A New Hampshire Sea Grant (NHSG)-funded research project led by Dr. Elizabeth Fairchild at the University of Hew Hampshire sheds light on the lives of lumpfish in a changing Gulf of Maine.
Lumpfish (Cyclopterus lumpus) are a native cold-water species that has not been directly exploited in the US and trends in their distribution are not well understood. These unique fish have an emerging demand in the region, for their role as a biocontrol of parasitic sea lice in salmonid (salmon and trout) aquaculture operations.
With the rising importance of lumpfish in aquaculture and a warming Gulf of Maine, Dr. Fairchild, her co-investigators Dr. Easton White and Dr. Shane Bradt, and graduate student collaborator Sophie Wulfing set out to provide information about lumpfish for resource managers to help sustainably utilize this species in the future.
Their project, Team LuMP, describes and maps catch data on lumpfish in the Gulf of Maine, resulting in an online interactive map to share findings with fisheries professionals, other researchers, and the public.
The interactive map and peer-reviewed study show that since the 1980’s, lumpfish catch has increased, shifting northeastward and into deeper waters, however more research and continued sampling are needed to better understand lumpfish population dynamics in the Gulf of Maine.
Key Findings
- Use in Aquaculture: Lumpfish have emerged as a useful ‘cleaner’ fish to combat parasitic sea lice in responsible salmonid aquaculture practices.
- Knowledge Gap: Lumpfish have not been directly exploited by US fisheries, and there is a gap in knowledge about their overall population distribution and abundance in the Gulf of Maine.
- Fishery Management: Lumpfish are not currently regulated in the US, and therefore no fishery management plan exists.
- Lumpfish Trends: According to current data (which is limited), since the 1980’s lumpfish catch has increased, shifting Northeast and into deeper waters. More research is needed to better understand lumpfish population dynamics with their increasing utility in finfish aquaculture, and a warming Gulf of Maine.
Mapping Tool for Researchers and Resource Managers
One outcome of Team LuMP is an interactive map that serves both as an educational resource and a tool for examining aggregated lumpfish catch data.
Professionals and the public can access the interactive map, learning about everything from lumpfish anatomy, biology, and ecology to their utility as a biocontrol in emerging salmonid aquaculture operations.
The online tool is user-friendly by design and helps to guide viewers in their inquiries about lumpfish abundance and distribution in the region between 1963 and 2020. Users can map and filter lumpfish catch data by age category, year, season, water depth, bottom temperature, and data source.
Meet the Lumpfish: Interactive Map
Study Highlights the Need to Better Understand Lumpfish Population Dynamics
Dr. Fairchild and her team produced a peer-reviewed research paper that serves as a foundation for future work examining lumpfish.
PeerJ: Lumpfish Distribution in the Gulf of Maine, USA
By examining an aggregation of lumpfish catch data, the team found that lumpfish catch in the Gulf of Maine has increased since 1980, shifted farther Northeast over time, and moved into deeper waters. Seasonally, lumpfish presence was found to be more likely during Fall.
Since the study was based on multiple and disparate catch data sets, the team urges that these findings be interpreted with caution and advises that additional work is needed to assess if the actual distribution of lumpfish is changing.
Lumpfish catch data utilized by this study were compiled from bottom trawl surveys, observer bycatch data, and an estuarine survey:
- Maine Department of Marine Resources (Inshore Trawl Survey)
- New Hampshire Fish and Game (Estuarine Survey of Juvenile Fish)
- Massachusetts Division of Marine Fisheries (Bottom Trawl Survey)
- Northeast Fisheries Science Center (Bottom Trawl Survey and Observer Data)
Lumpfish present a unique opportunity to study a species that has not been directly exploited by US fisheries but is simultaneously faced with a warming Gulf of Maine and an emerging demand for their use in responsible salmonid aquaculture practices.
Understanding Lumpfish in the Face of Climate Change and Aquaculture
As Gulf of Maine marine salmonid aquaculture operations grow, lumpfish may be increasingly sought as a solution to parasitic sea-lice.
Lumpfish are opportunistic feeders and will eat many small organisms, including sea lice. Sea lice are parasitic copepods that can attach to and damage fish, costing the global salmon aquaculture industry millions of dollars each year. Up until recently, antibiotic treatments and pesticides were the common tools used to control sea lice, but this led to environmental concerns and sea lice developing resistance to the chemicals. The use of lumpfish in North Atlantic aquaculture operations for their role as biocontrol offers an affordable and more sustainable solution to this global problem.
The Gulf of Maine is warming faster than 99% of the global ocean, and as waters warm, the distribution of fish species changes. As a cold-water species, it is suspected that lumpfish distribution has been impacted by warming waters, but it is not understood how.
Lumpfish offer to support the production of domestic seafood in the US in a responsible manner. With a spotlight on this species in the aquaculture industry, it’s important to have a baseline understanding of the status and distribution of lumpfish in the Gulf of Maine. Continued surveys and research are needed to better understand how lumpfish are reacting to a warming ocean and ensure long-term sustainability of this local species.
