Environmental influences on the recruitment of Newfoundland/Labrador Cod*

This paper investigates possible linkages between the environment and year-class success of Newfoundland/ Labrador cod. Aspects of the physical environment relevant to recruitment are reviewed and the current knowledge of the patterns of spawning and larval occurrence is summarized. A critical review of investigations aimed at correlating recruitment with climactic fluctuations is made and concludes that these studies have been largely fruitless. A series of numerical simulations of particle drift are presented to investigate the potential importance of storms and to try to identify nursery grounds. These simulations suggest that Labrador Shelf eggs and larvae are segregated from Grand Banks eggs and larvae. Favorable storm tracks appear to be required for significant numbers of eggs and larvae to reach the bays of Northeast Newfoundland.