Pilot investigation into the age structure of market squid, Doryteuthis opalescens, in the Gulf of Alaska

Abstract

The objective of my URECA funded project was to conduct a pilot investigation that aimed to provide a data set of the age, size, and maturity of market squid, Doryteuthis opalescens, collected in the Gulf of Alaska. The information I collected was used to infer the establishment of a residential or transient population of market squid in the sampled area. I hypothesized that squid collected offshore (> 100m from the shoreline) would be less sexually mature and younger than squid collected inshore which supports the establishment of a residential population. In comparison, no significant differences between size, maturity, and age between squid collected offshore and inshore supports that the squid are from a transient population.