temperatures in the spring there is a movement into the Mid-Atlantic from the 

 south by some of the warm temperate species (e.g., bluefish, Atlantic croaker) 

 and conversely, the cold temperate species (e.g., Atlantic mackerel, spiny 

 dogfish, Atlantic herring) migrate out of the region to the north. With 

 cooling temperatures in the autumn, the warm water species move south and 

 offshore while the cold water species from the north return south into the 

 region. 



The Bight is considered a transition zone and serves as a migratory path 

 for many species, but this does not diminish the biological or economic 

 importance of the area. The area also serves as a spawning ground for many 

 important species (Berrien 1982) and during their period of residency many of 

 the fishes are harvested extensively by commercial and recreational fishermen. 



The fishes of the Mid-Atlantic shelf are part of an extremely complex 

 ecosystem. The natural complexities are further compounded by human impacts 

 as the area is exploited for its resources and as a depository for wastes. 

 Many aspects of the Mid-Atlantic fisheries and other resources are discussed 

 or reviewed in Gross (1976), McHugh and Ginter (1978), and Grosslein and 

 Azarovitz (1982). In order to quantitatively assess the effects of mineral 

 exploration and recovery on the finfish or shellfish populations, more 

 knowledge of this complex ecosystem is needed. It is evident that during any 

 given season important finfish and shellfish species travel over or reside in 

 virtually all areas of the shelf. It is also apparent that any major event, 

 whether natural or man-induced, can affect the quantity or quality of these 

 living resources. 



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