Lead institution:
Institute of Marine Research – Norway
The main impediment to stock assessment and management of Atlantic lumpfish comes from the lack of knowledge concerning its population structure and migration patterns. Lumpfish sustains two types of fisheries: one targeting females for their roe, the other targeting mature individuals to produce cleaner fish for salmon aquaculture.
Studies on lumpfish population genetics so far have been somewhat contradictory. Some have shown little to no structure along the Norwegian coast, while others have revealed clear genetic differences and cryptic groupings even at a local level. Lumpfish is semipelagic fish that spawns in shallow coastal areas in the spring. The rest of its life cycle is spent offshore in pelagic feeding areas. However, the presence of immature adults in coastal areas as well as anecdotal spawning events in autumn question the current description of the lifecycle.
In project ECOLUMP, the hypothesis is that some lumpfish feed in coastal areas and form a separate subpopulation or ecotype from migratory individuals. To uncover this alternate life strategy, an interdisciplinary approach will be used, including population genetics, microchemistry of calcified structures, and stable isotope analyses. A non-lethal biopsy method will be developed to determine individual ecotypes. The project will quantify the proportion of resident and migratory lumpfish targeted by both types of fisheries. Acoustic telemetry will document coastal-offshore movements and behavior after spawning, and experiments will compare swimming behaviors and orientation cues (visual or magnetic) in both the sea and a laboratory.
Start Date: 15/09/2023
End Date: 31/12/2027
Lead Contact: Caroline Durif (caroline.durif@hi.no)