Metabolic and Physiological Response to Sablefish (Anaplopoma fimbria) to Variable Environmental Conditions

Sablefish (black cod) is a promising species for marine aquaculture in Washington State because of strong demand, high prices, ease of culture from juvenile stage on, availability of large areas for commercial grow out and interest from commercial, tribal and fisheries cooperatives. But the physiological ecology of sablefish is only partially known, which hampers commercialization and the ability to forecast environmental effects. We propose to determine sablefish metabolic response to conditions of low oxygen and swift currents, similar to those found during late summer in available grow out areas in Washington State. This species lives in and adapts well to low dissolved oxygen, but he response to differing current velocities at varying oxygen tension is unknown. We will collect other data to construct a mass balance estimate of carbon and nitrogen use and discharge, similar to available for salmon budgets. These data will be used to alter existing mariculture impact software that is potentially very useful for eventual planning, permitting and coastal management.