American Plaice Research Track

American plaice is a commercially important flatfish in the Northeast U.S. and Canada that is considered rebuilt. In recent years plaice have shifted further offshore and into deeper water, this shift is expected to continue with likely negative effects on the stock as ocean temperatures warm and suitable habitat contracts. Temperature has been shown to influence plaice distribution, depth, growth rate, recruitment, and possibly maturity, while other climate drivers (e.g. NAO, AMO) have been linked to changing recruits per spawner and distribution. Although population dynamics and distribution have clear links to climate dynamics, to date these influences have not been incorporated into stock assessments for plaice nor has this knowledge been used to provide estimates of climate uncertainties that may benefit decision-making processes. The NCLIM framework will be leveraged to integrate climate considerations into the research track stock assessment process for American plaice.

Project Goals:

  • Identify key climate drivers for American plaice and proposed links to stock dynamics

  • Develop and test candidate assessments using the NCLIM framework in collaboration with the American Plaice Assessment Working Group (WG)

  • Compare candidate and status quo assessments (Woods Hole Assessment Model code available here)

  • Share findings with WG members and synthesize climate context for WG report (TOR1)

Key climate-informed products and working papers:

Behan, J., Kerr, L., Hart, A., Hansell,A., Paklovitch, T., Cadrin, S. ToR 1:TOR1: Ecosystem and Climate Influences. American Plaice Research Track Stock Assessment Report. https://apps-nefsc.fisheries.noaa.gov/saw/sasi.php

Behan et al. 2022. Ecosystem and Climate Influences on Stock Dynamics of American Plaice. Working paper prepared for ToR 1 in the American Plaice Research Track Stock Assessment.

Behan et al. 2022. Modeling climate influences on American Plaice stock dynamics. Working paper prepared for ToR 1 in the American Plaice Research Track Stock Assessment.

Hart et al. 2022. A state-space assessment of American plaice using the Woods Hole Assessment Model (WHAM). Working paper prepared for ToR 4 in the American Plaice Research Track Stock Assessment.

Find the code:

  • PlaiceWG2021: Repository for WHAM modeling of American plaice in support of 2021-2022 research track stock assessment

  • Plaice environmental drivers: Repository for modeling of American plaice in support of 2021-2022 research track stock assessment