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Pacific cod ( Gadus macrocephalus ) is an economically and ecologically important species in the southeastern Bering Sea and Aleutian Islands, yet little is known about the spawning dynamics of Pacific cod in these regions. To address this knowledge gap, we applied a gross anatomical maturity key for Pacific cod to describe temporal and spatial patterns of reproductive status over three winter spawning seasons: 2005, 2006, and 2007. Maturity status of female Pacific cod was assessed by fishery observers during sampling of commercial catches and used to construct maps showing spawning activity in the Bering Sea and Aleutian Islands. Most spawning activity was observed on the Bering Sea shelf and Aleutian Island plateaus between 100 and 200 m depth. Data for those days when a high percentage of spawning stage fish were observed were used to identify areas with concentrations of spawning fish. Spawning concentrations were identified north of Unimak Island, in the vicinity of the Pribilof Islands, at the shelf break near Zhemchug Canyon, and adjacent to islands in the central and western Aleutian Islands along the continental shelf. The spawning season was found to begin in the last days of February or early March and extend through early to mid-April. Variation in spawning time (averaging ~10 days between years) may have been associated with a change from warm (2005) to cold (2007) climate conditions during the study period. Our information on Pacific cod spawning patterns will help inform fishery management decisions, models of spawning and larval dispersal and the spatial structure of the stock. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Eastern Bering Sea pollock have two distinctly different stable spawning grounds-along the shelf and in the eastern and central Aleutian Islands between 400 and 500 m water columns. Pollock spawning behavior supports the hypothesis that the shelf and deepwater 'basin' spawning pollock are completely independent reproductive stocks. Deepwater pollock inhabit the shelf and, once mature at age 5-6 years, migrate from the shelf onto the continental slope into the Zhemchug, Pribilof, and Bering canyons by the end of winter. Bering Sea pollock recruitment and year class abundance have high annual variability, but there are no clear relationships between pollock year class strength and water temperature, ice distribution or survival on early ontogenesis stages (eggs and larvae). Young-of-the-year fish survival varies dramatically during winter supporting the hypothesis that the Bering Sea pollock recruitment and strength of year class have high annual variability depending on young-of-the-year fish survival during winter. The annual change of physical oceanography condition, productivity and species composition of zooplankton community are associated with great differences in pollock seasonal migrations and distribution, reproduction, survival of recruits at early stages of development and finally with abundance of year classes and total biomass. Implementation of ecosystem-based fishery management most important for application of pollock research both of Russian national program and on base of International Agreements. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]