Physical environmental and biological correlates of otolith chemistry of Arctic marine fishes in the Chukchi sea

Abstract

Life history movement patterns in marine fishes can be determined by otolith chemistry if environmental variables are reflected in the otoliths. Arctic cod (Boreogadus Saida), Arctic staghorn sculpin (Gymnocanthus tricuspis), and Bering flounder (Hippoglossoides robustus) are abundant Arctic fishes in the Chukchi Sea with overlapping distributions. Physical environmental data, demersal fishes, bottom seawater, and sediment interface seawater samples were collected from the Chukchi Sea Offshore Monitoring in Drilling Area (COMIDA) cruise on July 30, 2009 and the Russian American Long-term Census of the Arctic (RUSALCA) cruise from September 3 to 30, 2009 in the Chukchi Sea. Magnesium (Mg), strontium (Sr), barium (Ba), and calcium (Ca) were measured with an inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometer (ICP-MS) on the most recent growth edge of otoliths and in whole fish blood, as well as Ba in bottom and sediment interface seawater. Environmental variables and fish age correlated with Arctic cod and Arctic staghorn sculpin otolith signatures while only environmental variables correlated with Bering flounder signatures. Elemental correlations were not always consistent for the variables tested among species. The complexity of this multi-element tool suggests otolith chemistry may not be useful to determine life history movement patterns of these demersal Arctic fishes in offshore waters.