Comparative migration ecology of striped bass and Atlantic sturgeon in the US Southern mid-Atlantic bight flyway

Seasonal migrations are key to the production and persistence of marine fish populations but movements within shelf migration corridors or, “flyways”, are poorly known. Atlantic sturgeon and striped bass, two critical anadromous species, are known for their extensive migrations along the US Mid-Atlantic Bight. Seasonal patterns of habitat selection have been described within spawning rivers, estuaries,and shelf foraging habitats, but information on the location and timing of key coastal migrations is limited. Using a gradient-based array of acoustic telemetry receivers, we compared the seasonal incidence and movement behavior of these species in the near-shelf region of Maryland, USA. Atlantic sturgeon incidence was highest in the spring and fall and tended to be biased toward shallow regions, while striped bass had increased presence during spring and winter months and selected deeper waters. Incidence was transient (mean = ~2 d) for both species with a pattern of increased residency (>2 d) during autumn and winter, particularly for striped bass, with many individuals exhibiting prolonged presence on the outer shelf during winter. Flyways also differed spatially between northern and southern migrations for both species and were related to temperature: striped bass were more likely to occur in cool conditions while Atlantic sturgeon preferred warmer temperatures. Observed timing and spatial distribution within the Mid-Atlantic flyway were dynamic between years and sensitive to climate variables. As shelf ecosystems come under increasing maritime development, gridded telemetry designs represent a feasible approach to provide impact responses within key marine flyways like those that occur within the US Mid-Atlantic Bight.