Otolith: A calcified structure used as part of the balance system in bony fishes. The mineral structure changes over time and annual banding can be seen in the otolith allowing scientists to estimate the age of a fish. More Information

Cod spatial dynamics and implications for fisheries management (CODYSSEY)

CODYSSEY is a recently EU-funded R&D project into the movements and behaviour of cod in the NE Atlantic. In collaboration with 8 other research labs in Europe (see below), over 2000 electronic tags will be deployed on juvenile and adult cod in an attempt to define characteristic behaviours and migrations of cod in four different ecosystems: the North Sea, the Baltic Sea, the Barents Sea and the Icelandic/ Faeroe plateau.

The research programme, led by Cefas will aim: (a) to identify and describe patterns of migration of cod in relation to the location of their spawning and nursery grounds in the chosen ecosystems; (b) to identify the underlying biological mechanisms of behaviour and migration; (c) to establish the link between the behaviour of the fish and key physical factors in the marine environment; (d) to relate behaviour to signature otolith microstructures in order to develop a systematic behavioural analysis tool (etho-typing); (e) to incorporate the results in predictive models of vertical and horizontal movement and (f) to evaluate the results of the model output in order to evaluate proposed fisheries management measures aimed at cod stock recovery and to predict the effect of climate change on cod distribution and behaviour.

www.CODYSSEY.co.uk

Collaborators:

University of Bergen (Norway)
Marine Research Institute (Iceland)
University of Kiel at Hamburg (Germany)
Danish Fisheries Research Institute (DIFRES, Denmark)
Fisheries Research Services (Scotland)
Institute of Marine Research (Norway)
Faeroese Fisheries Laboratory (Faeroe Islands)
Ministry of Fisheries (Sweden)