WASHINGTON: A research project being conducted by National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration scientists has found that even a moderate warming of waters could spell dire consequences for the Arctic cod, a high-fat fish important to the food web. But other fish with lower fat content — pollock, Pacific cod and saffron cod — can survive and even thrive in warming waters, the research finds.
The Arctic cod information comes from what is believed to be the first successful spawning and rearing of that fish in captivity, a project underway at NOAA’s Alaska Fisheries Science Center laboratory in Newport, Oregon.
The first phase of the study focused on juvenile fish. The second phase, which is still underway, is focusing on the egg and larval stages of the fish.
The captive spawning and growth process allows scientists to experiment with different water temperatures in controlled conditions, said NOAA fisheries biologist Benjamin Laurel, who is conducting the study.
It is also important because it allows scientist to observe a fish “that carries out most of its life — or used to — under the ice,” Laurel said.
Arctic cod generally swim in waters at about 0 degrees Celsius, or even colder, as saltwater has a lower freezing point than freshwater does. Once water is warmed to 2.5 degrees Celsius or 36.5 degrees Fahrenheit, growth of Arctic cod is stunted compared to that of the other tested species, according to preliminary results
Waters warmed to above 41 degrees Fahrenheit are fatal to Arctic cod eggs, the scientists found.
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