Status of rainbow smelt in the U.S. waters of Lake Ontario, 2013
NYSDEC Lake Ontario Annual Report
2013-12
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Abstract
Rainbow Smelt Osmerus mordax are the second most abundant pelagic prey fish in Lake Ontario after Alewife Alosa psuedoharengus. The 2013, USGS/NYSDEC bottom trawl assessment indicated the abundance of Lake Ontario age-1 and older Rainbow Smelt decreased by 69% relative to 2012. Length frequency-based age analysis indicated that age-1 Rainbow Smelt constituted approximately 50% of the population, which is similar to recent trends where the proportion of age-1 has ranged from 95% to 42% of the population. While they constituted approximately half of the catch, the overall abundance index for age 1 was one of the lowest observed in the time series, potentially a result of cannibalism from the previous year class. Combined data from all bottom trawl assessments along the southern shore and eastern basin indicate the proportion of the fish community that is Rainbow Smelt has declined over the past 30 years. In 2013 the proportion of the pelagic fish catch (only pelagic species) that was Rainbow Smelt was the second lowest in the time series at 3.1%. Community diversity indices, based on bottom trawl catches, indicate that Lake Ontario fish community diversity, as assessed by bottom trawls, has sharply declined over the past 36 years and in 2013 the index was the lowest value in the time series. Much of this community diversity decline is driven by changes in the pelagic fish community and dominance of Alewife.
Suggested Citation
Weidel, B., Connerton, M., 2014, Status of rainbow smelt in the U.S. waters of Lake Ontario, 2013: NYSDEC Lake Ontario Annual Report 2013, 5 p.
Study Area
| Publication type | Report |
|---|---|
| Publication Subtype | State or Local Government Series |
| Title | Status of rainbow smelt in the U.S. waters of Lake Ontario, 2013 |
| Series title | NYSDEC Lake Ontario Annual Report |
| Series number | 2013 |
| Chapter | 12 |
| Year Published | 2014 |
| Language | English |
| Publisher | New York State Department of Environmental Conservation |
| Publisher location | Albany, NY |
| Contributing office(s) | Great Lakes Science Center |
| Description | 5 p. |
| Larger Work Type | Report |
| Larger Work Subtype | State or Local Government Series |
| Larger Work Title | 2013 Annual report: Bureau of Fisheries, Lake Ontario unit and St. Lawrence River unit, to the Great Lakes Fishery Commission’s Lake Ontario Committee |
| First page | 12-11 |
| Last page | 12- 15 |
| Conference Title | Lake Ontario Committee Meeting |
| Conference Location | Windsor, ON |
| Conference Date | March 26-27, 2014 |
| Country | United States |
| Other Geospatial | Lake Ontario |