Life History, Maternal Quality and the Dynamics of Harvested Fish Stocks
Knowledge of offspring production (recruitment) is fundamental to understanding and forecasting the dynamics of a population. In this thesis, I focus on two demographic characteristics of fish stocks that are important to recruitment: population density and age structure. First, populations produce...
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ftcanadathes:oai:collectionscanada.gc.ca:OTU.1807/19305 2023-05-15T16:19:24+02:00 Life History, Maternal Quality and the Dynamics of Harvested Fish Stocks Venturelli, Paul Anthony Shuter, Brian Abrams, Peter 2009-11 http://hdl.handle.net/1807/19305 en_ca eng http://hdl.handle.net/1807/19305 walleye Sander vitreus maternal influences maternal effects recruitment density-dependence temperature growing degree day age lifespan maturity sustainable cod Gadus morhua egg Ricker reproductive rate demographics stock-recruitment fecundity mortality growth life history 0329 Thesis 2009 ftcanadathes 2013-11-23T21:47:12Z Knowledge of offspring production (recruitment) is fundamental to understanding and forecasting the dynamics of a population. In this thesis, I focus on two demographic characteristics of fish stocks that are important to recruitment: population density and age structure. First, populations produce more recruits at low density, but quantifying this response has proven difficult. Using data from hundreds of populations of walleye (Sander vitreus), an economically important freshwater fish, I demonstrate that the growing-degree-day metric (a temperature index) is better than age at explaining variation in density-dependent growth and maturity both within and among populations. I then incorporate multi-lake measures of density-dependent life history change into a temperature-based biphasic model of growth and reproduction to predict sustainable rates of mortality for walleye throughout most of their range. Second, the age (or size) structure of a population may also affect recruitment because of positive effects of maternal age on offspring production and survival; however, evidence for these ‘maternal influences’ on recruitment is limited. Using both an analytical model and a meta-analysis of stock-recruitment data from 25 species of exploited marine fish, I show that (i) maximum reproductive rate increased with the mean age of adults in a population, and (ii) the importance of age structure increased with a species’ longevity. I then demonstrate a similar effect of maternal influences on reproductive rate in a detailed study of Lake Erie walleye. By highlighting the importance of fisheries-induced demographic change to recruitment, this thesis provides insight into past and present failures. However, it also demonstrates clearly the benefits of proactive management strategies that (i) identify and respect the limits of exploitation, (ii) protect from exploitation reproductively valuable individuals—principles that apply generally to any freshwater, marine, or terrestrial species that is of recreational, commercial, or conservation value. Thesis Gadus morhua Theses Canada/Thèses Canada (Library and Archives Canada) |
institution |
Open Polar |
collection |
Theses Canada/Thèses Canada (Library and Archives Canada) |
op_collection_id |
ftcanadathes |
language |
English |
topic |
walleye Sander vitreus maternal influences maternal effects recruitment density-dependence temperature growing degree day age lifespan maturity sustainable cod Gadus morhua egg Ricker reproductive rate demographics stock-recruitment fecundity mortality growth life history 0329 |
spellingShingle |
walleye Sander vitreus maternal influences maternal effects recruitment density-dependence temperature growing degree day age lifespan maturity sustainable cod Gadus morhua egg Ricker reproductive rate demographics stock-recruitment fecundity mortality growth life history 0329 Venturelli, Paul Anthony Life History, Maternal Quality and the Dynamics of Harvested Fish Stocks |
topic_facet |
walleye Sander vitreus maternal influences maternal effects recruitment density-dependence temperature growing degree day age lifespan maturity sustainable cod Gadus morhua egg Ricker reproductive rate demographics stock-recruitment fecundity mortality growth life history 0329 |
description |
Knowledge of offspring production (recruitment) is fundamental to understanding and forecasting the dynamics of a population. In this thesis, I focus on two demographic characteristics of fish stocks that are important to recruitment: population density and age structure. First, populations produce more recruits at low density, but quantifying this response has proven difficult. Using data from hundreds of populations of walleye (Sander vitreus), an economically important freshwater fish, I demonstrate that the growing-degree-day metric (a temperature index) is better than age at explaining variation in density-dependent growth and maturity both within and among populations. I then incorporate multi-lake measures of density-dependent life history change into a temperature-based biphasic model of growth and reproduction to predict sustainable rates of mortality for walleye throughout most of their range. Second, the age (or size) structure of a population may also affect recruitment because of positive effects of maternal age on offspring production and survival; however, evidence for these ‘maternal influences’ on recruitment is limited. Using both an analytical model and a meta-analysis of stock-recruitment data from 25 species of exploited marine fish, I show that (i) maximum reproductive rate increased with the mean age of adults in a population, and (ii) the importance of age structure increased with a species’ longevity. I then demonstrate a similar effect of maternal influences on reproductive rate in a detailed study of Lake Erie walleye. By highlighting the importance of fisheries-induced demographic change to recruitment, this thesis provides insight into past and present failures. However, it also demonstrates clearly the benefits of proactive management strategies that (i) identify and respect the limits of exploitation, (ii) protect from exploitation reproductively valuable individuals—principles that apply generally to any freshwater, marine, or terrestrial species that is of recreational, commercial, or conservation value. |
author2 |
Shuter, Brian Abrams, Peter |
format |
Thesis |
author |
Venturelli, Paul Anthony |
author_facet |
Venturelli, Paul Anthony |
author_sort |
Venturelli, Paul Anthony |
title |
Life History, Maternal Quality and the Dynamics of Harvested Fish Stocks |
title_short |
Life History, Maternal Quality and the Dynamics of Harvested Fish Stocks |
title_full |
Life History, Maternal Quality and the Dynamics of Harvested Fish Stocks |
title_fullStr |
Life History, Maternal Quality and the Dynamics of Harvested Fish Stocks |
title_full_unstemmed |
Life History, Maternal Quality and the Dynamics of Harvested Fish Stocks |
title_sort |
life history, maternal quality and the dynamics of harvested fish stocks |
publishDate |
2009 |
url |
http://hdl.handle.net/1807/19305 |
genre |
Gadus morhua |
genre_facet |
Gadus morhua |
op_relation |
http://hdl.handle.net/1807/19305 |
_version_ |
1766005797921226752 |