A University of Iceland study, published in Marine Biology, tracked 94 juvenile cod aged one to three years in Dýrafjörður fjord over two years. The researchers used acoustic transmitters and stationary receivers.
The team found that the fish’s movements and preferred habitats are linked to genotype, capture origin and size. Some cod stayed in shallow areas year-round, others moved to deeper water or left the fjord for a time, and several left in mid-winter and returned in spring.
The authors, including Michelle L. Valliant and Guðbjörg Ásta Ólafsdóttir, say the findings may help protect cod nursery habitats.
