Spatial and Parent-Age Analysis of Stock–Recruitment in the Georges Bank Sea Scallop (Placopecten magellanicus) Population

Reproductive interaction between and within subpopulations on Georges Bank was investigated employing annual sampling surveys of sea scallop (Placopecten magellanicus) abundance available from 1977 to 1988. Time series of recruitment and, together with size-specific fecundity, total yearly egg production were constructed for Georges Bank and all subregions to generate a spatial stock–recruitment analysis. Recruitment is correlated with egg production within the population on the Northern Edge and Northeast Peak which may imply that it is reproductively self-sustaining. Stock–recruitment correlations increased when the eggs of scallops age 3 and 4 were excluded from the stock measure of total egg production. This increase in correlation occurred in every subregion where there was evidence of a positive relationship between eggs and recruits, most strongly for the Northern Edge and Northeast Peak. This is consistent with the hypothesis that older scallops (ages 5 +) are the principle contributors to recruitment. Presently, the fishery begins removing large numbers at age 3.25. Previous yield per recruit analyses have predicted higher yields if age of first capture were raised. These correlations may suggest that the same policy could also result in higher recruitment.