ODFW Nearshore Strategy Species


	» ODFW Home » Marine Resources » Nearshore Strategy » Strategy Species

Marine Resources

Program Home Page

Program Directory

Programs & Projects

Publications

Resources

Commercial Fishing

Sport Fishing

About ODFW Budget Commission Contact us Director's office Doing business with ODFW Economic impact History Jobs Key Performance Measures ODFW policies OR Administrative Rules (OARs) Photo/video gallery Public record requests Social Media Volunteering

Fishing Resources Angler education/events Columbia River Commercial Crabbing/clamming Fish counts Recreation Report Regulations/updates Saltwater Stocking schedule Salmon/steelhead Trout Warmwater Where & how

Hunting Resources Big game Controlled hunts Furbearers/trapping Hunter education & events Opportunities for youth Recreation Report Regulations Reporting Upland game birds Waterfowl Wildlife management Where & how

Viewing Resources Parking Permits Photo/video gallery Recreation Report Support wildlife Viewing Map Visitor's Guide Wildlife species

Licenses & Regulations Buy online Commercial Controlled hunts Forms/applications/permits Licenses & fees License sales locations Regulations Reporting Youth

Conservation Resources Conservation Newsletter Conservation Strategy Fish conservation & recovery Invasive species Marine reserves Nearshore Strategy Oregon Plan Parking Permits Sensitive species Threatened/endangered species Wildlife habitat Wildlife management Wildlife species

Living with Oregon Wildlife Injured/young wildlife Wildlife control operators Wildlife diseases Wildlife rehabilitation

About ODFW Outdoors Angler education Calendar of events Hunter education Outdoor skills education Photo/video gallery Register for a class/workshop Trapper education Shooting range grants

MARINE RESOURCES
Commercial and recreational marine fisheries

Canary Rockfish
- Photo by Brandon Ford -

Strategy species are nearshore species that were identified by the Nearshore Team to be in greatest need of management attention. Identification as a strategy species does not necessarily mean the species is in trouble. Rather, those identified as a strategy species have some significant nearshore management/conservation issue connected to that species that is of interest to managers.

To keep a nearshore ecosystem focus, the team concentrated its attention harvested and non-harvested species that predominantly occur, or are common, within Oregon’s nearshore marine environment. The Marine Resources Program recognizes extensive linkages between estuarine and nearshore marine ecosystems and hopes to include estuaries in future planning efforts.

The Nearshore Team identified 53 nearshore species as strategy species. These species were determined to have conservation needs in greatest need of management attention and to have the greatest potential for benefit from management actions.

The table below presents the list of all 53 strategy species, including notes on conservation needs of each species. The notes document conservation factors that were determined by the Nearshore Team to be of the most interest to managers. Conservation needs are identified so managers may consider them when developing: management plans directly or indirectly affecting the species, research and monitoring projects or programs, education and outreach materials, partnerships, or other actions.

Conservation needs are based upon literature review and personal communication. Note that management jurisdiction varies for each species. For instance, some strategy species are managed by ODFW, others by NOAA Fisheries, and many species are under shared management authority by multiple resource agencies.

Bony Fishes
Cartilaginous Fishes
Invertebrates
Marine Mammals
Algae and Plants

List of Strategy Species
Species	Notes on conservation needs*	References
Bony Fishes
Black rockfish Sebastes melanops	Low to very low productivity. Long-term population declines in Puget Sound (WA). Sport and commercial harvest. Incidental catch. Collected for scientific research.	Love, Yoklavich, and Thorsteinson 2002; McCain 2003; Musick et al. 2000
Black-and-yellow rockfish Sebastes chrysomelas	Commercial harvest. Low productivity. Collected for public aquarium display. Southern OR is northern extent of range. Population status unknown.	Love, Yoklavich, and Thorsteinson 2002; McCain 2003
Blue rockfish Sebastes mystinus	Low productivity. Sport and commercial harvest. Population status unknown.	Love, Yoklavich, and Thorsteinson 2002; McCain 2003
Bocaccio Sebastes paucispinis	Very low productivity. Southern stock (CA) listed as overfished by Pacific Fishery Management Council (PFMC). Listed as “species of concern” by NOAA Fisheries Protected Resources for CA waters (and possibly west coast of North America) since 1990.	Love, Yoklavich, and Thorsteinson 2002; Musick et al. 2000; NOAA 2004; PFMC 2005
Brown rockfish Sebastes auriculatus	Sport and commercial harvest. Concerns for potential localized population depletion. Probable low to very low productivity. Long-term population declines in Puget Sound (WA). Population status unknown.	Love, Yoklavich, and Thorsteinson 2002; McCain 2003; Musick et al. 2000
Cabezon Scorpaenichthys marmoratus	Assessment with CA data only; PFMC precautionary approach for harvest allocation. Sport and commercial harvest. Incidental catch.	McCain 2003; Love 1996
Canary rockfish Sebastes pinniger	Very low productivity. Very long lived. Listed as overfished by PFMC. Incidental catch. May be two separate subpopulations: one north, the other south, of central OR. Primarily juveniles in nearshore. Scientific research collection.	CDFG 2001; Love, Yoklavich, and Thorsteinson 2002; McCain 2003; Musick et al. 2000; PFMC 2005
China rockfish Sebastes nebulosus	Low productivity. Long lived. Very little known about early life history. Sport and commercial harvest. Collected for public aquarium display. Population status unknown.	Love, Yoklavich, and Thorsteinson 2002; McCain 2003
Copper rockfish Sebastes caurinus	Low to very low productivity. Long-term population declines have occurred in Puget Sound (WA). Sport and commercial harvest.	Love, Yoklavich, and Thorsteinson 2002; Musick et al. 2000; McCain 2003
Eulachon Thaleichthys pacificus	Forage fish. Vulnerable freshwater spawning and nursery grounds. Columbia River population has declined. Other Distinct Population Segments (DPS) may have experienced similar declines.	Love, Yoklavich, and Thorsteinson 2002; Musick et al. 2000; McCain 2003
Gopher rockfish Sebastes carnatus	Low productivity. Sport and commercial harvest. Collected for public aquarium display. Southern OR is northern extent of range.	Love, Yoklavich, and Thorsteinson 2002; McCain 2003
Grass rockfish Sebastes rastrelliger	Low productivity. Population status unknown. Sport and commercial harvest. Incidental catch. Central OR is northern extent of range. Potential for local depletion. Limited habitat.	Love, Yoklavich, and Thorsteinson 2002; McCain 2003
Green sturgeon Acipenser medirostris	Low productivity. Specialized habitat requirements. Late maturity. Long life span. Northern (spawning populations in the Klamath and Rogue rivers) and southern (spawners in the Sacramento River) DPS listed as “species of concern” by NOAA Fisheries Protected Resources since 2001. Managed in conjunction with white sturgeon.	Musick et al. 2000; NOAA 2004
Kelp greenling Hexagrammos decagrammus	OR population status in good condition; coast wide population status unknown. Sport and commercial harvest. Collected for public aquarium display.	McCain 2003
Lingcod Ophiodon elongatus	Coastal stock listed as overfished by PFMC (northern portion of stock, which includes OR, is rebuilt). Sport and commercial harvest. Scientific research collection. Important predator.	McCain 2003; Musick et al. 2000
Northern anchovy Engraulis mordax	Forage fish. Commercial harvest and minor sport harvest. Distinct northern population from north of San Francisco to British Columbia. Stock status of northern subpopulation unknown.	Baraff and Loughlin 2000
Pacific herring Clupea pallasii	Forage fish. Specialized spawning habitat requirements. Population(s) status unknown.	Baraff and Loughlin 2000; Musick et al. 2000
Pile perch Rhacochilus vacca	Low productivity. Unknown habitats for some life history stages. Population status unknown. Sport harvest. Small commercial harvest in CA.	CDFG 2001
Quillback rockfish Sebastes maliger	Very low productivity. Long-term population declines in Puget Sound (WA). Sport and commercial harvest. Population status unknown.	Love, Yoklavich, and Thorsteinson 2002; McCain 2003; Musick et al. 2000
Redtail surfperch Amphistichus rhodoterus	Low productivity. Unknown habitats for some life history stages. Population status unknown. Sport harvest. Minor commercial harvest along west coast.	Love 1996; CDFG 2001
Rock greenling Hexagrammos lagocephalus	Very little life history information. Some sport and commercial harvest. Population status unknown.	Eschmeyer and Herald 1983
Shiner perch Cymatogaster aggregata	Low productivity. Sport harvest. Collected for public aquarium display. Population status unknown. Unknown habitats for most life history stages.	Love 1996
Starry flounder Platichthys stellatus	Sport and commercial harvest. Possible localized depletion concerns.	McCain 2003
Striped perch Embiota lateralis	Low productivity. Sport and minor commercial harvest. Population status unknown. Unknown habitats for most life history stages.	Love 1996; CDFG 2001
Surf smelt Hypomesus pretiosus	Forage fish. Individual populations have small ranges. Specialized habitat requirements. Commercial fishery in WA and CA. Population status unknown.	CDFG 2001
Tiger rockfish Sebastes nigrocinctus	Commercial harvest. Probable low to very low productivity. Very long lived. Long-term population declines have occurred in Puget Sound (WA). Significant research needs regarding life history. Population status unknown.	Love, Yoklavich, and Thorsteinson 2002; McCain 2003; Musick et al. 2000
Topsmelt Atherinops affinis	Forage fish. Migratory behavior unknown. Collected for public aquarium display. Population status unknown. Seven subspecies exist, demonstrating varied behavior and reflecting different environments occupied.	CDFG 2001
Vermilion rockfish Sebastes miniatus	Low productivity. Sport and commercial harvest. Unknown habitats for some life history stages.	Love, Yoklavich, and Thorsteinson 2002; McCain 2003
White sturgeon Acipenser transmontanus	Very low productivity. Specialized habitat requirements. Inland population (Idaho and Montana) listed as endangered under the Endangered Species Act (ESA). Managed in conjunction with green sturgeon.	Musick et al. 2000
Wolf-eel Anarrhichthys ocellatus	Susceptible to incidental catch in pots and trawls. Developmental fishery in OR. Population status unknown.	Love 1996
Yelloweye rockfish Sebastes ruberrimus	Listed as overfished by PFMC. Very low productivity. Very long lived. Collected for scientific research. Incidental catch.	Love, Yoklavich, and Thorsteinson 2002; McCain 2003; Musick et al. 2000
Yellowtail rockfish Sebastes flavidus	Sport and commercial harvest. Incidental catch. Collected for scientific research.	Love, Yoklavich, and Thorsteinson 2002; McCain 2003
Cartilaginous Fishes
Big skate Raja binoculata	Low to very low productivity. Incidental catch. Research needs regarding population trends. Closely related species in Atlantic experienced stock collapses and local extirpations.	McCain 2003; Musick et al. 2000
Spiny dogfish Squalus acanthias	Important predator. Low productivity. Long lived. Sport and commercial harvest. Collected for scientific/medical research. Population status unknown. Historic decline of west coast population in 1940s from targeted harvest. Stock assessment due in 2007.	Love 1996; Musick 1999
Invertebrates
California mussel Mytilus californianus	Tribal, recreational and commercial harvest. Susceptible to trampling/wildlife disturbance. Collected for scientific/medical research. Important habitat-forming organism.	Morris, Abbott, and Haderlie 1981
Dungeness crab Cancer magister	Tribal, recreational and commercial harvest. Larvae important prey. No stock assessment. Regulated by size, sex, and season. Larvae sensitive to pollution. Fluctuations in ocean conditions create variability in abundance year to year.	Morris, Abbott, and Haderlie 1981; Wolotira et al. 1989
Flat abalone Haliotis walallensis	Little known regarding life history. Susceptible to winter storms, El Niño events, and sand inundation. Small commercial harvest. Population status unknown. Susceptible to poor water quality and pollution.	Morris, Abbott, and Haderlie 1981; Wolotira et al. 1989
Giant octopus Octopus dofleini	Concerns regarding unreported incidental catch (catch not recorded at species level). This species has been overfished in Japan in the past.	Morris, Abbott, and Haderlie 1981; Wolotira et al. 1989
Ochre sea star Pisaster ochraceus	Keystone species; important predator. Collected for scientific/medical research. Susceptible to wildlife disturbance.	Morris, Abbott, and Haderlie 1981
Purple sea urchin Strongylocentrotus purpuratus	Sport and commercial harvest. Susceptible to trampling/wildlife disturbance. Collected for aquarium trade. Collected for scientific/medical research.	Morris, Abbott, and Haderlie 1981
Razor clam Siliqua patula	Tribal, recreational and commercial harvest. Susceptible to disease and natural events such as El Niño.	Morris, Abbott, and Haderlie 1981; Wolotira et al. 1989
Red abalone Haliotis rufescens	Long lived. Specialized habitat requirements. Collected for aquarium trade. Sport harvest in OR and CA. OR is northern extent of range. Susceptible to winter storms, disease, El Niño events, and sand inundation. Susceptible to poor water quality and pollution.	Morris, Abbott, and Haderlie 1981; Wolotira et al. 1989
Red sea urchin Strongylocentrotus franciscanus	Possibly very long lived. Age at maturity unknown. Sport and commercial harvest. Collected for scientific/medical research.	Morris, Abbott, and Haderlie 1981
Rock scallop Hinnites giganteus	Late age at maturity. Longevity and fecundity unknown. Sport harvest and minor commercial. Population status unknown.	Morris, Abbott, and Haderlie 1981
Marine Mammals
California sea lion Zalophus califonianus	Important predator. Low productivity. Populations increasing. Marine mammal-fisheries interaction management issues. Stock status relative to Optimum Sustainable Population (OSP) unknown.	Baraff and Loughlin 2000; Brown 1997; Carretta et al. 2002
Gray whale Eschrichtius robustus	Low productivity. Habitat engineer. Special habitat needs. State listed as endangered species. Historic population decline throughout range due to harvest; current population in good standing. Distinct summer-resident population may be found in OR.	Carretta et al. 2002
Harbor porpoise Phocoena phocoena	Significant research needs regarding life history and behavior. Important predator. Low productivity. Two separate stocks found in OR: 1) northern CA / southern OR stock determined to be within OSP; and 2) OR / WA coast stock status relative to OSP unknown.	Carretta et al. 2002
Northern elephant seal Mirounga angustirostris	Historic population decline throughout range, current population status is good. Low productivity. May be within their OSP range.	Brown 1997; Carretta et al. 2002
Pacific harbor seal Phoca vitulina	Important predator. Low productivity. OR and WA coast population increasing, may be nearing OSP.	Baraff and Loughlin 2000; Brown 1997; Carretta et al. 2002
Steller sea lion Eumetopias jubatus	Important predator. Low productivity. Eastern stock (includes OR) listed as threatened under ESA; eastern AK, WA, and OR populations stable to increasing, central and southern CA populations declining. Stock status relative to OSP unknown.	Angliss and Lodge 2002; Baraff and Loughlin 2000; Brown 1997; Stone, Goebel, and Webster 1997
Algae and Plants
Bull kelp Nereocystis luetkeana	Important habitat. Past commercial harvest in OR. Recreational harvest. Removal of some blades may inhibit growth of rest of kelp. Vulnerable to exposure of petroleum products.	O'Clair and Lindstrom 2000
Sea palm Postelsia palmaeformis	Susceptible to overharvest (historic overharvest in CA, now protected). Special habitat requirements: restricted to rock exposed to heavy surf. Recreational and commercial harvest.	CDFG 2001; O'Clair and Lindstrom 2000
Surf grass Phyllospadix spp.	Tribes harvest. Important habitat. Specialized oceanographic requirements. Vulnerable to oil spills.	O'Clair and Lindstrom 2000

* Acronyms and definitions:

AK Alaska
CA California
DPS Distinct Population Segments
ESA Endangered Species Act
OR Oregon
OSP Optimum Sustainable Population
PFMC Pacific Fishery Management Council
WA Washington

Incidental catch: Species caught when fishing for the primary purpose of catching a different species (PFMC 2004).

Optimum Sustainable Population (OSP): As defined by the Marine Mammal Protection Act; with respect to any population stock, the number of animals which will result in the maximum productivity of the population or the species, keeping in mind the optimum carrying capacity of the habitat and the health of the ecosystem of which they form a constituent element (16 U.S.C. § 1362(9)).

NOAA Fisheries regulations have further defined OSP as "a population size which falls within a range from [the carrying capacity of the] ecosystem to the population level that results in maximum net productivity" (50 C.F.R. § 216.3).

Overfished: As defined by the Pacific Fishery Management Council: any stock or stock complex whose size is sufficiently small that a change in management practices is required to achieve an appropriate level and rate of rebuilding. The term generally describes any stock or stock complex determined to be below its overfished/rebuilding threshold. The default proxy is generally 25% of its estimated unfished biomass; however, other scientifically valid values are also authorized (PFMC 2004).

ODFW Home | Driving Directions | Employee Directory | Social Media | Oregon.gov | File Formats

3406 Cherry Avenue N.E. :: Salem, OR 97303 :: Main Phone (503) 947-6000 or (800) 720-ODFW [6339]

Do you have a question or comment for ODFW? Contact ODFW's Public Service Representative at: odfw.info@state.or.us
Do you want to enter your opinion about a specific issue into the public record? Contact: odfw.comments@state.or.us

This page was last updated: 10/27/2011 10:43 AM