Pacific cod cannot depend on coastal refuges for safety during marine heat waves
Recently in the warm water of the Gulf of Alaska, young Pacific cod in nearshore safe havens, where they usually spend their adolescence, did not experience the usual protective benefits
The findings could have wider implications for marine fish populations globally, as marine heat waves become longer and more frequent with climate change, the researchers stated
These coastal habitats are no longer supporting fish in the same way due to marine heat waves," said lead author Hillary Thalmann, a graduate student
Pacific cod, a popular choice for fish and chips, is the second-largest commercial groundfish fishery off the coast of Alaska
The nurseries are shallow shoreline areas with abundant aquatic vegetation which attract food for the fish and provide hiding places from predators
These heat waves of the Northeast Pacific Ocean are considered to affect the cod population that the fishery was closed in 2020 and a federal disaster was declared in 2022