Seminar on a Rockfish

Deacon Rockfish in its habitat in a marine reserve.\Photo courtesy of ODFW.

Leif Rasmusen, Marine Fisheries Research Program Leader for the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife, will speak on “Biology and ecology of the newly (relatively) described Deacon Rockfish ,” as part of the HMSC Seminar Series in the Guin Library seminar room at the Hatfield Marine Science Center (2030 S.E. Marine Science Dr.) in the South Beach area of Newport.  His lecture, free and open to the public, takes place at 3:30 p.m. on Thursday, Jan. 23.

As he describes his talk:  “In 2015, ODFW and collaborators officially separated the Blue Rockfish (Sebastes mystinus) into the Blue and Deacon (Sebastes diaconus) Rockfishes. Following this study, genetics work has demonstrated that Blue Rockfish are more common in California while in Oregon, Deacon Rockfish are more common. Since most of our understanding of the basic biology and ecology of these species comes from California, we sought to understand the life history characteristics of the Deacon Rockfish in Oregon. In one study we conducted monthly hook and line sampling in nearshore and offshore waters near Newport, Oregon. Using these data, we determine how maturity, fish condition and age and growth differed between the nearshore and offshore. We also used otolith shape morphology and genetics to look for the presence of stock structure. We found distinct differences in life history parameters but no evidence of stock structure. In our second study, we tagged Deacon Rockfish with acoustic tags and monitored habitat use and movement in the nearshore for one year. We found that Deacon Rockfish have small home ranges, strong diel, and seasonal behaviors that are affected by hypoxic events.”

For a live broadcast via Adobe Connect, visit:  http://oregonstate.adobeconnect.com/hmsc-fw407/.