SUMMARY 



Bfi-Sagnse to Ptior lears 



Because marine fishery resources integrate the effects of their 

 environment through their Lifetimes^ and because the lifetimes of 

 many species are Longer than a few yearsr it is appropriate to 

 comment on 1976 responses to prior years' conditions. 



The continued warming of bottom waters in the Gulf of Maine 

 may adversely affect the recruitment of Lobster. 



The catch of Atlantic menhaden was up about 3C% in 1976 

 compared with 1975. The increased catch was not a response 

 to increased fishing effort. This fishery was primarily on 

 the 19 74 and 1975 year classes. These year classes were 

 stronger than could have been expected from the wind-driven 

 transport in those years. Was the increased catch a 

 response to increased abundance caused by some as yet 

 unidentified environmental or biological factor? Or was it 

 due merely to the increased availability of fish that were 

 swimming in denser or shallower schools because of some 

 eaually unknown influence on their behavior? 



What is the relation between the abundance of summer 

 bot t om-spawni ngr short-finned squid and bottom temperatures 

 on the ogter continental shelf and upper slope south of New 

 England? The 1975 year class/- fished in the fall of 1976/' 

 was 10 times more abundant than normal. The bottom temper- 

 atures were about 1C warmer than normal in late spring ana 

 early summer. The spawning area of the short-finned squid 

 has not oeen identified^ and so the environmental influences 

 cannot be studied. 



What 

 bott 

 of 



p re c 

 1974 

 t emp 

 s ix t 

 B eca 

 y ea r 

 I and 

 t emp 

 over 

 (abo 



is the 

 om wa t 

 sea s c 

 ipi tous 



and 

 eratu re 

 ies and 

 use sea 

 s/ a CO 

 ings 

 era ture 

 all wa 

 ut 1.5C 



con 

 ers 

 alio 



ly i 

 reac 



s i 



hav 



sea 



rrel 



with 



and 



rmi n 



) is 



nect io 

 and th 

 ps th 

 n the 

 hed t 

 n the 

 e gone 

 I lops 

 at ion 

 out 



obt ai 

 g of 



now h 



n be 

 e re 

 ere? 

 late 

 heir 

 aut u 



thr 

 are 

 cann 

 obt a 

 ni ng 



Geo 

 e Ipi 



tween 



appea 



Se 



s i xt 



196 



mn on 



ouqh 



ha rve 



ot be 



i n i n g 



1999 

 rges 

 ns re 



the w 

 ran ce 

 a sea 

 ies. 

 5 lev 



Geo r g 

 an une 

 sted a 



run b 

 a 

 ed cor 



Bank 

 cru i tm 



arming 

 in c o m m 

 Hop I 

 They be 

 el in 

 es Bank 

 ven inc 

 t ages 

 etween 

 longer 

 re I at io 

 bottom 

 ent of 



of 

 er ci 



andi 

 gan 

 19 



f el 

 reas 

 grea 

 temp 



t im 

 ns . 

 wat e 

 sea 



Geor 

 a I q 

 ngs 

 i nc r 

 76. 

 I in 

 e si 

 t er 

 erat 

 e s 

 Per 

 rs s 

 seal 



ges 

 uant 



dec 



eas i 



B 



the 

 nee 

 than 

 ures 

 er i e 

 haps 

 ince 

 lops 



Bank 

 i t i es 

 lined 

 ng in 

 ot torn 



late 

 then. 



four 



and 



s of 



the 



1963 



