Northern Shrimp: Canary in a Coal Mine?

The northern shrimp Pandalus borealis reaches the southern limit of its distribution in the Gulf of Maine (GoM), where it supports a locally important fishery and is an important component of the food web. Previous studies have shown that water temperatures affect recruitment of GoM northern shrimp, with higher larval survival in colder years. Temperature is also correlated with timing of the larval hatch period. The hatch has been starting up to a month earlier in recent years as water temperatures have warmed. In addition, an index of predation pressure on shrimp increased steadily in the past decade. Biomass and recruitment indices of northern shrimp have declined sharply and the fishery was closed in 2014. This paper will describe GoM northern shrimp population trends and pressures on the population, and discuss implications for the future of the resource.