Seasonal Variations in Growth Physiology of Forage Fish Ashwin Sreenivasan University of Alaska Fairbanks School of Fisheries and Ocean Sciences

Juvenile Fish Growth Affected by environmental variation: Affected by environmental variation: –seasonality –habitat –temperature –diet Direct and indirect effects on growth Direct and indirect effects on growth Complex interactions Complex interactions

Juvenile Fish Growth Growth Growth –reproduction –condition –ecological growth models Growth estimation methods Growth estimation methods –baseline data –seasonal metabolic patterns –population health

Physiological Growth Estimation Physiological growth indices Physiological growth indices –growth at tissue level Influence of specific parameters Influence of specific parameters –biotic and abiotic Growth responses across taxa Growth responses across taxa Vital inputs in ecological growth models Vital inputs in ecological growth models

Physiological Indices Criteria Desired characteristics of a growth index Desired characteristics of a growth index - sensitivity - rapidity of response - utility in meshing field and lab data Physiological growth indices exhibiting above criteria Physiological growth indices exhibiting above criteria –cellular metabolic enzyme activity –cellular RNA/DNA ratios

Cellular RNA/DNA (R/D) Ratio DNA-cell number/biomass DNA-cell number/biomass RNA-protein synthesis RNA-protein synthesis Nutritional stress Nutritional stress -RNA fluctuation RNA concentration/activity variation RNA concentration/activity variation –protein synthesis –tissue growth –nutritional condition

Current Research Forage Fish Forage fish-Pacific herring, larval gadids (P.cod, pollock) Forage fish-Pacific herring, larval gadids (P.cod, pollock) –critical ecological importance in Alaskan waters Cascade effect Cascade effect –key prey –Pacific cod, walleye pollock, salmon Seasonal growth physiology Seasonal growth physiology -temperature stress -overwinter stress -starvation stress & recovery

Current Research Collaboration: NOAA Auke Bay Laboratories Habitat Division Collaboration: NOAA Auke Bay Laboratories Habitat Division Field and lab component Field and lab component Seasonal biology Seasonal biology Growth Growth-temperature-diet Integration of indices Integration of indices Bioenergetic patterns/responses Bioenergetic patterns/responses

Research Study Samples Juvenile Pacific herring (Clupea pallasii) growth ( st and 2 nd series) Juvenile Pacific herring (Clupea pallasii) growth ( st and 2 nd series) –habitat –temperature (6 o C, 8.5 o C, 12.5 o C) –diet (starvation/compensatory growth) Larval Pacific cod (Gadus macrocephalus) growth (2008 & 2009) Larval Pacific cod (Gadus macrocephalus) growth (2008 & 2009) –temperature (5 o C, 8 o C) –diet Larval Walleye pollock (Theragra chalcogramma) growth (2008 & 2009) Larval Walleye pollock (Theragra chalcogramma) growth (2008 & 2009) –temperature (5 o C, 8 o C)

Lab component: herring study Lab component: herring study –Marrowstone Marine Laboratory (USGS) –0+/1+ herring growth –temperature/diet (6 o C, 8.5 o C, 12.5 o C) –2 phases: feeding and starvation –3 temperatures –periodic sampling –March 2008 –comprehensive seasonal growth information (R/D, lipids, proteins)

Lab component: cod study Lab component: cod study –Hatfield Marine Science Center (NOAA) –0+ P.cod growth –temperature/diet –2 concurrent phases –3 temperatures –4 diets –periodic sampling –April-May 2008 –preliminary larval growth data –repeat in 2009

Lab component: pollock study Lab component: pollock study –Hatfield Marine Science Center (NOAA) –0+ pollock growth (larvae) –2 temperatures –periodic sampling –April-May 2008 –preliminary larval growth data repeat in 2009 repeat in 2009

Objectives 1. Identify and compare temperature and diet influenced growth patterns in forage fish 2. Relate physiological growth patterns to survivability/resilience of forage fish stocks 3. Incorporate R/D patterns into R/D- temperature-growth models 4. Utilize growth patterns as inputs in formulating management plans

Larval P.cod RNA/DNA comparison (2008)-Temperature

Larval Pollock RNA/DNA comparison (2008)-Temperature

Juvenile Herring RNA/DNA Comparison-Compensatory Growth/Temperature ( st series)

Juvenile Herring Lipid Comparison- Compensatory Growth/Temperature ( st series)

Applications-Growth Performance RNA activity-temperature caveat RNA activity-temperature caveat R/D-growth-temperature calibration models R/D-growth-temperature calibration models Growth performance (G pf =G/G max ) Growth performance (G pf =G/G max ) Measure of larval condition Measure of larval condition Formulation of reference growth rate (G ref ) Formulation of reference growth rate (G ref ) Estimated G pf across species Estimated G pf across species

Growth Performance Applications to Pacific herring-specific growth models Applications to Pacific herring-specific growth models R/D-growth-temperature models for starved herring across temperatures R/D-growth-temperature models for starved herring across temperatures Possible R/D cutoff point Possible R/D cutoff point Understanding growth during seasonal (winter) starvation and recovery periods in herring life-history Understanding growth during seasonal (winter) starvation and recovery periods in herring life-history

Ongoing Research RNA/DNA analyses: RNA/DNA analyses: -juvenile herring (2 nd stage replication) -juvenile cod & pollock (2009 samples) Metabolic enzyme analyses: Metabolic enzyme analyses: -juvenile herring (2008 samples) Incorporation of R/D data into species specific growth models Incorporation of R/D data into species specific growth models

Acknowledgements Rasmuson Fisheries Research Center Board Rasmuson Fisheries Research Center Board School of Fisheries and Ocean Sciences School of Fisheries and Ocean Sciences Dr. Bill Smoker Dr. Bill Smoker NOAA Auke Bay Laboratory NOAA Auke Bay Laboratory Dr. Stanley Rice, Dr. Ron Heintz, and J.J. Vollenweider Dr. Stanley Rice, Dr. Ron Heintz, and J.J. Vollenweider

Slide order 1 st say what factors affect juvenile growth patterns, eg- habitat,season,temp 1 st say what factors affect juvenile growth patterns, eg- habitat,season,temp Then add why growth itself is important for various lifehistory parameters and how it affects Then add why growth itself is important for various lifehistory parameters and how it affects Importance of physiological indices-growth at cellular level, lab condns can be manipulated and data can then be extrapolated. Importance of physiological indices-growth at cellular level, lab condns can be manipulated and data can then be extrapolated. Then metabolic pathways and RNA/DNA info and how they pertain to objectives Then metabolic pathways and RNA/DNA info and how they pertain to objectives Then specific info on herring in alaska and imp Then specific info on herring in alaska and imp Then info on noaa study-background and exp-2 or more slides-why, field and lab studies Then info on noaa study-background and exp-2 or more slides-why, field and lab studies Objectives slide Objectives slide Photo slides Photo slides Data slide Data slide Acknowledgement slide Acknowledgement slide