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Movement Patterns and Distributional Shifts of Dungeness Crab (Metacarcinus magister) and English Sole (Parophrys vetulus) During Seasonal Hypoxia

Estuaries and Coasts volume 37, pages 449–460 (2014)Cite this article

Abstract

Hypoxia (dissolved oxygen < 2 mg L–1) has emerged as a worldwide threat to coastal and estuarine ecosystems. Beyond direct mortality, secondary ecological impacts caused by hypoxia-driven distributional shifts may be equally important. From July–November 2009 and June–September 2010, we quantified the movement patterns of Dungeness crab (Metacarcinus magister) and English sole (Parophrys vetulus) in Hood Canal, Washington USA, a seasonally hypoxic estuary. Although highly mobile (mean cumulative distance ± SD = 11.0 ± 25.6 km, N = 60), there was little evidence of either species exhibiting large-scale directional movement out of the hypoxic region. However, Dungeness crab showed significant shifts towards shallower waters and elevation in activity in the hypoxic region, potentially increasing their vulnerability to crabbing and other indirect ecological consequences. Our findings suggest hypoxia could have a more localized impact on the mobile fauna in Hood Canal. However, more detailed information concerning the local-scale oxygen dynamics and responses of these species, such as English sole vertical movement, is essential for grasping the population and community level effects of hypoxia.

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Acknowledgments

Our appreciation goes to Nolan Grose and Frank Stevick for their involvement in both years of rigorous data collection. Additionally, we are grateful for the numerous volunteer divers who assisted us in the field. We are also deeply indebted to Kelly Andrews and others from the NOAA Northwest Fisheries Science Center for their collaboration on the project. We also thank the Skokomish Tribe for their cooperation and assistance on the project. Thank you to the ORCA project for data used in our analysis. ORCA is funded primarily by the US Navy, NOAA, and NSF. The manuscript was greatly improved by comments from Charles ‘Si’ Simenstad and P. Sean McDonald. This research was funded by Washington Sea Grant and the University of Washington School of Aquatic and Fishery Sciences Research for this study was conducted in accordance with institutional, national, and international guidelines regarding the use of animals in research.

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  1. Anne H. Beaudreau

    Present address: School of Fisheries and Ocean Sciences, University of Alaska Fairbanks, Juneau, AK, 99801, USA

Authors and Affiliations

  1. School of Aquatic and Fishery Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, 98105, USA

    Halley E. Froehlich, Timothy E. Essington & Anne H. Beaudreau

  2. Northwest Fisheries Science Center, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Seattle, WA, 98112, USA

    Phillip S. Levin

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  1. Halley E. Froehlich
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  2. Timothy E. Essington
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Correspondence to Halley E. Froehlich.

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Froehlich, H.E., Essington, T.E., Beaudreau, A.H. et al. Movement Patterns and Distributional Shifts of Dungeness Crab (Metacarcinus magister) and English Sole (Parophrys vetulus) During Seasonal Hypoxia. Estuaries and Coasts 37, 449–460 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12237-013-9676-2

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