Haldorson et al.: Spring abundance patterns of marine fish larvae 



43 



northeast of Spuhn Island (Fig. 1). In 1987 we studied 

 the depth distribution of fish larvae in Auke Bay and 

 found that osmerids were always concentrated above 

 the pycnocline and moved to the surface at night 

 (unpubl. data). Most other species were found at or 

 below the pycnocline and tended to move deeper at 

 night. Therefore, interannual and seasonal variation 

 in osmerid abundance may reflect variation in the 

 amounts of river water reaching Auke Bay. 



Among the 4 years of the study, 1989 was distin- 

 guished by relatively high densities of larvae during 

 May. Walleye pollock and flathead sole were mark- 

 edly more abundant in 1989 than in the previous 3 

 years, as were less-common synchronous species such 

 as starry flounder. This increase could have resulted 

 from increased egg production in the bay or from 

 exceptionally high survival of eggs and larvae. We 

 have no data on density of fish eggs in Auke Bay; 

 however, in 1989 invertebrate predators were present 

 in the lowest abundance observed in the 4-year study 

 (Coyle & Paul 1990). It seems possible that reduced 

 predatory mortality contributed to the exceptionally 

 high densities offish larvae that occurred in May of 

 1989. However, 1986 also had relatively high abun- 

 dances of fish larvae in May, and did not have re- 

 duced numbers of invertebrate predators (Coyle & 

 Paul 1990). 



Acknowledgments 



This study was part of the APPRISE program, a col- 

 laborative research effort by the School of Fisheries 

 and Ocean Sciences (University of Alaska, Fairbanks) 

 and the Oceanic Institute (Waimanalo, Hawaii). The 

 program was supported by Contract no. NA-85-ABH- 

 00022 from the US Department of Commerce, National 

 Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Support pro- 

 vided by staff at the Juneau Center for Fisheries and 

 Ocean Sciences was essential to completion of this 

 study. In particular, we appreciate assistance provided 

 in the laboratory by Amanda Arra, Karen Besser, and 

 Lynette McNutt, and in the field by Donald Erickson 

 and Russell Sandstrom. 



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