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MESA: Pacific Ocean Perch

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Adult Pacific ocean perch as seen from Delta submarine
Adult Pacific ocean perch as seen from Delta
submarine.

The Pacific ocean perch (Sebastes alutus) has a wide distribution in the North Pacific from southern California around the Pacific rim to northern Honshu, Japan, including the Bering Sea. Pacific ocean perch (POP) appears to be most abundant in northern British Columbia, the Gulf of Alaska, and the Aleutian Islands. Adults are found primarily offshore on the outer continental shelf and the upper continental slope in depths 150-420 m. Seasonal differences in depth distribution have been noted by many investigators. In the summer, adults inhabit shallower depths, especially those between 150 and 300 m. In the fall, adults apparently migrate farther offshore to depths of ~300-420 m. They reside in these deeper depths until about May, when they return to their shallower summer distribution.

Their seasonal distribution pattern is probably related to summer feeding and winter spawning. Although small numbers of Pacific ocean perch are dispersed throughout their preferred depth range on the continental shelf and slope, most of the population occurs in patchy, localized aggregations. Pacific ocean perch are generally considered to be semi-demersal, but there can be a significant pelagic component to their distribution. Pacific ocean perch often move off-bottom at night to feed, apparently following diel euphausiid migrations. Commercial fishing data in the Gulf of Alaska since 1995 show that pelagic trawls fished off-bottom have accounted for as much as 20% of the annual harvest of this species.


Contact:
Dana Hanselman
Auke Bay Laboratories
Alaska Fisheries Science Center, NOAA Fisheries

Ted Stevens Marine Research Institute
17109 Pt Lena Loop Rd
Juneau AK 99801
Dana.Hanselman@noaa.gov

 

Featured Research, Publications, Posters, Reports, and Activities

  • SPENCER, P., D. HANSELMAN, and M. DORN. 2007. The effect of maternal age of spawning on estimation of Fmsy for Alaska Pacific ocean perch, p. 513-533. In J. Heifetz, J. DiCosimo, A. J. Gharrett, M. S. Love, V. M. O'Connell, and R. D. Stanley (editors), Biology, Assessment, and Management of North Pacific Rockfishes. University of Alaska Sea Grant Program Report No. AK-SG-07-01, University of Alaska, Fairbanks. 
     
  • FUJIOKA, J. T., C. R. LUNSFORD, J. HEIFETZ, and D. M. CLAUSEN. 2007. Stratification by echosounder signal to improve trawl survey precision for Pacific ocean perch, p. 473-492. In J. Heifetz, J. DiCosimo, A. J. Gharrett, M. S. Love, V. M. O'Connell, and R. D. Stanley (editors), Biology, Assessment, and Management of North Pacific Rockfishes. University of Alaska Sea Grant Program Report No. AK-SG-07-01, University of Alaska, Fairbanks. 
     
  • CLAUSEN, D. M., and J. T. FUJIOKA. 2007. Variability in trawl survey catches of Pacific ocean perch, shortraker rockfish, and rougheye rockfish in the Gulf of Alaska, p. 411-428. In J. Heifetz, J. DiCosimo, A. J. Gharrett, M. S. Love, V. M. O'Connell, and R. D. Stanley (editors), Biology, Assessment, and Management of North Pacific Rockfishes. University of Alaska Sea Grant Program Report No. AK-SG-07-01, University of Alaska, Fairbanks. 
     
  • GOA Pacific ocean perch SAFE report (.pdf, 591KB).
  • Center for Independent Experts Review of Rockfish Assessments (.pdf, 407KB).


See the publications and poster databases for additional listings.

 

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