Evidence for alternative migratory behaviours in the northern Gulf of St Lawrence population of Atlantic cod (Gadus morhua L.)

Inter-individual variation in migration propensity affects population dynamics and connectivity. The diversity of migratory behaviours of Atlantic cod (fork length >40 cm) in the northern Gulf of St Lawrence was studied using data-storage tags that record depth and temperature. Movement patterns of Atlantic cod equipped with data-storage tags were reconstructed using a geolocation model based on daily maximum depth and bottom temperature. Reconstructed migration routes revealed the previously undocumented coexistence of resident and migratory individuals in the population. Migratory cod overwintered in relatively deep (300-500 m) and warm (5 degrees C) waters, while residents displayed a prolonged period of immobility in shallow (<100 m) and near-freezing (-1.5 degrees C) coastal waters of western Newfoundland. In the spring, migratory cod displayed extensive diel vertical migration suggestive of spawning behaviour. The presence of alternative migratory behaviours should be considered in the spatiotemporal management of the collapsed population.