Full report - Conservation Gateway

Chapter 7 - Demersal FishOcean PoutWithin the region, ocean pout were found in highestnumbers along a narrow band from Barnegat Bay, NewJersey through Narragansett Bay to south of Nantucket inSouthern New England; in Cape Cod Bay, MassachusettsBay, and Stellwagen Bank in the western Gulf of Maine;and along the southern flank of Georges Bank (Figure7-61a, b). Statistical analyses identified variable trendsacross the species’ range, with declining trends generallyobserved in Southern New England and a mix ofdeclining and increasing trends in the Gulf of Maine andGeorges Bank depending on location (Figure 7-61c, d).Weighted persistence analyses identified nearshore watersin Massachusetts Bay from Stellwagen Bank to the GreatSouth Channel and waters south of Narragansett Bay toSandy Hook, New Jersey as important (Figure 7-62).ABFigure 7-62. Areas with high persistence and abundance over 40 years for ocean pout during the spring and fallseasons.Northwest Atlantic Marine Ecoregional Assessment • Phase 1 Report 7-67