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Low-temperature-driven early spawning migration of a temperate marine fish

  1. David W. Sims1,*,
  2. Victoria J. Wearmouth1,
  3. Martin J. Genner1,2,
  4. Alan J. Southward1,
  5. Stephen J. Hawkins1,3

Article first published online: 1 MAR 2004

DOI: 10.1111/j.0021-8790.2004.00810.x

Issue

Journal of Animal Ecology

Journal of Animal Ecology

Volume 73, Issue 2, pages 333–341, March 2004

Additional Information

How to Cite

Sims, D. W., Wearmouth, V. J., Genner, M. J., Southward, A. J. and Hawkins, S. J. (2004), Low-temperature-driven early spawning migration of a temperate marine fish. Journal of Animal Ecology, 73: 333–341. doi: 10.1111/j.0021-8790.2004.00810.x

Author Information

  1. 1

    Marine Biological Association, The Laboratory, Citadel Hill, Plymouth PL1 2PB, UK;

  2. 2

    Institute for Biodiversity and Ecosystem Dynamics, University of Amsterdam, PO Box 94766, 1090 GT Amsterdam, The Netherlands;

  3. 3

    Biodiversity and Ecology Division, School of Biological Sciences, University of Southampton, Southampton, SO16 7PX, UK

* David Sims, Marine Biological Association, The Laboratory, Citadel Hill, Plymouth PL1 2PB, UK. Tel. 01752 633227; Fax: 01752 633102; E-mail: dws@mba.ac.uk

Publication History

  1. Issue published online: 1 MAR 2004
  2. Article first published online: 1 MAR 2004
  3. Received 9 June 2003; accepted 17 September 2003

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Keywords:

  • behaviour;
  • climate change;
  • fish;
  • migration;
  • phenology;
  • weather

Summary

  • 1
    It is often assumed that the timing of annual migrations of marine fish to spawning grounds occurs with very little change over time. However, it is unclear how much migration is influenced by climate change in marine species that spawn at sea but spend most time in estuarine conditions, especially as thermal regimes in estuaries may differ significantly from those in the open sea.
  • 2
    Migration phenology was studied in a population of flounder, Platichthys flesus (L.) off south-west England using high-temporal resolution trawling data over a 13-year period.
  • 3
    Flounder migrated from their estuarine habitat to spawning grounds at sea some 1–2 months earlier in years that were up to 2 °C cooler. Flounder arrived on the spawning grounds over a shorter time period (2–6 days) when colder than normal conditions prevailed in the estuary, compared to warmer years (12–15 days). This suggests that they were responding to low temperatures by exhibiting a more synchronous, population-level early migration.
  • 4
    The timing of migration was earlier when the largest differences in temperatures between near-estuary and offshore environments occurred, differences that were related significantly to cold, negative phases of the North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO).
  • 5
    Flounder migration phenology appears to be driven to a large extent by short-term, climate-induced changes in the thermal resources of their overwintering habitat. This suggests that climate fluctuations characterizing the NAO may have significant effects on the timing of the peak abundance of fish populations generally, which, in turn, may have implications for fisheries management.
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