Project – Archived

Evaluating the Importance of Chub Mackerel in the Diet of Highly Migratory Species

Collecting data to help balance fishery and ecosystem needs.

One of the challenges with fisheries management is balancing the needs of the fishery with those of the ecosystem. That is, knowing how much of the resource to harvest for human use and how much to leave in the ocean to fulfill ecosystem needs. In order to begin this process, it’s important to document what species are being consumed by apex predators and in what quantities. Our project seeks to investigate the foraging ecology of marlins (blue, white, round-scale spearfish) and tunas (bigeye, yellowfin) along the East Coast to identify the most important components of their forage base, with a strong focus on chub mackerel.

Research Goals:

  • Collect biological tissues primarily from the stomachs of marlins and tunas off the east coast of the US.
  • Quantify the species composition of stomachs using visual observation, stable isotopes, and genetic barcoding.
  • Provide information that can be used to improve the management of both fisheries and ecosystems alike.

Project Team

  • Walt Golet

    Assistant Professor, UMaine School of Marine Sciences

  • This is the staff photo for lisa kerr

    Lisa Kerr, Ph.D.

    Associate Professor, UMaine School of Marine Sciences

  • John Logan, Ph.D.

    Massachusetts Division of Marine Fisheries

  • Joe Quattro, Ph.D.

    University of South Carolina, Columbia

Project Partner

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