The effects of spatial and temporal variations in spawning on offspring survival in Northeast Arctic cod

Abstract

Climate change and harvesting result in temporal and spatial changes and variability in spawning, and thus in offspring ambient drift conditions. As a result, variable survival of offspring and thereby in recruitment are expected. This is especially true for species with long reproduction migration as is the case for some Atlantic cod stocks. We utilize biophysical model simulations to analyze survival from spawning until age 1 resulting from different scenarios of spatial and temporal changes in spawning. We find that survival is 1.5–2 times higher when spawning is shifted southwards as compared to northerly shifts. In general, survival is more sensitive to shifts in spawning location than in spawning time. Early spawning is only favourable if spawning is concurrently shifted farther north. A future spawning scenario with a northward shift in spawning grounds beyond what has been observed historically suggests reduced offspring survival and increased sensitivity to the timing of spawning.