A comprehensive handbook, covering all aspects of the Atlantic cod including the biology, ecology, life histories, behaviour, commercial exploitation and conservation Not only is Atlantic cod one of the most valuable food fish in the world’s oceans, it is an important component of North Atlantic ecosystems and has been subject to much research into its biology, ecology and exploitation. After hundreds of years of exploitation, overfishing in the last half of the 20th Century caused many stocks to collapse, most famously the Northern cod stock off Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada. Since then, most cod stocks have been better researched and managed, but remain in a variety of states, from fully recovered to continued decline. This book, written by world experts, describes that research and management, and the importance of cod and its fisheries on North Atlantic cultures and economies, with impacts well beyond the range of the species. Atlantic Cod: Bio-Ecology of the Fish offers insightful chapter coverage of cod nomenclature, taxonomy, phylogeny and morphology; physiology and ecophysiology; reproduction and spawning behavior; early life history and pre-recruitment processes; migrations, movements and stock identity; feeding, growth and energetics; the place of cod in the ecosystem; the exploitation of cod through history and present day commercial fisheries and precautionary management for sustainable fisheries; impacts of climate change on cod biology and ecology; and the future of the species and its fisheries. Discusses the major commercial importance of Atlantic cod through history Provides a comprehensive treatment of the bio-ecology of the most researched and highly exploited fully marine species Examines how the decline (and recovery) of cod stocks is of great political and scientific interest An essential purchase for marine fisheries scientists Atlantic Cod: Bio-Ecology of the Fish is a vital book for all fisheries scientists, managers and fish biologists.

Many of the processes influencing recruitment to an adult fish population or entry into a fishery occur very early in life. The variations in life histories and behaviours of young fish and the selective processes operating on this variation ultimately determine the identities and abundance of survivors. This important volume brings together contributions from many of the world's leading researchers from the field of fish ecology. The book focuses on three major themes of pressing importance in the analysis of the role that the early life history of fishes plays in the number and quality of recruits: the selective processes at play in their early life history; the contributions of early life history to the understanding of recruitment.

"The economic importance of fishes and their societal and culturalrelevance provide powerful incentives for large-scale, sustainedstudies of their dynamics" —the Editors The overall goal of this book is to give a picture of thepresent use of information on fish reproductive biology inassessment and management and its potential for improvingmanagement of these resources. Compiled by an international team of authors, each an expert intheir field, this exceptional volume is divided into three majorsections: Biology, population dynamics, and recruitment Information critical to successful assessment andmanagement Incorporation of reproductive biology and recruitmentconsiderations into management advice and strategies Including over 100 diagrams, this book is essential reading forall fisheries scientists. Libraries in universities and researchestablishments where this subject is studied and taught should havecopies on their shelves. "As one author put it: the goal is to facilitate a 'dialoguebetween assessment scientists and biologists.' Readers of anyspecialty should accept this challenge, and this book is anexcellent resource to aid them." —Fisheries, March 2010