bass in Long Island Sound ...............................36
Figure 10. Relative abundance (geometric mean catch/tow) catch/tow and percent occurrence (proportion of samples
in which at least one individual was observed) for juvenile and adult black sea bass in Long Island Sound..37
Figure 11. Seasonal distribution and abundance of juvenile black sea bass in the Hudson-Raritan estuary collected
during Hudson-Raritan estuary trawl surveys..................................................................................................38
Figure 12. Catch per unit effort for total catch of juvenile and adult black sea bass in Chesapeake Bay and tributaries..39
Figure 13. Seasonal distribution and abundance of juvenile black sea bass in Chesapeake Bay and tributaries...............40
Figure 14. Catch per unit effort for total catch of juvenile black sea bass in Chesapeake Bay.........................................41
Figure 15. Juvenile black sea bass catch per unit effort by site from the VIMS beach seine surveys...............................42
Figure 16. Seasonal distributions and abundances of adult black sea bass collected during NEFSC bottom trawl
surveys.............................................................................................................................................................43
Figure 17. Seasonal distributions and abundances of adult black sea bass in Massachusetts coastal waters....................47
Figure 18. Seasonal distribution and abundance of adult black sea bass collected in Narragansett Bay during 1990-
1996 Rhode Island bottom trawl surveys.........................................................................................................49
Figure 19. Seasonal distribution and abundance of adult black sea bass in the Hudson-Raritan estuary collected during
Hudson-Raritan estuary trawl surveys.............................................................................................................50
Figure 20. Seasonal distribution and abundance of adult black sea bass in Chesapeake Bay and tributaries ...................51
Figure 21. Distributions of black sea bass eggs collected during NEFSC MARMAP icthyoplankton surveys relative to
water column temperature and bottom depth...................................................................................................52
Figure 22. Distributions of black sea bass larvae collected during NEFSC MARMAP icthyoplankton surveys relative
to water column temperature and bottom depth...............................................................................................53
Page vi
Figure 23. Distributions of juvenile black sea bass and trawls from NEFSC bottom trawl surveys relative to bottom
water temperature, depth, and salinity..............................................................................................................54
Figure 24. Distributions of juvenile black sea bass and trawls in Massachusetts coastal waters relative to bottom water
temperature and depth......................................................................................................................................56
Figure 25. Seasonal distributions of juvenile black sea bass and trawls relative to bottom temperature and depth..........58
Figure 26. Distributions of juvenile black sea bass relative to mean bottom water temperature, dissolved oxygen,
depth, and salinity, based on Hudson-Raritan estuary trawl surveys...............................................................59
Figure 27. Hydrographic preferences for juvenile black sea bass in Chesapeake Bay and tributaries..............................60
Figure 28. Hydrographic preferences for juvenile black sea bass from the VIMS seine surveys......................................61
Figure 29. Distributions of adult black sea bass and trawls from NEFSC bottom trawl surveys relative to bottom water
temperature, depth, and salinity .......................................................................................................................62
Figure 30. Distributions of adult black sea bass and trawls in Massachusetts coastal waters relative to bottom water
temperature and depth......................................................................................................................................64
Figure 31. Seasonal distributions of adult black sea bass and trawls relative to bottom water temperature and depth,
based on Rhode Island Narragansett Bay trawl surveys...................................................................................66
Figure 32. Distributions of adult black sea bass relative to mean bottom water temperature, dissolved oxygen, depth,
and salinity, based on Hudson-Raritan estuary trawl surveys .........................................................................67
Figure 33. Hydrographic preferences for adult black sea bass in Chesapeake Bay and tributaries...................................68
Page 1
INTRODUCTION
The black sea bass (Centropristis striata Linnaeus
1758) (Figure 1) is a warm temperate serranid that
ranges from southern Nova Scotia and the Bay of
Fundy (Scott 1988) to southern Florida (Bowen and
Avise 1990) and into the Gulf of Mexico. Fish have
been reported on the Grand Banks of Canada (Brown et
al. 1996), but are uncommon in cooler waters north of
Cape Cod (Scattergood 1952; DeWitt et al. 1981).
Black sea bass are typically found on the continental
shelf in complex habitats such as reefs and shipwrecks,
but young of the year (YOY) fish also occur in large
numbers in structurally complex estuarine habitats.
LIFE HISTORY
EGGS
Black sea bass eggs are pelagic and the length of
the incubation period is inversely temperature
dependent (Able and Fahay 1998).
Berrien and Sibunka (1999) showed that in the
Mid-Atlantic Bight, areas with high average egg
densities were generally located on the continental shelf
in the vicinity of large estuaries including Chesapeake
Bay, the Delaware River, and the Hudson River. Eggs
are collected off Cape Hatteras as early as January but
these may be reproductive products transported by the
Gulf Stream from spawning areas to the south (Mercer
1978).
Black sea bass eggs also occur infrequently in large
bays. They have been reported in Buzzards Bay, MA
(Stone et al. 1994), with the highest egg concentrations
between May and October, but eggs were also collected
in January and April. Eggs are rare in Long Island
Sound (Merrimann and Sclar 1952; Wheatland 1956;
Richards 1959), and absent in Narragansett Bay Rhode
Island (Bourne and Govoni 1988) and Delaware Bay
(Wang and Kernehan 1979).
LARVAE
Larvae hatch from eggs at 1.5-2.1 mm TL and
settle as early juveniles at 10-16 mm TL (Kendall 1972;
Fahay 1983; Able et al. 1995). Kendall (1972)
however, suggested that fish may delay settlement until
they reach 25 mm TL.
Gelatinous zooplankton may be important
predators of larvae (Arai 1988).
JUVENILES
In the Mid-Atlantic Bight, juveniles migrate in the
fall from nearshore summer habitats to over wintering
habitats on the outer continental shelf south of Long
Island, NY. During warmer winters, juveniles may
successfully over winter in deeper waters of lower
Chesapeake Bay (MAFMC 1996; Chesapeake Bay
Program 1996). The fall offshore migration of juveniles
in most of the Mid-Atlantic Bight probably allows fish
to avoid temperatures below the lower lethal limit
(~2°C, see Habitat Characteristics section) (Hales and
Able 2001). However, juveniles in the Gulf of Mexico
also disappear in the fall from inshore collections in the
lower reaches of Florida west coast estuaries where
they are abundant, and appear to over winter in offshore
areas (Reid 1954; Joseph and Yerger 1956; Springer
and Woodburn 1960; Hastings 1972).
The growth of juvenile black sea bass has been
measured in situ by Able and Hales (1997) who used
mark recapture techniques in the lower reach of a
southern New Jersey estuary to show that growth rates
of age-0 and age-1 fish from spring through fall
averaged ~ 0.45 mm d (SE=0.04). Juvenile growth was
higher during the summer (July-September; 0.74 mm d,
SE= 0.05) than during the spring (March-June; 0.29
mm d, SE=0.04) and fall (October-December; 0.39 mm
d). Growth estimates for age 1+ fish derived from
length frequencies of fish in the same region, but in a
different study, were similar (average=0.77 mm/day)
(Able et al. 1995). In the Hereford Estuary, New Jersey
early juveniles ~ 20 mm SL are collected in July but
leave the estuary in the fall at sizes > 40 mm TL (Allen
et al. 1978). Age-1 fish enter this estuary at 60 mm TL
but migrate in the fall at ~ 100 mm TL. In eastern
Virginia bays juveniles are reported to be ~ 30 mm TL
in April but reach 100-182 mm TL by the end of the
growing season in November (Schwartz 1961). Juvenile
black sea bass appear to allocate metabolic energy
toward rapid growth from settlement to ~ 49 mm SL,
but then show reduced growth as they begin to store
energy as lipid at larger sizes (Guida, NOAA Fisheries,
NEFSC, James J. Howard Marine Sciences Laboratory,
Highlands, NJ, pers. comm.). Guida (pers. comm.)
speculated that this pattern represented a two-phase
metabolic program that allows young fish to reduce size
dependent predation mortality during and immediately
following settlement while allowing for the storage of
fats necessary for over wintering survival by larger
individuals which are less vulnerable to predators.
In the Mid-Atlantic Bight juveniles form annuli in
otoliths in May or June which appears to be the
beginning of the growing season for fish after their first
winter (Dery and Mayo 1988). Annulus formation
occurs earlier in the South Atlantic Bight (April and
May) (Cupka et al. 1973; Mercer 1978; Waltz et al.
1979; Link 1980; Wenner et al. 1986).
Page 2
ADULTS
Black sea bass are strongly associated with
structurally complex habitats. Habitats used by adults
include rocky reefs, cobble and rock fields, stone coral
patches, exposed stiff clay, and mussel beds. In the
South Atlantic Bight adult black sea bass are associated
with hard or live bottom sponge coral habitat
(Struhsaker 1969; Powles and Barans 1980; Grimes et
al. 1982; Wenner 1983; Chester et al. 1984; Sedberry
and Van Dolah 1984; Parker and Ross 1986). In the
Gulf of Mexico, limestone and coral reefs and other low
relief structures are important habitats, but black sea
bass are rarely found off deeper ledges (> 25 m)
inhabited by larger serranids (Topp 1963; Godcharles
1970; Bortone 1977). In Long Island Sound, adults are
generally associated with structurally complex habitats
embedded within areas of sandy rather than muddy
substratum (Richards 1963b). Black sea bass are
usually observed by divers hovering near or above
shelters and retreat into them if threatened. Fish appear
to remain near complex structures during the day, but
may move to adjacent soft-bottom to feed at dawn and
dusk (Steimle and Figley 1996). Once black sea bass
find suitable summer habitat, they show strong habitat
fidelity, and in the Mid-Atlantic Bight, remain until the
fall migration (Briggs 1979).
In the Mid-Atlantic Bight adult black sea bass
migrate from nearshore continental shelf habitats to
outer shelf over wintering areas, south of New Jersey,
as bottom temperatures decline in the fall (Musick and
Mercer 1977). Offshore migration begins as bottom
water temperatures approach 7oC (Nesbit and Neville
1935; June and Reintjes 1957; Colvocoresses and
Musick 1984; Chang 1990; Shepherd and Terceiro
1994). Larger fish appear to migrate earlier than smaller
fish (Kendall 1977). Tag returns from fish tagged in
Nantucket Sound (Massachusetts) suggest that fish
migrate south to the outer shelf near Block Canyon
(south of Rhode Island) and then move southwest along
the outer shelf toward Norfolk Canyon off Virginia
(Kolek 1990).
Fish in South Atlantic Bight and Gulf of Mexico
appear to be non-migratory and attached to specific
reefs throughout the year (Beaumariage 1964;
Beaumariage and Wittich 1966; Moe 1966). Most fish
using nearshore artificial reef and wreck habitats (< 20
m deep) support commercial and recreational fisheries
during the winter (Chee 1977; Mercer 1989; Adams
1993). Sedberry et al. (1998) showed that 95% of black
sea bass tagged and at large for more than one month in
Gray’s Reef National Marine Sanctuary were
recaptured in the vicinity of the sanctuary. However
some fish moved large distances as one individual was
recaptured off St. Augustine (Florida), 167 km from
Gray’s reef. Musick and Mercer (1977) suggested that
some adult black sea bass in the Gulf of Mexico may
migrate, but tagging studies performed in the
northeastern Gulf of Mexico suggest that adult fish
become site attached once established on a specific reef
(Topp 1963; Beaumariage 1964; Beaumariage and
Wittich 1966; Moe 1966).
In the Mid-Atlantic Bight, adult black sea bass
move from over wintering habitats on the outer
continental shelf to inshore areas as waters warm in the
spring. The inshore migration appears to begin in April
as temperatures warm to > 7 C (Nesbit and Neville
1935; June and Reintjes 1957; Colvocoresses and
Musick 1984; Chang 1990; Shepherd and Terceiro
1994). Primary summer habitats for adults are located
on the nearshore continental shelf at depths < 60 m and
fish may use complex habitats in the lower reaches of
large estuaries which are relatively shallow (~ 5 m).
Adult black sea bass growth appears to vary with
latitude. Growth was nearly twice as high for fish
collected in Massachusetts than for fish in New York
and Virginia (Dery and Mayo 1988; Kolek 1990;
Caruso 1995). A similar latitudinal trend was suggested
by Mercer (1978) and Wenner et al. (1986) who
showed fish from the Mid-Atlantic Bight were larger at
age and grew faster than fish from the South Atlantic
Bight. Adults show linear growth up to age 6 (Wenner
et al. 1986).
Several studies have suggested that growth rates
are sex dependent in adult black sea bass, with females
growing more rapidly than males (Lavenda 1949;
Mercer 1978; Wilk et al. 1978). However, Alexander
(1981) used otolith analyses of year 1 and older fish
from New York to suggest that males grow faster than
females. Shepherd and Idoine (1993) suggested growth
was sex dependent for all stages including transitional
individuals. However, the sex dependent and
geographic differences in growth may be related to site
specific differences in exploitation rates, gear
selectivity, and other sampling biases (Mercer 1978;
Wenner et al. 1986).
REPRODUCTION
Black sea bass are protogynous hermaphrodites,
with fish changing sex from female to male as they
increase in age and size. Age of sexual transition varies
with latitude with females maturing and undergoing
sexual transition at greater ages in northern latitudes
(McGovern et al. 2002). Fish in the Mid-Atlantic Bight
begin to mature at age 1 (8-17 cm TL) and 50% are
mature at 2-3 yrs and ~19 cm SL (O'Brien et al. 1993).
The majority of fish less < 19 cm are females, while
larger fish are transitional individuals or males (Mercer
1978). Detailed studies of sexual development and
transition have been performed with individuals
collected in the South Atlantic Bight and Gulf of
Mexico, where the patterns are similar (Mercer 1978;
Link 1980; Wenner et al. 1986; Hood et al. 1994). In
Page 3
the South Atlantic Bight, frequency of occurrence for
transitional fish is highest at ages 2-5 yrs (Waltz et al.
1979; Wenner et al. 1986). Fish older than 4-5 yrs and
> 210 mm TL are primarily males (Hood et al. 1994).
Maximum age and size of black sea bass are 7 yrs and
330 mm TL, respectively. The age and size of fish
undergoing sexual transition has decreased as a result of
increasing fishing pressure (Alexander 1981; Shapiro
1987). The frequency of large mature males also
declined. A mark-recapture study of black sea bass in
Gray’s Reef National Marine Sanctuary, Georgia also
showed that size distributions of fish decreased
overtime as a result of fishing pressure in the South
Atlantic Bight (Sedberry et al. 1998). Reproductive
potential in black sea bass may be limited by the
availability of large males (Shepherd and Idoine 1993).
Reproductive output varies with the abundance of large
males for other serranids that show strong spawning
hierarchies and paired spawning (McGovern et al.
1998). However, black sea bass reproductive behavior
has not been studied and the participation of non-
dominant males in spawning could reduce the
possibility that reproductive potential is depressed by
the rarity of large dominant males (Shepherd and Idoine
1993).
Fecundity is related to body size and age. Female
fish 2-5 years of age in the Mid-Atlantic Bight release
between 191,000 and 369,500 eggs (Mercer 1978). In
the South Atlantic Bight fecundity ranges from 17,000
for age-2 females (108 mm SL) to 1,050,000 for age 2-
3 fish (438 mm SL) (Wenner et al. 1986). Frequency of
occurrence for individuals in sexual transition may be
highest just before spawning.
Primary spawning habitats appear to be located in
the nearshore continental shelf at depths of 20-50 m
(Breder 1932; Kendall 1972; Musick and Mercer 1977;
Wilk and Brown 1980; Eklund and Targett 1990;
Berrien and Sibunka 1999). Gravid females are
common on the continental shelf and generally not
found in estuaries (Allen et al. 1978). Fish may spawn
on sand bottoms broken by ledges and move to
structurally complex habitats in deeper water after
spawning (Kolek 1990; MAFMC 1996). Kolek (1990)
showed that some tagged black sea bass return to the
spawning grounds in Nantucket Sound and suggested
that the animals may home to spawning grounds. The
population Kolek (1990) studied appeared to spawn
earlier and in shallower water than reported for other
populations in the Mid-Atlantic Bight (Kendall 1977).
In the Mid-Atlantic Bight, black sea bass spawn
from April through October (Able and Fahay 1998;
Reiss and McConaugha 1999). Spawning occurs earlier
in the year at southern latitudes. In the South Atlantic
Bight, spawning occurs from January through June with
a peak from March through May (Mercer 1989).
Spawning may also occur from September-October
(Wenner et al. 1986). Fish in the Gulf of Mexico spawn
from December through April (Hood et al. 1994).
STOCK STRUCTURE
The black sea bass population is currently managed
as three separate stocks: Mid-Atlantic, South Atlantic,
and Gulf of Mexico. The geographic dividing line for
the Mid- and South Atlantic stocks is located at Cape
Hatteras, North Carolina. The South Atlantic stock
extends to Cape Kennedy, Florida (Ginsburg 1952;
Mercer 1978; Shepherd 1991; Klein-MacPhee 2002),
while the Gulf of Mexico stock ranges from Cape
Kennedy to Texas (Bowen and Avise 1990). Ginsburg
(1952) considered fish in the Atlantic and Gulf of
Mexico to be separate species (C. striata and C.
melana, respectively) based on meristic characteristics.
Miller (1959) analyzed morphometric and meristic data
from a larger number of specimens and concluded that
the difference between populations warranted only
subspecific designations: C. striata striata and C.
striata melana. Miller’s subspecific classification has
been supported by analyses of osteological differences,
allozyme and plasma protein variation, and mtDNA
variation (Bortone 1977; Chapman 1977; Bowen and
Avise 1990).
Recently, black sea bass year class strength has
been strong in the Mid-Atlantic Bight (Atlantic States
Marine Fisheries Commission 2004). The 2002 year-
class was strong; the fourth highest since 1968; and the
2003 year-class appear to show moderate strength.
However, South Atlantic Bight black sea bass stock
appears to be declining (Harris and Sedberry 2004).
Virtual population analyses (Vaughan et al. 1995,
1998) show the South Atlantic Bight stock population
decreased from about 4 million individuals during 1979
to about 2.2 million in 1986. This trend was followed
by an increase to over 3 million in 1988 and 1989
before the population decreased to 1.4 million in 1995
(Vaughan et al. 1995, 1998). Estimates of total
mortality ranged from 1.00 in 1979 to 1.76 in 1982
(McGovern et al. 2002). In the Gulf of Mexico, black
sea bass are federally managed but the status of the
stock is unknown, which is why the Florida Fish and
Wildlife Conservation Commission is proposing to
regulate fishing practices (Florida Fish and Wildlife
Conservation Commission 2004).
FOOD HABITS
Following the completion of the yolk sac stage (~
2-d), larvae starve after three days if not exposed to
appropriate prey (microalgae and zooplankton) (Tucker
1989).
Food habits data collected during Northeast
Fisheries Science Center (NEFSC) bottom trawl
surveys [see Link and Almeida (2000) for
methodology] reveal that decapods were the dominant
Page 4
prey item for all size classes of black sea bass (Figure
2). Juveniles, which are diurnal, visual predators, prey
on benthic and epibenthic crustaceans (isopods,
amphipods, small crabs, sand shrimp, copepods,
mysids) and small fish (Richards 1963a; Kimmel 1973;
Allen et al. 1978; Link 1980; Werme 1981; Hood et al.
1994), and their diets appear to change with body size.
Bowman et al. (2000), using the same NEFSC food
habits database, but only for the years 1977-1980,
found that crustaceans dominated the diet for all size
classes of juvenile black sea bass (Table 1). Amphipods
were among the more important crustacean prey for the
smallest juveniles (1-5 cm), and although decapods
dominated the diet of fish 11-20 cm, the euphausiid,
Meganyctiphanes norvegica, was also an important
prey item for that size class. Among the important
decapod prey for juveniles were Cancer irroratus and
Crangon septemspinosa. Crustaceans are also dominant
prey for juveniles in New Jersey coastal and estuarine
areas, but fish > 110-180 mm SL incorporate fish prey
(anchovy and silversides Menidia sp.) in their diets
(Allen et al. 1978). Large juveniles in New Jersey
estuaries also feed on lady (Ovalipes sp.), blue and
xanthid crabs, as well as caridean shrimp (Festa 1979).
In lower Chesapeake Bay eelgrass beds, fish 140-165
mm TL consume juvenile blue crabs (Callinectes
sapidus) and pipefish (Syngnathus sp.), as well as
isopods, caprellid amphipods, and shrimp (Orth and
Heck 1980). Kimmel (1973) reported a dietary shift in
juveniles sampled in Magothy Bay, VA. Fish 30-90 mm
SL consumed mysids (55%) and amphipods (15%),
while juveniles 91-146 mm SL fed on larger
brachyurian and xanthid crabs (35%) as well as mysids
(19%), and polychaetes (14%). In nearshore continental
shelf habitats in the South Atlantic Bight, amphipods,
isopods and decapods are also important prey for
juveniles 50-100 mm SL while larger individuals also
consume more decapods and small fishes (Sedberry
1988).
Adult black sea bass are generalist carnivores that
feed on a variety of infaunal and epibenthic
invertebrates, especially crustaceans (including juvenile
American lobster Homarus americanus, crabs, and
shrimp) small fish, and squid (Bigelow and Schroeder
1953; Miller 1959; Richards 1963a; Mack and Bowman
1983; Hood et al. 1994; Steimle and Figley 1996). The
Bowman et al. (2000) study showed that while
crustaceans continue to be important diet items for the
adults, fish also become more significant (Table 1),
particularly for the largest black sea bass (> 40 cm),
where sand lance (Ammodytes dubius) and scup
(Stenotomus chrysops) were prominent. Sheepshead
minnow (Cyprinodon variegates) was a major diet item
for adults 36-40 cm. Decapods, and in particular, the
crab Cancer irroratus, was the major crustacean prey.
Squids are notable diet items for black sea bass 21-25
cm.
Regionally, in the Mid-Atlantic Bight, the winter
diet of adult black sea bass is poorly known, although
Bowman et al. (2000) showed that crustaceans,
especially decapods, dominated the diet in that region.
Other important prey in over wintering habitats may
include echinoderms [e.g., sand dollars
(Echinarachnius parma) and sea stars], mollusks [e.g.,
razor clams (Ensis directus)], and polychaetes; average
benthic biomasses are 50-75 g/m2 wet weight (Wigley
and Theroux 1981; Steimle 1990). Squid (Loligo sp.
and Illex sp.) and butterfish are also available during the
winter. Species co-occurring with sea bass in over
wintering habitats, including scup (Stenotomus
chrysops), may be competitors for food (Austen et al.
1994.) Bowman et al. (2000) also showed that
crustaceans, and again, especially decapods, dominated
the diet in southern New England, Georges Bank, and
inshore north of Cape Hatteras. In the South Atlantic
Bight, black sea bass diets do not vary with season
(Sedberry 1988). Fish, as well as epibenthic reef
organisms (amphipods, stomatopods, shrimp, decapods)
are dominant prey (Sedberry 1988; Bowman et al.
2000). Diets of fish in the Gulf of Mexico are similar to
those of the South Atlantic Bight population (Miller
1959; Cupka et al. 1973; Link 1980; Sedberry 1988;
Hood et al. 1994).
CO-OCCURRING SPECIES
During the summer, adult black sea bass in the
Mid-Atlantic Bight share complex coastal habitats with
other fishes including tautog (Tautoga onitis), spotted
hake (Urophycis regia), red hake (U. chuss), conger eel
(Conger oceanicus), ocean pout (Macrozoarces
americanus), pinfish (Lagodon rhomboides), northern
sea robin (Prionotus carolinus), and transients such as
gray triggerfish (Balistes capriscus) (Chee 1977;
Musick and Mercer 1977; Eklund and Targett 1991).
Butterfish (Peprilus triacanthus), smooth dogfish
(Mustelus canis), round herring (Etrumeus teres), and
windowpane flounder (Scophthalmus aquosus) co-
occur in samples with black sea bass in inshore trawl
surveys (Phoel 1985; Gabriel 1992; Brown et al. 1996).
Adult black sea bass in the South Atlantic Bight co-
occur with southern porgy and scad (Powles and Barans
1980). Grouper, vermillion snapper, and red porgy
occur on reef structures with black sea bass in the Gulf
of Mexico (McGovern et al. 2002). Competition for
food and shelter space with co-occurring species could
affect habitat quality for black sea bass on specific reef
structures.
Hartman and Brandt (1995) found black sea bass,
presumably juveniles, in the summer diets of one year
old weakfish (Cynoscion regalis) and other predators in
Chesapeake Bay.
Resource species that co-occur with black sea bass
in soft bottom over wintering habitats include scup,
Page 5
summer flounder, butterfish, squid, and American
lobster (Chang 1990; Able and Kaiser 1994).
GEOGRAPHICAL DISTRIBUTION
EGGS
Black sea bass eggs were collected during the
1978-1987 NEFSC Marine Resources Monitoring,
Assessment and Prediction (MARMAP)
ichthyoplankton surveys mostly from New Jersey to
Cape Hatteras (Figure 3). Eggs first appear in large
numbers in June, with the highest mean monthly
densities in July, August, and September, and the
highest mean monthly density in August (6.63 eggs/10
m2). Egg numbers decline sharply in October.
LARVAE
During the NEFSC MARMAP surveys, peak
months for larval abundance in the Mid-Atlantic were
from July-September, with the highest mean monthly
density in August (3.36 larvae/10 m2) (Figure 4).
Larvae first appear near Cape Hatteras and occur farther
north as the year progresses. A few larvae occur in the
Mid Atlantic Bight in November (Kendall 1972; Able
et al. 1995). Infrequent collections of larvae in deeper
water (> 200 m) water may be the result of the cross
shelf transport from near shore spawning areas and
away from high quality settlement habitats.
Larvae have been reported in high salinity coastal
areas of southern New England in August and
September (Stone et al. 1994). Black sea bass in the
near shore coastal larval assemblage were collected
within 48 km in the New York Bight during the
summer months (Cowen 1993). Larvae are abundant
on the inner shelf outside Chesapeake Bay but not in
association with estuarine plume water (Reiss and
McConaugha 1999). Larvae may be more abundant in
subsurface than in surface plankton tows in June near
the mouth of Chesapeake Bay (Pearson 1941). Larval
black sea bass also occur in surf zone plankton
collections from northern New Jersey (Burlas et al.
2001).
While black sea bass larvae are collected close to
shore on the continental shelf, they rarely occur within
estuaries. Larvae are not reported in Delaware Bay
(Wang and Kernehan 1979), Great Bay, NJ (Able and
Fahay 1998), or the Hudson-Raritan Estuary (Croker
1965; Dovel 1981). Few larvae are collected in Cape
Cod Bay (Scherer 1984), Narragansett Bay (Herman
1962; Bourne and Govoni 1988), and other southern
New England estuaries (Stone et al. 1994). Both eggs
and larvae have not been collected in Mystic River
estuary (Connecticut) (Pearcy and Richards 1962).
Black sea bass larvae occurred in the Indian River
estuary (Delaware) during one of three survey years
(Pacheco and Grant 1965) but were absent in a
subsequent two-year survey of the estuary (Scotton
1970; Derickson and Price 1973; Klein-MacPhee
2002). Able et al. (1995) speculated that most larvae
settle in near shore continental shelf habitats and then
move into estuarine nurseries where post-settlement
stage juveniles can be abundant.
JUVENILES
Because black sea bass are generally associated
with structurally complex habitats and steep depth
gradients, patterns of habitat specific distribution are
not well described using standard trawl surveys. Black
sea bass also use a variety of man-made habitats
including artificial reefs, shipwrecks, bridge abutments,
piers, pilings, jetties, groins, submerged pipes and
culverts, navigation aids, anchorages, rip-rap barriers,
fish and lobster traps, and rough bottom along the sides
of navigation channels. The NEFSC and state trawl
surveys avoid excessively rough bottom, shipwrecks,
and reefs, or use roller gear, and thus under-sample fish
that use structurally complex habitats. Furthermore
these surveys avoid sampling in shallow coastal
habitats where black sea bass may be abundant during
juvenile life history stages. Thus habitat specific
patterns of distribution derived from trawl survey data
should be viewed with caution.
The distributions and abundances of juvenile black
sea bass collected during NEFSC bottom trawl surveys
from the Gulf of Maine to Cape Hatteras are shown in
Figure 5. Note that winter and summer distributions are
presented as presence data only. In winter they occurred
mostly offshore on the shelf in the Mid-Atlantic and
southern New England between the 50-200 m isobaths.
In the spring the highest numbers are found off
Chesapeake Bay and Cape Hatteras near the 200 m
isobath, small numbers also occur inshore. In summer,
the few juveniles that were present were found mostly
nearshore from Delaware Bay to Cape Hatteras. In the
fall, the highest numbers were found nearshore in
southern New England around Buzzards Bay, Rhode
Island Sound, and the tip of Long Island, as well as at
the mouth of the Hudson-Raritan estuary; high numbers
were also found in the nearshore Mid-Atlantic from
Delaware Bay to Cape Hatteras (Figure 5).
Recently settled juveniles have been reported near
the mouths of large estuaries from North Carolina to
southern Cape Cod, and occasionally into the southern
Gulf of Maine. At many locations, juvenile recruitment
shows strong inter-annual variability (Adams 1993;
Able et al. 1995) which may indicate that
Page 6
meteorological forcing and other “stochastic” factors
strongly affect the transport and recruitment of larvae to
specific settlement habitats.
Juveniles appear to be most abundant in oceanic
waters and polyhaline regions of many estuaries, but
can occur at salinities as low as 8 ppt. Juveniles can be
relatively common in estuaries south of Cape Cod, and
are found in estuaries such as Narragansett Bay, Long
Island Sound, the Hudson-Raritan estuary, Great Bay
(NJ), Delaware Bay, Chesapeake Bay and tributaries, as
well as many estuaries farther south (Bean 1902;
Sherwood and Edwards 1902; Mansueti 1955; Richards
1963a, b; Kimmel 1973; Allen et al. 1978; Chesapeake
Bay Program 1996; Wilk et al. 1997; Able and Fahay
1998; Geer 2002; Gottschall et al. 2000).
The distributions and abundances of juveniles in
Massachusetts coastal waters, based upon the spring
and fall 1978-2003 Massachusetts inshore trawl
surveys, are shown in Figure 6. Small numbers were
found mostly in Buzzards Bay and around Martha’s
Vineyard in the spring, in contrast to the fall, where
very high numbers were found in the Bay and south of
Cape Cod; a large catch was found on the eastern tip of
Martha’s Vineyard.
The seasonal distributions and abundances of
juveniles in Narragansett Bay from 1990-1996, based
on the Rhode Island bottom trawl surveys, are shown in
Figure 7. They were not very common in the Bay; the
largest mean catch (1.3 individuals/tow) occurred in
summer in Mount Hope Bay.
The distributions and abundances of both juvenile
and adult black sea bass in Long Island Sound from
April to November 1984-1994, based on the
Connecticut Fisheries Division bottom trawl surveys
(Gottschall et al. 2000), are shown in Figures 8, 9, and
10. The size range of black sea bass captured in the
survey ranged from 5-57 cm (Figure 8), with the
majority of juveniles captured in October and
November (84% and 57% respectively), many of which
were YOY (< 10 cm) (Gottschall et al. 2000). Most
black sea bass taken from May through August were
adults. The following description of their distributions
relative to depth and bottom type is taken from
Gottschall et al. (2000).
During May and June, when black sea bass were
most commonly encountered (about 13.6% occurrence),
they were mostly captured on the Mattituck Sill and
along the Connecticut side of the Sound from Norwalk
to Guilford (Figure 9). In contrast, during the summer,
sea bass were found almost exclusively among sand
wave formations on the Mattituck Sill in depths
between 18-27 m. During the fall, they were once again
more dispersed; however, during September they were
taken only in depths < 27 m, whereas in October and
November abundance was highest in depths > 27 m
(Figure 10C) (Gottschall et al. 2000).
Surveys of the Hudson-Raritan estuary (1992-
1997) show that juveniles were found from spring
through fall, and the highest numbers were concentrated
mainly around the center of Raritan Bay in summer and
fall (Figure 11).
The Virginia Institute of Marine Science (VIMS)
trawl surveys from 1988-1999 of Chesapeake Bay and
its tributaries showed that black sea bass was common
in the lower Bay and James River, although they were
rarely captured in large numbers (Geer 2002). The trawl
survey caught 4,907 juveniles and 1,832 adults, with a
size range from 2.0-35.4 cm (mean = 10.9 cm).
Juveniles were common throughout the Bay and lower
portions of the James and York Rivers during spring
and summer (April to July) (Figures 12 and 13). Small
juveniles (> 7.0 cm) first recruited to the gear in
August, so Geer (2002) considered this month to be the
beginning of the biological year. Juveniles migrated
offshore in the winter and returned to the Bay the
following spring at a maximum length of 11 cm. By
July it was assumed that YOY fish are a maximum of
17.5 cm (Geer 2002).
The VIMS 1994-1999 beach seine surveys of
Chesapeake Bay showed that juvenile black sea bass
was uncommon, with only 98 fish captured, ranging in
size from 2.2-15.3 cm (mean = 7.4 cm) (Geer 2002).
The catch peaked during May (Figure 14), primarily
along the ocean sites (Figure 15).
ADULTS
The distributions and abundances of adult black sea
bass collected during NEFSC bottom trawl surveys are
shown in Figure 16. Note again that winter and summer
distributions are presented as presence data only. In
winter they were found offshore near the 200 m isobath
from southern New England to Cape Hatteras. High
numbers were also found along the 200 m isobath in
spring, with comparatively small numbers scattered
along the Mid-Atlantic coast. In summer, the adults
were found mostly closer to shore from the Delmarva
peninsula to Cape Hatteras, In the fall, relatively small
numbers were found along the coast of southern New
England and Mid-Atlantic, but occurred farther
offshore towards the Delmarva peninsula and Cape
Hatteras; some higher numbers were found near the 200
m isobath off Virginia.
During the spring 1978-2003 Massachusetts
inshore trawl surveys (Figure 17), adults were mostly
found south of Cape Cod, around the islands, and in
Buzzards Bay, with the highest numbers near Nantucket
Island and south of the Cape in Nantucket Sound.
Distributions were similar in the fall, with the highest
numbers occurring in Nantucket Sound and in Buzzards
Bay.
Very few adults were found in Narragansett Bay;
none were found in winter (Figure 18).
The distributions and abundances of both juvenile
and adult black sea bass in Long Island Sound, based
Page 7
on Gottschall et al. (2000), were discussed previously.
Very few adults were found in the Hudson-Raritan
estuary (Figure 19); those few that were present were
found mostly around the middle of Raritan Bay. None
were found in winter.
The VIMS trawl and beach seine surveys of
Chesapeake Bay and tributaries show that adults were
more common during the latter part of the summer and
into the fall on the eastern side of the Bay (Figures 12
and 20) (Geer 2002).
HABITAT CHARACTERISTICS
EGGS
In the laboratory, the incubation period is 38 h at
23oC (Hoff 1970) and approximately 120 hrs at a
temperature of 15oC (Kendall 1972). Eggs are sensitive
to high salinity, low pH, high nitrite-nitrate
concentrations, and temperature extremes.
During the MARMAP ichthyoplankton surveys,
eggs were collected mostly between temperatures of
about 10-25oC (Figure 21). During July through
September, the months of highest mean monthly
densities, most of the eggs were found at increasing
temperatures over the three months: for July, about 16-
22oC; for August, about 17-24oC; and for September,
about 17-21oC. Their depth range over the period of the
survey was between 10-375 m (Figure 21); however,
overall they were found in relatively shallow depths.
During July through September, the majority of eggs
were found at 30 m.
LARVAE
Larval growth and development rates are inversely
temperature dependant. In the laboratory, larval
duration is 24 days at 18°C and 21 days at 22°C
(Berlinsky et al. 2000). At 22°C, larvae grew from 3.5
0.1 to 12.2 0.6 mm in about 18 days, which was
significantly faster than those cultured at 18°C
(Berlinsky et al. 2000). Growth was significantly higher
in greenwater (algae-water) than in cultures without
greenwater.
During the MARMAP ichthyoplankton surveys,
larvae were collected between temperatures of 11-26oC
(Figure 22). During July through September, the
months of highest mean monthly densities, most larvae
were found at about 15-19oC in July, at 15-20oC in
August, and in 17-21oC in September. During the
survey period they were found over a depth range
between 10 m to > 2000 m (Figure 22); however, as
with the eggs, the majority were found in shallow
depths. During July through September, most were
found at 30-50 m.
JUVENILES
Structural complexity appears to be essential
component of juvenile black sea bass habitat in offshore
as well as inshore nurseries throughout the species
range. In offshore areas, recently settled fish occur in
accumulations of shell on sand substrata, complex
microtopographies on exposed clay, on rocky reefs, and
on wrecks (Able et al. 1995). Because eggs and larvae
are largely absent in estuaries, Able et al. (1995)
speculated that primary black sea bass settlement
habitats were probably located along the near shore
continental shelf in accumulations of the shells of
bivalves, including Atlantic surf clams (Spisula
solidissima). Large numbers of newly settled black sea
bass were observed on sandy substrates with shell
fragments adjacent to an artificial reef 15 km off the
coast of Virginia-North Carolina (Adams 1993).
Settlers were also observed on the reef. Within
estuaries, young fish use shallow shellfish (oyster and
mussel), sponge (including Microciona prolifera),
amphipod (Ampelisca abdita), seagrass beds (especially
Ruppia sp.), and cobble habitats as well as manmade
structures such as wharves, pilings, wrecks, reefs, crab
and conch pots (Bean 1888; Moore 1892; Sherwood
and Edwards 1902; Hildebrand and Schroeder 1928;
Arve 1960; Kendall 1972; Derickson and Price 1973;
Musick and Mercer 1977; Clayton et al. 1978;
Weinstein and Brooks 1983; Feigenbaum et al. 1989;
Able et al. 1995). Early juveniles are rare on un-
vegetated sandy intertidal flats and beaches (Allen et al.
1978) as well as deeper, muddy bottoms (Richards
1963b). Juveniles are primarily associated with shell
bottom throughout the year in the lower reaches of a
Georgia estuary (Dahlberg 1972).
Juvenile black sea bass display extremely high site
fidelity. Recapture rates of tagged juveniles 34-111mm
TL (N = ~ 700) ranged from 20% to 30%, and 99% of
recaptured fish occurred within 30 m of a release site in
a New Jersey estuary (Able and Hales 1997). Young
fish may be territorial and defend structured habitat
from con-specifics (Werme 1981; Able and Fahay
1998). Like many reef species, juvenile recruitment
strength for black sea bass may be strongly affected by
the availability of shelters that serve as predation
refuges (Huntsman et al. 1983; Richards and Lindeman
1987). Arve (1960) attributed black sea bass stock
declines in the late 1950s in Chincoteague Bay, MD to
declines in oyster populations that provided important
shelter habitat for juveniles. Oysters, once common but
now effectively extinct in Raritan Bay, NY and NJ,
were once important juvenile black sea bass habitat in
that estuary (Nichols and Breder 1927).
Page 8
In the Mid and South Atlantic Bights, black sea
bass nursery habitats occur at depths < 50 m (Sedberry
et al. 1998). Most nurseries are located at depths < 20
m (Sedberry et al. 1998). Juvenile depth distributions
appear to increase with age and body size (Kendall
1977; Musick and Mercer 1977). Within estuaries,
older juveniles use habitats < 10 m deep but the YOY
are collected in shallower shoal habitats (1 m) (Musick
and Mercer 1977). Older juveniles use deeper estuarine
channels (Bean 1888; de Sylva et al. 1962; Richards
and Castagna 1970; Zawacki 1976; Allen et al. 1978;
Szedlmayer and Able 1996), jetties (Schwartz 1964),
and bridge abutments (Allen et al. 1978).
Laboratory studies show that growth rates of
juvenile black sea bass vary with temperature, salinity,
dissolved oxygen and prey quality (Berlinsky et al.
2000). Several studies have shown that juveniles grow
most rapidly at intermediate salinities. Fish exposed to
a salinity of 20 ppt showed higher growth than those
exposed to 10 and 32 ppt in the laboratory (Berlinskiy
et al. 2000). Optimal salinities for the growth of fish
appear to be similar in the South Atlantic Bight (Cotton
et al. 2003). Osmoregulatory costs are reduced for fish
at intermediate salinities. High growth at polyhaline
salinities may indicate that habitat suitability is higher
in the lower reaches of estuaries and shelf areas under
estuarine influence, than offshore nurseries, but
experimental comparisons of habitat suitability in
estuarine and continental shelf nursery habitats has not
been performed.
In the South Atlantic Bight, fish 20-140 mm SL are
most abundant on reefs where salinities exceed 30 ppt,
but have been collected in estuarine regions where
salinities are as low as 9 ppt (Cupka et al. 1973). In the
St. John’s River, FL, young-of the year black sea bass
(28-71 mm TL) are primarily associated with salinities
ranging from 15-25 ppt (Tagatz 1967). However, larger
juveniles can occur in estuarine reaches where salinities
are as low as 8-13 ppt. Juveniles were generally most
abundant in the lower reaches of a Georgia estuary
where salinities are > 30 ppt (Dahlberg 1972).
Hales and Able (1995) showed that laboratory
exposure to short term periods of low dissolved oxygen
result in poor growth and significant mortality in age-0
and 1+ black sea bass. In their study fish did not grow
and showed respiratory distress and reduced feeding
when exposed to oxygen concentrations < 2 ppm. In
contrast exposure to ~ 6 ppm produced significantly
positive growth rates (0.3% d TL). Fifty percent
mortality occurred after short-term exposure to ~1 ppm.
The authors speculated that conditions producing
episodes of hypoxia near continental shelf settlement
habitats could depress juvenile recruitment in some
areas.
In the laboratory, juvenile black sea bass showed
100% mortality when exposed to temperatures of 2-3°C
in seawater pumped from a New Jersey estuary.
Temperatures < 6°C resulted in increased shelter use
and burial behavior and feeding decreased dramatically
at values < 4°C (Able and Hales 1997). These data are
consistent with early observations of juvenile mortality
during episodic cold temperatures in shallow nursery
areas in southern New England (Baird 1873). The fall
migration of juvenile black sea bass from shallow
estuarine and coastal nursery habitats to deeper offshore
waters in the Mid-Atlantic Bight appears to be triggered
by declining temperatures. Juveniles begin to move into
deeper warmer offshore water as temperatures decline
below 14oC, and few individuals are collected in
shallow areas when temperatures fall below 6oC (Able
and Fahay 1998; Klein-MacPhee 2002). In the Mid-
Atlantic Bight, juveniles return to nearshore and
estuarine habitats in the spring and are collected as
early as March in the Chesapeake Bay region (Kimmel
1973).
Juveniles (20-140 mm SL) are collected at
temperatures ranging from 6-30oC in the South Atlantic
Bight (Cupka et al. 1973). In North Carolina, young-of
the year (30-50 mm SL) are abundant along inshore
jetties at temperatures 6-29°C (Link 1980; Schwartz et
al. 1981). Young of the year fish (28-71 mm FL) are
also collected in June and July at temperatures ranging
from 26.6-27.4oC in the Saint John’s River, Florida
(Tagatz 1967). During the winter and spring, larger
juveniles (91-176 mm FL) occur at temperatures
between 11.0-17.4oC in the estuary.
The spring and fall distributions of juvenile black
sea bass relative to bottom water temperature, depth,
and salinity based on 1963-2003 NEFSC bottom trawl
surveys from the Gulf of Maine to Cape Hatteras are
shown in Figure 23. In the spring, they were found over
a temperature range of 4-18°C, with most spread
between about 8-15°C and a peak in catch at 12°C.
They were found at depths ranging from 1-400 m; there
were peaks in the catch at 101-140 m. Their salinity
range was between 28-36 ppt, with the majority spread
between 33-35 ppt. In the fall, the juveniles were spread
over a warmer temperature range than in the spring: 7-
28°C, with the majority found at temperatures > 15°C.
They were also found at shallower depths than in the
spring, with a range from 1 m to about 140 m, with
most found between 11-40 m. Their salinity range was
between 29-36 ppt, with the majority at 31-33 ppt.
The spring and autumn distributions of juvenile
black sea bass in Massachusetts coastal waters relative
to bottom water temperature and depth based on 1978-
2003 Massachusetts inshore trawl surveys are shown in
Figure 24. The few that were found in spring were
found over a temperature range of 9-12°C and a depth
range of 6-35 m. The much larger numbers that were
found in the fall were found over a higher temperature
range of about 10-22°C, with most between 17-21°C.
Their depth range during that season was between 1-35
m, with the majority between 6-15 m.
The seasonal distributions of the few juveniles
found in Narragansett Bay, relative to bottom water
temperature and depth, based on 1990-1996 Rhode
Island Narragansett Bay trawl surveys are shown in
Page 9
Figure 25. In the spring they were found in 11ºC
waters, in summer almost all were found at 24ºC, and in
the fall they were found at a temperature range of 14-
22ºC. Juvenile black sea bass were found at depths of
30-40 ft (9-12 m) in the spring, 10-30 ft (3-9 m) in the
summer, and from 10 ft to about 70 ft (21 m) in the fall,
with most found in that latter season at 30-40 ft.
The distributions and abundances of both juveniles
and adults in Long Island Sound relative to depth were
discussed previously, and can be seen, along with their
relation to bottom type, in Figure 10 (Gottschall et al.
2000).
The distributions of juvenile black sea bass relative
to bottom water temperature, dissolved oxygen, depth,
and salinity based on 1992-1997 NEFSC Hudson-
Raritan estuary trawl surveys are shown in Figure 26.
Over the entire survey, juveniles were found in waters
ranging from 3-23ºC, with higher percentages found at
temperatures > 15ºC. They were found in dissolved
oxygen levels of 4-11 mg/l, with most between 5-7
mg/l. They were found over a depth range of 10-75 ft
(3-23 m), most were found at relatively shallow depths
from approximately 20-50 ft (6-15 m). Juveniles were
found in salinities ranging from 20-33 ppt, with the
majority found at 25-27 ppt.
The hydrographic preferences of juveniles in
Chesapeake Bay and tributaries from the 1988-1999
VIMS trawl surveys are shown in Figure 27 (all years
and months combined). According to Geer (2002), most
juveniles were caught at dissolved oxygen levels of 5-8
mg/l, at temperatures > 16ºC, at salinities > 18 ppt, and
at depths > 8 m, (Figure 27). The hydrographic
preferences of juveniles caught in the 1994-1999 seine
surveys are shown in Figure 28 (all years and months
combined). Geer (2002) suggests that the majority were
caught in slighter higher temperatures than that of the
trawl survey, which may be due to sampling only
during months where water temperatures are fairly
warm. Most juveniles were also caught in higher
salinity waters, with nearly 90% of the catch occurring
in waters > 26 ppt (Figure 28). The majority of
juveniles caught in the seine surveys were found at
dissolved oxygen levels of both 3 mg/l and 6-7 mg/l,
and at pH levels of 7.4-8.2.
ADULTS
As stated previously, black sea bass are strongly
associated with structurally complex habitats, including
rocky reefs, cobble and rock fields, stone coral patches,
exposed stiff clay, and mussel beds (see the Life
History section for further discussion).
Over wintering habitats in the Mid-Atlantic Bight
appear to occur at depths between 60-150 m (range: 30-
410 m) (Musick and Mercer 1977). Some fish may also
over winter in deep water (> 80 m) off southern New
England (Bigelow and Schroeder 1953; Chang 1990;
Kolek 1990). Larger fish, that are generally male, occur
in deeper water (Nesbit and Neville 1935; Musick and
Mercer 1977; Able et al. 1995). Potential over
wintering habitat may be defined by bottom water
temperatures > 7.5 C (Neville and Talbot 1964;
Colvocoresses and Musick 1984). The lowest bottom
temperatures recorded in the depth range inhabited by
adult black sea bass off South Carolina was 5.6°C
(Walford and Wicklund 1968). Adult fish exposed to
temperatures near 6°C become inactive and were often
found resting in holes and crevices (Adams 1993).
Schwartz (1964) showed that adult black sea bass
stopped feeding when exposed to a temperature of 8°C
(salinity = 15 ppt) and died when temperatures were
reduced below 2°C. Fish may not over winter in South
Atlantic Bight estuaries in the northern part of the
region, except during warm winters. Adult sea bass
burrow into soft sediments during particularly cold
winters off the coast of North and South Carolina
(Parker 1990). Winter association of black sea bass
with soft substrata on the continental shelf in the Mid-
Atlantic Bight (Wigley and Theroux 1981) could be
related to winter burial.
In the South Atlantic Bight, black sea bass occur in
habitats 10-120 m deep but are most abundant between
20-60 m and occur at temperatures below 29°C
(Struhsaker 1969; Link 1980). In the Gulf of Mexico
they occur at depths of 7.3-18.3 m, and are most
abundant between Tampa and Apalachee Bay
(Godcharles 1970; Powers et al. 2003). Larger fish are
generally found in deeper habitats than smaller fish
(Musick and Mercer 1977). Fish have been collected at
relatively low salinities (range: 1-36 ppt) in North
Carolina estuaries but are most frequent where values
exceed 14 ppt (Link 1980). Salinity ranges for fish in
Gulf of Mexico and South Atlantic Bight estuaries are
similar (Springer and Woodburn 1960).
Adult black sea bass also appear to be vulnerable to
low dissolved oxygen stress. Episodic hypoxia in the
New York Bight has resulted in mortality for fish and
benthic invertebrates, and avoidance on the nearshore
continental shelf (Ogren and Chess 1969; Azarovitz et
al. 1979; Steimle and Radosh 1979). During such
events commercial fishermen and sport divers have
reported the disappearance and mortality of black sea
bass and other fishes from shipwrecks and artificial
reefs near the New Jersey coast. These hypoxic
conditions are produced by meteorologically driven
upwelling events that are followed by early and strong
water column stratification that result in an unusually
large dinoflagellate blooms. The transport of nutrients
from the Hudson River estuary to the nearshore
continental shelf may also be important. The Asbury
Park Press (NJ) newspaper reported black sea bass
mortality in an area where dissolved oxygen
concentrations fell below 2 ppm off the New Jersey
coast in June of 1997, which followed coastal
upwelling.
Page 10
The spring and fall distributions of adult black sea
bass relative to bottom water temperature, depth, and
salinity based on 1963-2003 NEFSC bottom trawl
surveys are shown in Figure 29. In the spring, they were
found over a temperature range of about 3-21°C, with
most at 9-12°C. Their depth range was 1-400 m with
higher percentages concentrated between 61-140 m.
They were found in a salinity range of 32-36 ppt, with
the majority between 34-35 ppt. In the fall, adults were
spread over a warmer temperature range of 8-28°C,
with most spread between about 16-27°C. Their depth
range was shallower than in the spring: from 1m to
greater than 160 m, with the majority at 11-40 m. Their
salinity range was between 30-36 ppt, with the majority
at 31-32 ppt.
The spring and autumn distributions of adults in
Massachusetts coastal waters relative to bottom water
temperature and depth are shown in Figure 30. In spring
they were found over at temperature range of 3-17°C,
with the majority at 10-14°C. Their depth range during
the spring survey was from 1-65 m, with most between
6-25 m. The adults were found at warmer temperatures
in the fall, being found over a range of approximately
8-22°C, with the majority between 16-21°C. Almost all
were found between depths of 6-20 m.
The seasonal distributions of the few adults found
in Narragansett Bay, relative to bottom water
temperature and depth, are shown in Figure 31. In the
spring they were mostly found in 13-14ºC waters, in
summer they were found in a temperature range of 15-
24ºC, with peaks at 91-20ºC, and in the fall the majority
were at 19-20ºC. Adults were found mostly at a depth
of 100 ft (30 m) in the spring, 20-80 ft (6-24 m) in the
summer, and from 30-50 ft (9-15 m) and from 100-110
ft (30-34 m) in the fall.
The distributions and abundances of both juveniles
and adults in Long Island Sound relative to depth were
discussed previously, and can be seen, along with their
relation to bottom type, in Figure 10 (Gottschall et al.
2000).
The distributions of the few adults found in the
Hudson-Raritan estuary, relative to bottom water
temperature, dissolved oxygen, depth, and salinity are
shown in Figure 32. Over the entire survey, adults were
found in a temperature range of 11-23ºC, in a depth
range of about 15-65 ft (5-20 m), and were spread over
a salinity range spread 20-33 ppt. The majority were
found at a dissolved oxygen level of 7mg/l.
In Chesapeake Bay and its tributaries, adults had
similar hydrographic preferences to the juveniles in the
VIMS trawl surveys (Figure 33) (Geer 2002).
RESEARCH NEEDS
Studies examining hydrographic mechanisms and
larval behaviors controlling larval transport from
adult spawning and settlement habitats, including
effects of hydrographic processes on the spatial
characteristics of settlement habitats and on inter-
annual variation in local early juvenile recruitment
Studies of the mechanisms determining successful
migration from offshore settlement to estuarine
nursery grounds.
Comparative studies of the functional habitat
quality of coastal ocean and estuarine nursery
grounds.
All aspects of reproductive biology and behavior
including the spatial and environmental
characteristics of primary spawning habitats,
factors controlling sexual transition, and density
dependent reproductive success.
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Page 17
Table 1. Diet composition of black sea bass by fish length category. Data expressed as percentage of stomach content by
weight. Squared brackets indicate major taxon subtotal; parentheses indicate minor taxon subtotal. Source: Bowman et
al. (2000); from NEFSC groundfish surveys, 1977-1980.
Page 18
Table 2. Diet composition of black sea bass by geographic area. Data expressed as percentage of stomach content by
weight. Squared brackets indicate major taxon subtotal; parentheses indicate minor taxon subtotal. Source: Bowman et
al. (2000); from NEFSC groundfish surveys, 1977-1980.
Page 19
Figure 1. The black sea bass, Centropristis striata (from Goode 1884).
Page 20
<=25 cm
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
AmphipodsAnchoviesAscidiansBivalvesClupeidsCnidariansDecapodsEuphasiidsGadidsGastropodsMisc.CrustaceansMyctophidsOther FishPolychaetesSerranidsSparidsSquidsWellDigestedPreyPercent26-50 cm
0
5
10
15
20
25
30
35
40
45
50
AmphipodsAnchoviesAscidiansBivalvesBivalvesCnidariansDecapodsGadidsGastropodsGastropodsMisc.CrustaceansMyctophidsOther FishPolychaetesSerranidsSparidsSquidsWellDigestedPreyPercentDiet Composition of Major Prey Items
Figure 2. Percent by weight of the major prey items in the diet of two size categories of black sea bass. Specimens were
collected during NEFSC bottom trawl surveys from 1973-2001 (all seasons). For details on NEFSC diet analysis, see
Link and Almeida (2000).
Page 21
76 75 74 73 72 71 70 69 68 67 66 65
35
36
37
38
39
40
41
42
43
44
45
Black Sea Bass
(Centropristis striata)
Eggs
MARMAP Ichthyoplankton Surveys
61-cm Bongo Net; 0.505-mm mesh
1978 to 1987
(Jan, Apr, May, Jun,
Jul, Aug, Sep, Oct)
Number of Tows = 6682; with eggs = 376
Eggs / 10m2
1 to <10
10 to <100
100 to 535
Figure 3. Distributions and abundances of black sea bass eggs collected during NEFSC MARMAP ichthyoplankton
surveys, for all available months and years from 1978-1987 combined.
Page 22
76 75 74 73 72 71 70 69 68 67 66 65
35
36
37
38
39
40
41
42
43
44
45
Black Sea Bass
(Centropristis striata)
Eggs
MARMAP Ichthyoplankton Surveys
61-cm Bongo Net; 0.505-mm mesh
January; 1978 to 1987
Number of Tows = 433; with eggs = 1
Monthly Mean Density = 0.023 Eggs/10m2
Eggs / 10m2
None
1 to <10
10
76 75 74 73 72 71 70 69 68 67 66 65
35
36
37
38
39
40
41
42
43
44
45
Black Sea Bass
(Centropristis striata)
Eggs
MARMAP Ichthyoplankton Surveys
61-cm Bongo Net; 0.505-mm mesh
April; 1978 to 1987
Number of Tows = 1020; with eggs = 1
Monthly Mean Density = 0.003 Eggs/10m2
None
Eggs / 10m2
1 to 3
76 75 74 73 72 71 70 69 68 67 66 65
35
36
37
38
39
40
41
42
43
44
45
Black Sea Bass
(Centropristis striata)
Eggs
MARMAP Ichthyoplankton Surveys
61-cm Bongo Net; 0.505-mm mesh
May; 1978 to 1987
Number of Tows = 1085; with eggs = 23
Monthly Mean Density = 0.694 Eggs/10m2
Eggs / 10m 2
None
1 to <10
10 to <100
100 to 177
76 75 74 73 72 71 70 69 68 67 66 65
35
36
37
38
39
40
41
42
43
44
45
Black Sea Bass
(Centropristis striata)
Eggs
MARMAP Ichthyoplankton Surveys
61-cm Bongo Net; 0.505-mm mesh
June; 1978 to 1987
Number of Tows = 709; with eggs = 43
Monthly Mean Density = 2.713 Eggs/10m2
Eggs / 10m2
None
1 to <10
10 to <100
100 to 199
Figure 3. Cont’d.
From MARMAP ichthyoplankton surveys, January, April, May, and June, 1978-1987.
Page 23
76 75 74 73 72 71 70 69 68 67 66 65
35
36
37
38
39
40
41
42
43
44
45
Black Sea Bass
(Centropristis striata)
Eggs
MARMAP Ichthyoplankton Surveys
61-cm Bongo Net; 0.505-mm mesh
July; 1978 to 1987
Number of Tows = 781; with eggs = 83
Monthly Mean Density = 3.892 Eggs/10m2
Eggs / 10m2
None
1 to <10
10 to <100
100 to 184
76 75 74 73 72 71 70 69 68 67 66 65
35
36
37
38
39
40
41
42
43
44
45
Black Sea Bass
(Centropristis striata)
Eggs
MARMAP Ichthyoplankton Surveys
61-cm Bongo Net; 0.505-mm mesh
August; 1978 to 1987
Number of Tows = 863; with eggs = 120
Monthly Mean Density = 6.630 Eggs/10m2
Eggs / 10m2
None
1 to <10
10 to <100
100 to 535
76 75 74 73 72 71 70 69 68 67 66 65
35
36
37
38
39
40
41
42
43
44
45
Black Sea Bass
(Centropristis striata)
Eggs
MARMAP Ichthyoplankton Surveys
61-cm Bongo Net; 0.505-mm mesh
September; 1978 to 1987
Number of Tows = 747; with eggs = 89
Monthly Mean Density = 3.331 Eggs/10m2
Eggs / 10m2
None
1 to <10
10 to <100
100 to 208
76 75 74 73 72 71 70 69 68 67 66 65
35
36
37
38
39
40
41
42
43
44
45
Black Sea Bass
(Centropristis striata)
Eggs
MARMAP Ichthyoplankton Surveys
61-cm Bongo Net; 0.505-mm mesh
October; 1978 to 1987
Number of Tows = 1044; with eggs = 16
Monthly Mean Density = 0.154 Eggs/10m2
Eggs / 10m2
None
1 to <10
10 to 41
Figure 3. Cont’d.
From MARMAP ichthyoplankton surveys, July through October, 1978-1987.
Page 24
Black Sea Bass
Larvae, <13mm length
(Centropristis striata)
MARMAP Ichthyoplankton Surveys
61-cm Bongo Net; 0.505-mm mesh
1977 to 1987
(Jan, Mar, Apr, May, Jun,
Jul, Aug, Sep, Oct, Nov)
Number of Tows = 10149; with larvae = 376
76 75 74 73 72 71 70 69 68 67 66 65
35
36
37
38
39
40
41
42
43
44
45
Larvae / 10m2
1 to <10
10 to <100
100 to 295
Figure 4. Distributions and abundances of black sea bass larvae collected during NEFSC MARMAP ichthyoplankton
surveys, for all available months and years from 1977-1987 combined.
Page 25
76 75 74 73 72 71 70 69 68 67 66 65
35
36
37
38
39
40
41
42
43
44
45
Black Sea Bass
Larvae, <13mm length
(Centropristis striata)
MARMAP Ichthyoplankton Surveys
61-cm Bongo Net; 0.505-mm mesh
January; 1977 to 1987
Number of Tows = 434; with larvae = 5
Monthly Mean Density = 0.066 Larvae/10m2
Larvae / 10m2
None
1 to <10
10 to 15
76 75 74 73 72 71 70 69 68 67 66 65
35
36
37
38
39
40
41
42
43
44
45
Black Sea Bass
Larvae, <13mm length
(Centropristis striata)
MARMAP Ichthyoplankton Surveys
61-cm Bongo Net; 0.505-mm mesh
March; 1977 to 1987
Number of Tows = 1031; with larvae = 1
Monthly Mean Density = 0.002 Larvae/10m2
Larvae / 10m2
None
1 to 3
76 75 74 73 72 71 70 69 68 67 66 65
35
36
37
38
39
40
41
42
43
44
45
Black Sea Bass
Larvae, <13mm length
(Centropristis striata)
MARMAP Ichthyoplankton Surveys
61-cm Bongo Net; 0.505-mm mesh
April; 1977 to 1987
Number of Tows = 1281; with larvae = 10
Monthly Mean Density = 0.128 Larvae/10m2
Larvae / 10m2
None
1 to <10
10 to 59
76 75 74 73 72 71 70 69 68 67 66 65
35
36
37
38
39
40
41
42
43
44
45
Black Sea Bass
Larvae, <13mm length
(Centropristis striata)
MARMAP Ichthyoplankton Surveys
61-cm Bongo Net; 0.505-mm mesh
May; 1977 to 1987
Number of Tows = 1472; with larvae = 10
Monthly Mean Density = 0.066 Larvae/10m2
Larvae / 10m2
None
1 to <10
10 to 24
Figure 4. Cont’d.
From MARMAP ichthyoplankton surveys, January, March April, and May, 1977-1987.
Page 26
76 75 74 73 72 71 70 69 68 67 66 65
35
36
37
38
39
40
41
42
43
44
45
Black Sea Bass
Larvae, <13mm length
(Centropristis striata)
MARMAP Ichthyoplankton Surveys
61-cm Bongo Net; 0.505-mm mesh
June; 1977 to 1987
Number of Tows = 893; with larvae = 21
Monthly Mean Density = 0.252 Larvae/10m2
Larvae / 10m2
None
1 to <10
10 to 42
76 75 74 73 72 71 70 69 68 67 66 65
35
36
37
38
39
40
41
42
43
44
45
Black Sea Bass
Larvae, <13mm length
(Centropristis striata)
MARMAP Ichthyoplankton Surveys
61-cm Bongo Net; 0.505-mm mesh
July; 1977 to 1987
Number of Tows = 938; with larvae = 59
Monthly Mean Density = 1.062 Larvae/10m2
Larvae / 10m2
None
1 to <10
10 to <100
100 to 170
76 75 74 73 72 71 70 69 68 67 66 65
35
36
37
38
39
40
41
42
43
44
45
Black Sea Bass
Larvae, <13mm length
(Centropristis striata)
MARMAP Ichthyoplankton Surveys
61-cm Bongo Net; 0.505-mm mesh
August; 1977 to 1987
Number of Tows = 1148; with larvae = 159
Monthly Mean Density = 3.364 Larvae/10m2
Larvae / 10m2
None
1 to <10
10 to <100
100 to 295
76 75 74 73 72 71 70 69 68 67 66 65
35
36
37
38
39
40
41
42
43
44
45
Black Sea Bass
Larvae, <13mm length
(Centropristis striata)
MARMAP Ichthyoplankton Surveys
61-cm Bongo Net; 0.505-mm mesh
September; 1977 to 1987
Number of Tows = 774; with larvae = 79
Monthly Mean Density = 1.734 Larvae/10m2
Larvae / 10m2
None
1 to <10
10 to <100
100 to 255
Figure 4. Cont’d.
From MARMAP ichthyoplankton surveys, June through September, 1977-1987.
Page 27
76 75 74 73 72 71 70 69 68 67 66 65
35
36
37
38
39
40
41
42
43
44
45
Black Sea Bass
Larvae, <13mm length
(Centropristis striata)
MARMAP Ichthyoplankton Surveys
61-cm Bongo Net; 0.505-mm mesh
October; 1977 to 1987
Number of Tows = 1147; with larvae = 24
Monthly Mean Density = 0.262 Larvae/10m2
Larvae / 10m2
None
1 to <10
10 to 65
76 75 74 73 72 71 70 69 68 67 66 65
35
36
37
38
39
40
41
42
43
44
45
Black Sea Bass
Larvae, <13mm length
(Centropristis striata)
MARMAP Ichthyoplankton Surveys
61-cm Bongo Net; 0.505-mm mesh
November; 1977 to 1987
Number of Tows = 1031; with larvae = 8
Monthly Mean Density = 0.039 Larvae/10m2
Larvae / 10m2
None
1 to <10
10 to 16
Figure 4. Cont’d.
From MARMAP ichthyoplankton surveys, October and November, 1977-1987.
Page 28
Figure 5. Seasonal distributions and abundances of juvenile black sea bass collected during NEFSC bottom trawl
surveys, based on NEFSC winter bottom trawl surveys (1964-2003, all years combined). Distributions are displayed as
presence only.
Page 29
Figure 5. Cont’d.
Based on NEFSC spring bottom trawl surveys (1968-2003, all years combined). Survey stations where juveniles were
not found are not shown.
Page 30
Figure 5. Cont’d.
Based on NEFSC summer bottom trawl surveys (1963-1995, all years combined). Distributions are displayed as
presence only.
Page 31
Figure 5. Cont’d.
Based on NEFSC fall bottom trawl surveys (1963-2003, all years combined). Survey stations where juveniles were not
found are not shown.
Page 32
Figure 6. Seasonal distributions and abundances of juvenile black sea bass in Massachusetts coastal waters, based on
spring Massachusetts inshore bottom trawl surveys (1978-2003, all years combined). Survey stations where juveniles
were not found are not shown.
Page 33
Figure 6. Cont’d.
Based on fall Massachusetts inshore bottom trawl surveys (1978-2003, all years combined). Survey stations where
juveniles were not found are not shown.
Page 34
0.0
0.0
0.0
0.0
0.0
0.0
0.0
0.0
0.0
0.0
0.0
0.00.0
0.0
0.0
0.0
0.0
0.0
0.0
0.0
0.1
0.0
0.0
0.0
0.10.0
0.0
0.0
0.0
0.0
0.0
1.3
0.1
0.0
0.5
0.0
0.0
0.00.0
0.0
0.1
0.1
0.0
0.0
0.1
0.4
0.2
0.1
0.4
0.0
0.20.1
Spring
Summer Autumn
Winter
Black Sea Bass Juveniles (< 19 cm)
Figure 7. Seasonal distribution and abundance of juvenile black sea bass collected in Narragansett Bay during 1990-1996
Rhode Island bottom trawl surveys. The numbers shown at each station are the average catch per tow rounded to one
decimal place [see Reid et al. (1999) for details].
Page 35
Figure 8. Monthly log10 length frequencies (cm) of juvenile and adult black sea bass collected in Long Island Sound,
based on 155 fish taken in 106 tows during the finfish surveys of the Connecticut Fisheries Division between 1989-1994.
Source: Gottschall et al. (2000).
Page 36
Figure 9. Distribution and abundances of juvenile and adult black sea bass in Long Island Sound, based on 334 fish taken
in 2,859 tows during the finfish surveys of the Connecticut Fisheries Division, 1984-1994. The largest circle size
represents a tow with a catch of nine black sea bass. Collections were made with a 14 m otter trawl at about 40 stations
chosen by stratified random design. Source: Gottschall et al. (2000).
Page 37
Figure 10. Relative abundance (geometric mean catch/tow) catch/tow and percent occurrence (proportion of samples in
which at least one individual was observed) for juvenile and adult black sea bass in Long Island Sound, by month, month
and bottom type, and month and depth interval. Source: Gottschall et al. (2000).
Page 38
Staten
Island
NEW
YORK
NEW
JERSEY
No/Tow
1
2 - 4
5 - 19
20 - 49
50 - 105
Black Sea Bass
Hudson-Raritan Estuary
Fall 1992 - 1996
Juveniles (<19 cm)
Staten
Island
NEW
YORK
NEW
JERSEY
No/Tow
1
2 - 4
5 - 19
20 - 49
50 - 105
Black Sea Bass
Hudson-Raritan Estuary
Winter 1992 - 1997
Juveniles (<19 cm)
Staten
Island
NEW
YORK
NEW
JERSEY
No/Tow
1
2 - 4
5 - 19
20 - 49
50 - 105
Black Sea Bass
Hudson-Raritan Estuary
Spring 1992 - 1997
Juveniles (<19 cm)
Staten
Island
NEW
YORK
NEW
JERSEY
No/Tow
1
2 - 4
5 - 19
20 - 49
50 - 105
Black Sea Bass
Hudson-Raritan Estuary
Summer 1992 - 1996
Juveniles (<19 cm)
Figure 11. Seasonal distribution and abundance of juvenile black sea bass in the Hudson-Raritan estuary collected during
Hudson-Raritan estuary trawl surveys, 1992–1997 [see Reid et al. (1999) for details].
Page 39
Figure 12. Catch per unit effort for total catch of juvenile and adult black sea bass in Chesapeake Bay and tributaries,
from the Virginia Institute of Marine Science’s (VIMS) trawl surveys, 1988-1999 (all years combined). Source: Geer
(2002).
Page 40
Figure 13. Seasonal distribution and abundance of juvenile black sea bass in Chesapeake Bay and tributaries, from the
VIMS trawl surveys, 1988-1999 (all years combined). Monthly surveys were conducted using a random stratified design
of the main stem of the Bay using a 9.1 m semi-balloon otter trawl with 38 mm mesh and 6.4 mm cod end with a tow
duration of five minutes. Source: Geer (2002).
Page 41
Figure 14. Catch per unit effort for total catch of juvenile black sea bass in Chesapeake Bay, from the VIMS seine
surveys, 1994-1999 (all years combined). Source: Geer (2002).
Page 42
Figure 15. Juvenile black sea bass catch per unit effort by site from the VIMS beach seine surveys, 1994-1999 (all years
combined). Source: Geer (2002).
Page 43
Figure 16. Seasonal distributions and abundances of adult black sea bass collected during NEFSC bottom trawl surveys,
based on NEFSC winter bottom trawl surveys (1964-2003, all years combined). Distributions are displayed as presence
only.
Page 44
Figure 16. Cont’d.
Based on NEFSC spring bottom trawl surveys (1968-2003, all years combined). Survey stations where adults were not
found are not shown.
Page 45
Figure 16. Cont’d.
Based on NEFSC summer bottom trawl surveys (1963-1995, all years combined). Distributions are displayed as
presence only.
Page 46
Figure 16. Cont’d.
Based on NEFSC fall bottom trawl surveys (1963-2003, all years combined). Survey stations where adults were not
found are not shown.
Page 47
Figure 17. Seasonal distributions and abundances of adult black sea bass in Massachusetts coastal waters, based on
spring Massachusetts inshore bottom trawl surveys (1978-2003, all years combined). Survey stations where adults were
not found are not shown.
Page 48
Figure 17. Cont’d.
Based on fall Massachusetts inshore bottom trawl surveys (1978-2003, all years combined). Survey stations where adults
were not found are not shown.
Page 49
0.0
0.0
0.0
0.0
0.0
0.0
0.0
0.0
0.0
0.0
0.0
0.00.0
0.1
0.1
0.0
0.0
0.1
0.0
0.0
0.0
0.0
0.0
0.3
0.00.0
0.0
0.1
0.0
0.0
0.1
0.0
0.0
0.0
0.0
0.3
0.0
0.00.0
0.0
0.0
0.0
0.0
0.3
0.0
0.0
0.0
0.1
0.2
0.1
0.00.0
Spring
Summer Autumn
Winter
Black Sea Bass Adults (>= 19 cm)
Figure 18. Seasonal distribution and abundance of adult black sea bass collected in Narragansett Bay during 1990-1996
Rhode Island bottom trawl surveys. The numbers shown at each station are the average catch per tow rounded to one
decimal place [see Reid et al. (1999) for details].
Page 50
Figure 19. Seasonal distribution and abundance of adult black sea bass in the Hudson-Raritan estuary collected during
Hudson-Raritan estuary trawl surveys, 1992–1997 [see Reid et al. (1999) for details].
Staten
Island
NEW
YORK
NEW
JERSEY
No/Tow
1
2 - 4
5 - 19
20 - 49
50 - 105
Staten
Island
NEW
YORK
NEW
JERSEY
Black Sea Bass
Hudson-Raritan Estuary
Fall 1992 - 1996
Adults ( 19 cm)>
No/Tow
1
2 - 4
5 - 19
20 - 49
50 - 105
Black Sea Bass
Hudson-Raritan Estuary
Winter 1992 - 1997
Adults ( 19 cm)>
No Catches
Staten
Island
NEW
YORK
NEW
JERSEY
No/Tow
1
2 - 4
5 - 19
20 - 49
50 - 105
Black Sea Bass
>Adults ( 19 cm)
Hudson-Raritan Estuary
Spring 1992 - 1997
Staten
Island
NEW
YORK
NEW
JERSEY
No/Tow
1
2 - 4
5 - 19
20 - 49
50 - 105
Black Sea Bass
Hudson-Raritan Estuary
Summer 1992 - 1996
Adults ( 19 cm)>
Page 51
Figure 20. Seasonal distribution and abundance of adult black sea bass in Chesapeake Bay and tributaries, from the
VIMS trawl surveys, 1988-1999 (all years combined). Source: Geer (2002).
Page 52
Figure 21. Distributions of black sea bass eggs collected during NEFSC MARMAP icthyoplankton surveys relative to
water column temperature and bottom depth, for the years 1978-1987, by month for all years combined. Open bars
represent the proportion of all stations which were surveyed, while solid bars represent the proportion of the sum of all
standardized catches (number/10 m2). Note that the bottom depth interval changes with increasing depth.
January
0
10
20
3090
100
Stations
Egg Catch
April
0
10
20
3090
100
May
0
10
20
30
40
June
Percent0
10
20
30
40
July
0
10
20
August
0
10
20
30
October
Water-Column Temperature (0-200m, C)
0 2 4 6 8 10121416182022242628
0
10
20
30
40
Black Sea Bass Eggs
September
Black Sea Bass Eggs
0
10
20
90
100
January
0
10
20
30
April
0
10
20
90
100
October
Bottom Depth (m), Interval Midpoint1030507090110130150170190210230250270290325375450 75012501750>2000Stations
Egg Catch
0
10
20
30
40
0
10
20
30
40
September
May
0
20
40
60
0
10
20
3050
60
June
Percent0
10
20
3060
70
July
0
10
20
30
80
90
August
Page 53
Figure 22. Distributions of black sea bass larvae collected during NEFSC MARMAP icthyoplankton surveys relative to
water column temperature and bottom depth, for the years 1977-1987, by month for all years combined. Open bars
represent the proportion of all stations which were surveyed, while solid bars represent the proportion of the sum of all
standardized catches (number/10 m2). Note that the bottom depth interval changes with increasing depth.
January
0
10
20
3060
70
Stations
Larva Catch
April
0
10
20
30
40
May
0
10
20
30
40
June
Percent0
10
20
30
July
0
10
20
August
0
10
20
November
Water-Column Temperature (0-200m, C)
0246810121416182022242628
0
10
20
30
40
Black Sea Bass Larvae, <13mm length
September
0
10
20
March
0
10
20
3090
100
October
Black Sea Bass Larvae, <13mm length
0
10
20
80
90
January Stations
Catch
0
10
20
30
April
0
10
20
60
70
0
10
20
3090
100
November
Bottom Depth (m), Interval Midpoint1030507090110130150170190210230250270290325375450 75012501750>20000
10
20
30
40
September
0
10
20
30
40
50
May
0
10
20
30
40
June
Percent0
10
20
60
70
July
0
10
20
30
40
August
0
10
20
30
60
70
October
March
0
10
20
60
70
Page 54
Black Sea Bass
NEFSC Bottom Trawl Survey
Spring 1968 - 2003
Juveniles (<19 cm)
0
5
10
15
20
25
30
1-1011-2021-3031-4041-5051-6061-7071-8081-9091-100101-120121-140141-160161-180181-200201-300301-400401-500>500Bottom Depth (m)PercentTrawls N=12514
Occurrence N=426
Catch N=3972
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38
Salinity (PPT)PercentTrawls N=2270
Occurrence N=108
Catch N=654
0
10
20
30
40
50
0 2 4 6 8 1012141618202224262830
Bottom Temperature (°C)PercentTrawls N=10879
Occurrence N=374
Catch N=3756
Figure 23. Distributions of juvenile black sea bass and trawls from NEFSC bottom trawl surveys relative to bottom
water temperature, depth, and salinity, based on NEFSC spring bottom trawl surveys (temperature and depth: 1968-2003,
all years combined; salinity: 1991-2003, all years combined). Light bars show the distribution of all the trawls, dark bars
show the distribution of all trawls in which black sea bass occurred and medium bars show, within each interval, the
percentage of the total number of black sea bass caught. Note that the bottom depth interval changes with increasing
depth.
Page 55
Black Sea Bass
NEFSC Bottom Trawl Survey
Fall 1963 - 2003
Juveniles (<19 cm)
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
1-1011-2021-3031-4041-5051-6061-7071-8081-9091-100101-120121-140141-160161-180181-200201-300301-400401-500>500Bottom Depth (m)PercentTrawls N=14186
Occurrence N=1046
Catch N=14278
0
10
20
30
40
50
24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38
Salinity (PPT)PercentTrawls N=2272
Occurrence N=217
Catch N=4028
0
5
10
15
20
25
30
0 2 4 6 8 1012141618202224262830
Bottom Temperature (°C)PercentTrawls N=12207
Occurrence N=879
Catch N=11930
Figure 23. Cont’d.
Based on NEFSC fall bottom trawl surveys (temperature and depth: 1963-2003, all years combined; salinity: 1991-2003,
all years combined). Light bars show the distribution of all the trawls, dark bars show the distribution of all trawls in
which black sea bass occurred and medium bars show, within each interval, the percentage of the total number of black
sea bass caught. Note that the bottom depth interval changes with increasing depth.
Page 56
Black Sea Bass
Massachusetts Inshore Trawl Survey
Spring 1978 - 2003
Juveniles (<19 cm)
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
1-56-1011-1516-2021-2526-3031-3536-4041-4546-5051-5556-6061-6566-7071-7576-8081-85Bottom Depth (m)PercentTrawls N=2482
Occurrence N=18
Catch N=29
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
0 2 4 6 8 1012141618202224262830
Bottom Temperature (°C)PercentTrawls N=2407
Occurrence N=18
Catch N=29
Figure 24. Distributions of juvenile black sea bass and trawls in Massachusetts coastal waters relative to bottom water
temperature and depth, based on spring Massachusetts inshore bottom trawl surveys (1978-2003, all years combined).
Light bars show the distribution of all the trawls, dark bars show the distribution of all trawls in which black sea bass
occurred and medium bars show, within each interval, the percentage of the total number of black sea bass caught.
Page 57
Black Sea Bass
Massachusetts Inshore Trawl Survey
Fall 1978 - 2003
Juveniles (<19 cm)
0
10
20
30
40
50
1-56-1011-1516-2021-2526-3031-3536-4041-4546-5051-5556-6061-6566-7071-7576-8081-85Bottom Depth (m)PercentTrawls N=2338
Occurrence N=730
Catch N=102082
0
5
10
15
20
25
0 2 4 6 8 1012141618202224262830
Bottom Temperature (°C)PercentTrawls N=2244
Occurrence N=695
Catch N=100494
Figure 24. Cont’d.
Based on fall Massachusetts inshore bottom trawl surveys (1978-2003, all years combined). Light bars show the
distribution of all the trawls, dark bars show the distribution of all trawls in which black sea bass occurred and medium
bars show, within each interval, the percentage of the total number of black sea bass caught.
Page 58
-1 1 3 5 7 9 11 13 15 17 19 21 23 25 27
0
10
20
30
40
-1 1 3 5 7 9 11 13 15 17 19 21 23 25 27
0
20
40
60
80
100
-1 1 3 5 7 9 11 13 15 17 19 21 23 25 27
0
20
40
60
80
100
-1 1 3 5 7 9 11 13 15 17 19 21 23 25 27
0
4
8
12
16
20
Bottom Temperature (C)
Winter
Spring
Summer
Autumn
Stations
Catches
10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 100 110 120
0
10
20
30
10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 100 110 120
0
20
40
60
80
10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 100 110 120
0
20
40
60
10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 100 110 120
0
10
20
30
40
50
Winter
Autumn
Summer
Spring
Bottom Depth (ft)
Black Sea Bass
Juveniles (<19cm)
Black Sea Bass
Juveniles (<19cm)Stations
Catches
Figure 25. Seasonal distributions of juvenile black sea bass and trawls relative to bottom water temperature and depth,
based on Rhode Island Narragansett Bay trawl surveys (1990-1996; all years combined). White bars give the
distribution of all the trawls and black bars represent, within each interval, the percentage of the total number of
juveniles caught.
Page 59
Temperature (C)
Depth (ft)
0 2 4 6 8 10 12 14 16 18 20 22 24 26
0
5
10
15
Stations
Catches
10 15 20 25 30 35 40 45 50 55 60 65 70 75 80 85
0
5
10
15
20
25
30
35
Dissolved Oxygen (mg/l)
Salinity (ppt)
0123456789101112130
5
10
15
20
25
15 17 19 21 23 25 27 29 31 33 35
0
5
10
15
20
25
Juveniles (< 19 cm)
Figure 26. Distributions of juvenile black sea bass relative to mean bottom water temperature, dissolved oxygen, depth,
and salinity, based on Hudson-Raritan estuary trawl surveys (January 1992 - June 1997, all years combined). Open bars
represent stations surveyed and closed bars represent fish collected.
Page 60
Figure 27. Hydrographic preferences for juvenile black sea bass in Chesapeake Bay and tributaries, from the VIMS trawl
surveys, 1988-1999 (all years combined). Source: Geer (2002).
Page 61
Figure 28. Hydrographic preferences for juvenile black sea bass, from the VIMS seine surveys, 1994-1999 (all years
combined). Source: Geer (2002).
Page 62
Black Sea Bass
NEFSC Bottom Trawl Survey
Spring 1968 - 2003
Adults (>=19 cm)
0
5
10
15
20
25
1-1011-2021-3031-4041-5051-6061-7071-8081-9091-100101-120121-140141-160161-180181-200201-300301-400401-500>500Bottom Depth (m)PercentTrawls N=12514
Occurrence N=623
Catch N=11115
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38
Salinity (PPT)PercentTrawls N=2270
Occurrence N=116
Catch N=1506
0
5
10
15
20
25
30
0 2 4 6 8 1012141618202224262830
Bottom Temperature (°C)PercentTrawls N=10879
Occurrence N=551
Catch N=10028
Figure 29. Distributions of adult black sea bass and trawls from NEFSC bottom trawl surveys relative to bottom water
temperature, depth, and salinity, based on NEFSC spring bottom trawl surveys (temperature and depth: 1968-2003, all
years combined; salinity: 1991-2003, all years combined). Light bars show the distribution of all the trawls, dark bars
show the distribution of all trawls in which black sea bass occurred and medium bars show, within each interval, the
percentage of the total number of black sea bass caught. Note that the bottom depth interval changes with increasing
depth.
Page 63
Black Sea Bass
NEFSC Bottom Trawl Survey
Fall 1963 - 2003
Adults (>=19 cm)
0
10
20
30
40
50
1-1011-2021-3031-4041-5051-6061-7071-8081-9091-100101-120121-140141-160161-180181-200201-300301-400401-500>500Bottom Depth (m)PercentTrawls N=14186
Occurrence N=972
Catch N=4513
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38
Salinity (PPT)PercentTrawls N=2272
Occurrence N=195
Catch N=858
0
5
10
15
20
0 2 4 6 8 1012141618202224262830
Bottom Temperature (°C)PercentTrawls N=12207
Occurrence N=826
Catch N=3951
Figure 29. Cont’d.
Based on NEFSC fall bottom trawl surveys (temperature and depth: 1963-2003, all years combined; salinity: 1991-2003,
all years combined). Light bars show the distribution of all the trawls, dark bars show the distribution of all trawls in
which black sea bass occurred and medium bars show, within each interval, the percentage of the total number of black
sea bass caught. Note that the bottom depth interval changes with increasing depth.
Page 64
Black Sea Bass
Massachusetts Inshore Trawl Survey
Spring 1978 - 2003
Adults (>=19 cm)
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
1-56-1011-1516-2021-2526-3031-3536-4041-4546-5051-5556-6061-6566-7071-7576-8081-85Bottom Depth (m)PercentTrawls N=2482
Occurrence N=439
Catch N=1682
0
5
10
15
20
25
30
0 2 4 6 8 1012141618202224262830
Bottom Temperature (°C)PercentTrawls N=2407
Occurrence N=434
Catch N=1671
Figure 30. Distributions of adult black sea bass and trawls in Massachusetts coastal waters relative to bottom water
temperature and depth, based on spring Massachusetts inshore bottom trawl surveys (1978-2003, all years combined).
Light bars show the distribution of all the trawls, dark bars show the distribution of all trawls in which black sea bass
occurred and medium bars show, within each interval, the percentage of the total number of black sea bass caught.
Page 65
Black Sea Bass
Massachusetts Inshore Trawl Survey
Fall 1978 - 2003
Adults (>=19 cm)
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
1-56-1011-1516-2021-2526-3031-3536-4041-4546-5051-5556-6061-6566-7071-7576-8081-85Bottom Depth (m)PercentTrawls N=2338
Occurrence N=205
Catch N=1067
0
10
20
30
40
50
0 2 4 6 8 1012141618202224262830
Bottom Temperature (°C)PercentTrawls N=2244
Occurrence N=200
Catch N=1054
Figure 30. Cont’d.
Based on fall Massachusetts inshore bottom trawl surveys (1978-2003, all years combined). Light bars show the
distribution of all the trawls, dark bars show the distribution of all trawls in which black sea bass occurred and medium
bars show, within each interval, the percentage of the total number of black sea bass caught.
Page 66
-1 1 3 5 7 9 11 13 15 17 19 21 23 25 27
0
10
20
30
40
50
-1 1 3 5 7 9 11 13 15 17 19 21 23 25 27
0
10
20
30
-1 1 3 5 7 9 11 13 15 17 19 21 23 25 27
0
20
40
60
80
-1 1 3 5 7 9 11 13 15 17 19 21 23 25 27
0
4
8
12
16
20
Bottom Temperature (C)
Winter
Spring
Summer
Autumn
Black Sea Bass
Adults (>=19cm)Stations
Catches
10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 100 110 120
0
10
20
30
10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 100 110 120
0
20
40
60
80
10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 100 110 120
0
10
20
30
40
10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 100 110 120
0
10
20
30
40
50
Winter
Autumn
Summer
Spring
Bottom Depth (ft)
Black Sea Bass
Adults (>=19cm)Stations
Catches
Figure 31. Seasonal distributions of adult black sea bass and trawls relative to bottom water temperature and depth,
based on Rhode Island Narragansett Bay trawl surveys (1990-1996; all years combined). White bars give the
distribution of all the trawls and black bars represent, within each interval, the percentage of the total number of adults
caught.
Page 67
Temperature (C)
Depth (ft)
0 2 4 6 8 101214161820222426
0
5
10
15
20
25
30
35
Stations
Catches
10 15 20 25 30 35 40 45 50 55 60 65 70 75 80 85
0
5
10
15
20
25
30
35
Dissolved Oxygen (mg/l)
Salinity (ppt)
0123456789101112130
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
80
15 17 19 21 23 25 27 29 31 33 35
0
5
10
15
20
Adults ( 19 cm)>
Figure 32. Distributions of adult black sea bass relative to mean bottom water temperature, dissolved oxygen, depth, and
salinity, based on Hudson-Raritan estuary trawl surveys (January 1992 - June 1997, all years combined). Open bars
represent stations surveyed and closed bars represent fish collected.
Page 68
Figure 33. Hydrographic preferences for adult black sea bass in Chesapeake Bay and tributaries, from the VIMS trawl
surveys, 1988-1999 (all years combined). Source: Geer (2002).
Publishing in NOAA Technical Memorandum NMFS-NE
Manuscript Qualification
This series represents a secondary level of scientific
publishing in the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS).
For all issues, the series employs thorough internal scientific
review, but not necessarily external scientific review. For most
issues, the series employs rigorous technical and copy editing.
Manuscripts that may warrant a primary level of scientific
publishing should be initially submitted to one of NMFS's
primary series (i.e., Fishery Bulletin, NOAA Professional Paper
NMFS, or Marine Fisheries Review).
Identical, or fundamentally identical, manuscripts should
not be concurrently submitted to this and any other publication
series. Manuscripts which have been rejected by any primary
series strictly because of geographic or temporal limitations
may be submitted to this series.
Manuscripts by Northeast Fisheries Science Center
(NEFSC) authors will be published in this series upon approval
by the NEFSC's Deputy Science & Research Director. Manu-
scripts by non-NEFSC authors may be published in this series
if: 1) the manuscript serves the NEFSC's mission; 2) the
manuscript meets the Deputy Science & Research Director's
approval; and 3) the author arranges for the printing and binding
funds to be transferred to the NEFSC's Research Communica-
tions Branch account from another federal account. For all
manuscripts submitted by non-NEFSC authors and published
in this series, the NEFSC will disavow all responsibility for the
manuscripts' contents; authors must accept such responsibil-
ity.
The ethics of scientific research and scientific publishing
are a serious matter. All manuscripts submitted to this series
are expected to adhere -- at a minimum -- to the ethical guidelines
contained in Chapter 2 ("Publication Policies and Practices") of
the Scientific Style and Format: the CSE Manual for Authors,
Editors, and Publishers, seventh edition (Reston VA: Council
of Science Editors). Copies of the manual are available at
virtually all scientific libraries.
edition of the United States Government Printing Office Style
Manual. That style manual is silent on many aspects of scientific
manuscripts. NEFSC publication and report series rely more on the
CSE Style Manual, seventh edition.
For in-text citations, use the name-date system. A special
effort should be made to ensure that the list of cited works contains
all necessary bibliographic information. For abbreviating serial
titles in such lists, use the guidance of the International Standards
Organization; such guidance is easily accessed through the various
Cambridge Scientific Abstracts’ serials source lists (see http://
www.public.iastate.edu/~CYBERSTACKS/JAS.htm). Personal com-
munications must include date of contact and full name and mailing
address of source.
For spelling of scientific and common names of fishes, mol-
lusks, and decapod crustaceans from the United States and Canada,
use Special Publications No. 29 (fishes), 26 (mollusks), and 17
(decapod crustaceans) of the American Fisheries Society (Bethesda
MD). For spelling of scientific and common names of marine
mammals, use Special Publication No. 4 of the Society for Marine
Mammalogy (Lawrence KS). For spelling in general, use the most
recent edition of Webster’s Third New International Dictionary of
the English Language Unabridged (Springfield MA: G. & C.
Merriam).
Typing text, tables, and figure captions: Text, tables, and
figure captions should be converted to Word. In general, keep text
simple (e.g., do not switch fonts and type sizes, do not use hard
returns within paragraphs, do not indent except to begin para-
graphs). Also, do not use an automatic footnoting function; all notes
should be indicated in the text by simple numerical superscripts, and
listed together in an "Endnotes" section prior to the "References
Cited" section. Especially, do not use a graphics function for
embedding tables and figures in text.
Tables should be prepared with a table formatting function.
Each figure should be supplied in digital format (preferably GIF or
JPG), unless there is no digital file of a given figure. Except under
extraordinary circumstances, color will not be used in illustrations.
Manuscript Preparation
Organization: Manuscripts must have an abstract, table
of contents, and -- if applicable -- lists of tables, figures, and
acronyms. As much as possible, use traditional scientific
manuscript organization for sections: "Introduction," "Study
Area," "Methods & Materials," "Results," "Discussion" and/
or "Conclusions," "Acknowledgments," and "References Cited."
Style: All NEFSC publication and report series are
obligated to conform to the style contained in the most recent
Northeast Fisheries Science Center
Operations, Management & Information Division
Research Communications Branch
Editorial Office
Manuscript Submission
Authors must submit separate digital files of the manuscript
text, tables, and figures. The manuscript must have cleared
NEFSC's online internal review system. Non-NEFSC authors who
are not federal employees will be required to sign a "Release of
Copyright" form.
Send all materials and address all correspondence to: Jarita A.
Davis (Editor), Editorial Office, NMFS Northeast Fisheries Sci-
ence Center, 166 Water Street, Woods Hole, MA 02543-1026.
National Marine Fisheries Service, NOAA
166 Water St.
Woods Hole, MA 02543-1026
Publications and Reports
of the
Northeast Fisheries Science Center
The mission of NOAA's National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) is "stewardship of living marine resources
for the benefit of the nation through their science-based conservation and management and promotion of the
health of their environment." As the research arm of the NMFS's Northeast Region, the Northeast Fisheries
Science Center (NEFSC) supports the NMFS mission by "conducting ecosystem-based research and assess-
ments of living marine resources, with a focus on the Northeast Shelf, to promote the recovery and long-term
sustainability of these resources and to generate social and economic opportunities and benefits from their use."
Results of NEFSC research are largely reported in primary scientific media (e.g., anonymously-peer-reviewed
scientific journals). However, to assist itself in providing data, information, and advice to its constituents, the
NEFSC occasionally releases its results in its own media. Currently, there are three such media:
NOAA Technical Memorandum NMFS-NE -- This series is issued irregularly. The series typically includes: data reports of
long-term field or lab studies of important species or habitats; synthesis reports for important species or habitats; annual reports
of overall assessment or monitoring programs; manuals describing program-wide surveying or experimental techniques; literature
surveys of important species or habitat topics; proceedings and collected papers of scientific meetings; and indexed and/or annotated
bibliographies. All issues receive internal scientific review and most issues receive technical and copy editing.
Northeast Fisheries Science Center Reference Document -- This series is issued irregularly. The series typically includes: data
reports on field and lab studies; progress reports on experiments, monitoring, and assessments; background papers for, collected
abstracts of, and/or summary reports of scientific meetings; and simple bibliographies. Issues receive internal scientific review, but
no technical or copy editing.
Resource Survey Report (formerly Fishermen's Report) -- This information report is a quick-turnaround report on the distribution
and relative abundance of selected living marine resources as derived from each of the NEFSC's periodic research vessel surveys
of the Northeast's continental shelf. There is no scientific review, nor any technical or copy editing, of this report.
OBTAINING A COPY: To obtain a copy of a NOAA Technical Memorandum NMFS-NE or a Northeast Fisheries Science Center
Reference Document, or to subscribe to the Resource Survey Report, either contact the NEFSC Editorial Office (166 Water St.,
Woods Hole, MA 02543-1026; 508-495-2228) or consult the NEFSC webpage on "Reports and Publications" (http://www.nefsc.
noaa.gov/nefsc/publications/).
ANY USE OF TRADE OR BRAND NAMES IN ANY NEFSC PUBLICATION OR REPORT DOES NOT IMPLY EN-
DORSEMENT.
MEDIA
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