Publication Abstract

Fish population structuring in the North Sea: understanding processes and mechanisms from studies of the movements of adults

J.D. Metcalfe

Few fish species form single, panmictic populations throughout their geographic range, most form sub-populations or “stocks” with differing levels of inter-connectivity. Different patterns of inter-connectivity between sub-populations will give rise to different responses to exploitation and management, but they will also have different capacities to generate the genetic and/or phenotypic differences often used to discriminate between stocks. Consequently, knowledge of ontogenetic and seasonal patterns in the distribution, movement and behaviour of individuals is crucial to identifying population sub-structure.

This paper considers the evidence we have gathered about movements and behaviour of adult fish from mark-recapture and electronic tagging studies for a number of fish species in the North Sea and elsewhere in UK waters in an attempt to understand population structure and the processes that may give rise to it.

Reference

J.D. Metcalfe (2006) Fish population structuring in the North Sea: understanding processes and mechanisms from studies of the movements of adults. Journal of Fish Biology, 69(supplement C): 48-65