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Chapter 8 - Small Pelagic Fishdo have the potential to decimate discrete populations ofAmerican sand lance as the fish concentrate so heavily inspecific locations. In 2008, ASMFC enacted a five yearcap on annual harvests of Atlantic menhaden of 109,020metric tons, in response to pressure from a host of recreationalfishing and environmental groups. All states northof Virginia have banned the taking of menhaden for reductionpurposes.Species AccountsAtlantic Herring (Clupea harengus)Atlantic herring are a common pelagic, planktivorousfish (Bigelow and Schroeder 2002). They are foundthroughout Northwest Atlantic Continental Shelf watersfrom Labrador to Cape Hatteras, and in the Northand Northeast Atlantic from Greenland to the Straits ofGibraltar, including the North and Baltic Seas. Rangingfrom shallow inshore waters to offshore, Atlantic herringadults occur predominantly in open water in largeschools, while juveniles frequent bays and estuaries fromthe Chesapeake northward at various times of year, withgreater abundance north of Delaware Bay (Bigelow andSchroeder 2002). Atlantic herring spawn in discrete locationsfrom Labrador to Nantucket Shoals, from spring inthe more northerly areas to summer and fall in U.S. waters.Juveniles and adults undergo significant migrationsduring the year in response to temperature, salinity, andfood availability. They are relatively long-lived, reachingages of 15-18 years and lengths of approximately 40 cm.Atlantic herring deposit adhesive eggs in “beds” on gravelbottom in specific locations both inshore and offshorein the Gulf of Maine, on Georges Bank, and Nantucketshoals (Stevenson and Scott 2005). After hatching, larvaeare spread by surface currents, though some larvae are ableto remain near their place of hatching for extensive periods.Larvae are found in coastal, estuarine, and offshorewaters from the Bay of Fundy to New Jersey. Juveniles arepelagic, found close to shore and in bays and estuaries intheir first year of life, and are tolerant of low salinities butavoid estuarine waters south of Long Island Sound duringthe warmer months. Second-year fish prefer higher salinitieswhen inshore and avoid brackish areas. In the winter,one year olds move to deeper inshore waters while twoyear old fish can be found offshore from Cape Hatteras tothe Bay of Fundy in winter and spring. Food availability,frontal zones and currents can further limit suitable habitat(Bigelow and Schroeder 2002).During summer and fall, adults are found throughoutthe Gulf of Maine and in the deeper portions of GeorgesBank, with a southerly shift in winter from Cape Hatterasto deeper waters of Georges Bank. During the spring, theyare found from the southwest part of the Gulf of Maine tothe shelf waters of the mid-Atlantic, again with fish alsofound in the deeper parts of Georges Bank. They are mostabundant where dense plankton concentrations are found,in well-mixed areas and where fronts develop betweenwell-mixed areas and stratified waters (Stevenson andScott 2005).Atlantic Mackerel (Scomber scombrus)Atlantic mackerel, a pelagic, fast-swimming specieswhich consumes zooplankton, small fishes and invertebrates,occur on both sides of the North Atlantic as wellas in the Baltic, Mediterranean, and Black Seas (Bigelowand Schroeder 2002). In the Northwest Atlantic, theyrange from Labrador to North Carolina, undergoingextensive seasonal movements. They overwinter alongthe Continental Shelf edge, and then move inshore thennortheast in spring, and in the fall, reverse the movement(Bigelow and Schroeder 2002).They are sometimes known to enter estuaries and harborsin search of food and to avoid predation, especially whenthey are young, though occasionally adults can be foundin very shallow waters in coastal embayments. Mackerelmake significant migrations to and from spawning andwintering areas. During spring they generally are foundsomewhat closer to shore for spawning off the Mid-Atlantic Bight, and in the southern Gulf of St. Lawrencein midsummer. From spring to fall, they are found in andnear surface waters from 46-55 m.8-18Northwest Atlantic Marine Ecoregional Assessment • Phase 1 Report