12 
Fishery Bulletin 1 13(1) 
mented in our study contrast with the limited home 
ranges that have been observed in other coastal fishes 
(Holland et ah, 1996; Lowe et ah, 2003; Neat et ah, 
2006). Although 11 of the tagged white seabass were 
recaptured within close proximity to their release sites 
after periods of up to 1154 days, interim movements 
away from the area during their time at liberty may 
have been substantial. Because fisheries-related infor- 
mation indicates that white seabass tend to reoccur 
within specific areas from year to year (Thomas, 1968) 
and considering the mean time at liberty for recaptures 
with short displacements was near 1 year in our study, 
it is possible that white seabass maintain an affinity 
for distinct sites or habitats that are revisited annually 
for feeding or spawning. 
Although the majority of tag deployments occurred 
around Santa Catalina Island, most tags were recov- 
ered within the near-coastal waters. Only 2 tagged 
fish were recaptured around Santa Catalina Island, 
and interisland movements were not documented in 
this study. Seven individuals that were tagged around 
Santa Catalina Island were subsequently recaptured 
off the coast of Ventura, indicating a consistent route 
between Catalina Island and the Ventura flats. An ad- 
ditional 7 fish that were tagged around Santa Catalina 
Island in May and early June were later caught in the 
vicinity of Monterey Bay during late July and August 
of the same or following year, indicating that a portion 
of the stock traveled up the California coast during the 
summer months of some years. The high incidence of 
white seabass tag recaptures in Monterey Bay (26%) 
corresponds with the recent observed increase in recre- 
ational (38%) and commercial landings (22%) north of 
Point Arguello (CDFG, 2011). 
Trends from tag deployments and recaptures indi- 
cated that white seabass moved seasonally in a north 
and westerly direction from July to September, as 
sea-surface temperatures (SSTs) increased through- 
out Southern California. Similar movement patterns 
based on fisheries-related data for Pacific barracuda 
(, Spliyraena argentea [see Pinkas, 1966]) and yellow- 
tail jack ( Seriola lalandi [see Baxter, I960]) have been 
suggested for other predatory species of the Southern 
California Bight. Northward movements of white sea- 
bass correspond with latitudinal shifts in SST maxima 
that follow a seasonal relaxation of coastal wind-driven 
upwelling and occur later (September-October) to the 
north of Point Arguello than SST peaks within the 
eastern Southern California Bight (August) (Legaard 
and Thomas, 2006; Garcia-Reyes and Largier, 2012). 
The observed drop in mean temperature values during 
the months of July-October (Fig. IB), after a peak in 
June, may represent decreased SSTs when fish moved 
above Point Arguello during the summer and fall 
months, where ambient temperatures are consistently 
lower than those off the southern coast of California 
(Reid, 1988). An observed decline in mean depths, tem- 
peratures, and VROM values during the late summer 
and autumn months supports the Skogsberg (1939) hy- 
pothesis that white seabass progress northward along 
thermal fronts as temperatures increase within the 
Southern California Bight; however, additional data 
from light-sensitive archival tags with external tem- 
perature sensors are necessary to better assess annual 
migration routes and seasonal trends. 
Temperature profiles 
Although white seabass occurred across a broad tem- 
perature range (8-24°C), data indicate that white 
seabass occupy a relatively narrow thermal gradient, 
spending more than half of their time at temperatures 
between 13° and 16°C (Fig. IB). Chinook salmon have 
also been reported to predominantly inhabit a narrow 
temperature range (8-12°C), indicating that fish may 
alter their depth in the water column to maintain a 
persistent thermal experience (Hinke et ah, 2005). The 
relatively consistent temperature profiles from annual 
time-series records indicate that white seabass may al- 
ter spatial and temporal behavior patterns to occupy a 
particular thermal niche. 
Periods of heightened surface-oriented behavior 
directly aligned with the months in which waters in 
Southern California exhibit the greatest degree of ther- 
mal stratification, with a relatively strong and shallow 
thermocline present from May to September through- 
out the region (Cairns and LaFond, 1966). Additionally, 
a peak in white seabass temperature records (Fig. IB) 
corresponds with the 14°C isotherm that is commonly 
used to identify thermocline depth along the southern 
coastline of California (Cairns, 1968). However, because 
tag sensors were implanted within the peritoneal cav- 
ity of white seabass, thermal inertia prevented accu- 
rate measurement of thermocline depth from tag re- 
cords. Further, because white seabass occurred over a 
broad stretch of coastline within areas of high mixing 
(i.e., upwelling zones and offshore islands) it is difficult 
to ascertain how thermocline depth influenced vertical 
distribution in this study. 
Future research and management 
Heightened fishing effort in conjunction with consider- 
able limitations in essential fishery information war- 
rants the continued need for fishery-independent data 
sources and active management practices for this spe- 
cies (MacCall et ah, 1976; CDFG 1 ). Supplementary 
long-term tagging data, including archived light-level 
and external temperature records, are currently being 
collected to provide more specific information on white 
seabass migration patterns relative to seasonal and in- 
terannual variations in oceanic conditions. Additional 
time-series records from multiple years across the geo- 
graphic range of white seabass are needed to provide 
a more comprehensive understanding of fish habitat 
use, transboundary movements, and temporal shifts 
in distribution. Furthermore, complementary studies 
on white seabass stock structure along with a formal 
