Essential Habitat Identification for Age-0 Rockfish along the Central Oregon Coast

Abstract The habitat needs of nearshore juvenile rockfish Sebastes spp. have rarely been studied but are an essential component of habitat identification for management. We investigated the relationships between habitat type, species composition, and growth of juvenile rockfish after settlement into nearshore reefs and estuaries in central Oregon. We identify and prioritize essential fish habitat (EFH) for blue rockfish S. mystinus and black rockfish S. melanops caught by minnow traps and by scuba divers with hand nets. Species were confirmed through genetic analysis. Our nearshore samples were dominated by blue rockfish, while estuary samples contained almost exclusively black rockfish. Settlement patterns suggest that black rockfish had a strong preference for anthropogenic habitat (docks, pilings, jetties) within the Yaquina Bay estuary. Growth was not significantly different among habitats or sampling years for either black rockfish or blue rockfish. We identify estuaries as EFH for black rockfish juveniles along the central Oregon coast and confirm nearshore reef areas as EFH for blue rockfish juveniles. Small sample sizes of juvenile yellowtail rockfish S. flavidus and widow rockfish S. entomelas suggest that estuaries are also important for these species.