California anchovy (Engraulis mordax) surveillance

Location: The geographic range of the California anchovy (Engraulis mordax), and beyond.

Description: The purpose of this project is to track observations of California anchovy (Engraulis mordax) throughout its range, which currently extends from the Gulf of California to British Columbia.

Background: California anchovies (Engraulis mordax) become abundant in the Northeast Pacific during the Eastern Pacific Cool Phase (Chavez et al 2003), and so the presence or abundance of this species is an indicator of this cool phase. The Pacific sardine (Sardinops sagax caerulea) is an indicator of the Eastern Pacific Warm Phase, and so Sardines are an indicator of warming conditions in this cycle. The two species tend to alternate in abundance as the Eastern Pacific oscillates between these two phases (eg. Chavez et al 2003). Two complicating factors are (1) the tendency of poleward migration of this species related to climate change and (2) heavy fishing on Sardines.

This project emerged from the Sea Watch Society's 'Fish Watchers' Network. This network includes scores of participants who report observations of California anchovies in Canada's Pacific Marine Ecosystems.

Anchovy Video:

2016 video by Bob Turner of California anchovy schools off Bowen Island, British Columbia, at Cape Roger Curtis and Tunstall Bay

Funding: Open invitation

Partners: Pending

Observing Guidance: Observations, descriptions, measurements, and photographs of anchovies.

Source Data: Contributed observations.

Outputs: The LEO database.

Project Updates:

Resources:

Fishbase on Engraulis mordax

Wikipedia on California anchovy

AquaMaps native range for Anchovies

References:

Chavez, F.P., Ryan, J., Lluch-Cota, S.E. and Ñiquen, M., 2003. From anchovies to sardines and back: Multidecadal change in the Pacific Ocean. Science, 299(5604), pp.217-221.

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