Atlantic salmon

Atlantic cod

- general -
Many of the species of finfish found in the southern New England - New York Bight waters are migratory.  This includes anadromous fish, which spend most of their adult lives at sea but return to fresh water rivers and tributaries to spawn, such as river herring, American shad, and striped bass. Other fishes that use these fresh waters as spawning areas include sea-run varieties of salmonids: brook, brown and rainbow trout.  The catadromous American eel also lives in these waters; catadromous fish are those that spend most of their adult lives in freshwater, but must return to the sea to spawn.
 

- threats -
Human activities are causing steady declines in Atlantic fish populations - and have been for decades.  While commercial and recreational fishing directly reduce fish populations and spawning stocks, other indirect impacts are equally devastating to the region’s fisheries.  Urbanization, land clearing, and dams cause direct loss of habitat.  Of equal importance are indirect injuries (pollution and excessive nutrient loading into the watershed) caused by agricultural practices and general pollution from landbased activities.  Flood control and groundwater manipulations severely impact stream hydrology and morphology.  All of these seemingly harmless activities play a small, but cumulative role in reducing water quality, habitats, and ultimately the overall biodiversity of the region. 

The loss of estuarine and nearshore habitat is the greatest long-term threat to the health of our marine ecosystem.  Habitat loss and degradation are major culprits behind declining commercial and recreational fish stocks.  Conservation of our living marine and freshwater resources must start with habitat protection, and we can do that by making wise choices and reducing the negative impacts of the threats listed above.

 - details -
Fishes in Estuaries. Estuarine fishes are resident species of tidal waters where salinities range from tidal fresh to marine, or from 0.5 to 30 parts per thousand (ppt) salt.  Most estuarine species begin spawning in late spring and continue throughout most of the summer.  Within this diverse group of fish, a general onshore and offshore pattern of seasonal movements occurs, i.e., upstream and towards shore in spring and summer, and downstream to deeper waters in fall and winter. 

Fishes in Freshwater. Freshwater fishes are inhabitants of tidal and non-tidal freshwater or low-salinity portions (brooks, streams, ponds, and lakes) of a watershed.  In the winter, many of these species will descend into brackish waters, where available.  Many of the species are small to medium-sized, somewhat solitary in nature, and are commonly found foraging along the bottom or among aquatic vegetation.  Freshwater fish are rarely found in salinities above 8 to 10 ppt.  Spawning and early development are usually restricted to nontidal waters, and generally take place in late-spring to early-summer.