mortalities" were reported the previous year in a "solidly 

 packed" mat up to 30 egg layers deep (4.5 cm); abnormal embryonic 

 development was reported at all levels below the top egg layer. 

 In contrast, Cooper et al . (1975) estimated that hatching 

 success exceeded 99% at one of their dive sites near Jeffreys 

 Ledge where egg cover was sparse. No estimates of hatching 

 success were made in eastern Maine, but the complete absence of 

 any decaying egg residues following hatching at Jim's Head in 

 1985 suggests that hatching success on egg beds in eastern Maine 

 is high. The eastern Maine coast appears to provide optimum 

 conditions for herring egg deposition and survival. Two major 

 reasons for this are probably the strong bottom tidal currents 

 which provide plenty of aeration to support egg metabolism and 

 development and coarse bottom sediments (which are a consequence 

 of strong currents) which provide a stable egg substrate. 



ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS 



The authors would like to thank a number of people for their 

 help in the field and in preparing this paper. Our deepest 

 gratitude is due to David and Rebecca Lovalvo of Eastern 

 Oceanics, Inc. of W. Redding, CT who provided Mini-Rover and the 

 M/V Canyon Wind . Their competence and expertise has been largely 

 responsible for the success of this project. Equally valuable 

 has been the enthusiastic support of Dick Cooper, Director of 

 NURP/UCAP. The Maine State Planning Office and DMR have also 

 provided funds for this project. Other people who have assisted 

 with the field and/or laboratory work are Laurice Churchill and 

 Keith Sherman of DMR, Brian Tolman (Marine Patrol, DMR), Steve 

 Ezzy and Mike Dunn (Univ. of Maine), Peter Auster (NURP/UCAP), 

 and Nona Ventry, Gene Wilson, and Sandy Barbier ( Earthwatch 

 volunteers). Thanks are also extended to Phil Averill 

 (Fisheries Technology Service, DMR) for the use of his vessel, to 

 Frank Bedell and John Orne for operating the boat and to Joe 

 Kelley (Geology Dept., Univ. of Maine) for making his side-scan 

 sonar and Smith-Maclntyre grab sampler available to us. Another 

 vessel used on this project was the University of Maine's R/V 

 Lee . Peter Larsen (Bigelow Laboratory) advised on how to analyze 

 sediment samples and lent us some equipment. Pat Shiers typed 

 the manuscript and Kim Knowlton and Jim Rollins prepared the 

 figures. Andy Shepard (NURP/UCAP) has handled a lot of the 

 annual contract paper work. Finally, we would like to thank 

 Nancy and Carl Sundberg, owners of the Little River Lodge in 

 Cutler, for their generous hospitality and a number of fishermen 

 in Cutler and Bucks Harbor who have provided vital information on 

 the location of herring spawning sites for the past five years. 



LITERATURE CITED 



Boyar, H. C, R. A. Cooper and R. A. Clifford 1973. A study of 

 the spawning and early life history of herring ( Clupea 

 harenqus L.) on Jeffreys Ledge in 1972. ICNAF Res. Doc. 

 3/96, Ser. No. 3054, 27 pp. 



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