20  Southern California Current Forage

Description Abundance indicators for forage in the Southern CCE come from fish and squid larvae collected in the spring (May-June) across all core stations of the CalCOFI survey. Larval data are indicators of the relative regional abundances of adult forage fish, such as sardines and anchovy, and other species, including certain groundfish, market squid, and mesopelagic fishes. The survey samples a variety of fish and invertebrate larvae (<5 d old) from several taxonomic and functional groups, collected via oblique vertical tows of fine mesh Bongo nets to 212 m depth. In 2020, the spring larval survey was canceled due to COVID-19, and thus no data are available for that year, but survey operations resumed in 2021.

Pelagic forage larvae data from the Southern CCE were provided by A. Thompson, NMFS/SWFSC, from spring CalCOFI surveys (https://calcofi.org/); data were not collected in 2020 due to survey cancellations associated with the COVID pandemic. Similarity analysis and cluster plot by A. Thompson, NMFS/SWFSC.

Indicators

• Species:
  • anchovy
  • CA smoothtongue
  • croakers
  • eared blacksmelt
  • English sole
  • Jack mackerel
  • market squid
  • northern lampfish
  • hake
  • Pacific mackerel
  • rockfishes
  • sanddabs
  • sardine
  • slender sole
  • southern mesopelagics
• Component Category: Ecological Integrity
• Time Range: 1997 - 2024
• CCIEA Data Contact: andrew.thompson@noaa.gov
• Institution: NOAA SWFSC
• Source Data: Dr. Andrew Thompson (NOAA; andrew.thompson@noaa.gov); derived from spring CalCOFI surveys
• Additional Calculations: Larval fish data summed across all stations of the CalCOFI survey in spring (units are in number under 10 sq. m of surface area; ln(abundance+1)). Note: The spring CalCOFI cruise was not conducted in 2020 due to COVID restrictions, and winter surveys were used to develop alternative indices of larval abundance; see Appendix G.3 in Harvey et al 2021 (https://www.pcouncil.org/documents/2021/02/i-1-a-iea-team-report-2.pdf/) for methods used to develop alternative indices in 2020.

Indicator Download

ERDDAP™ link:

https://oceanview.pfeg.noaa.gov/erddap/tabledap/cciea_EI_FBS.html