Oecologia (2009) 160:49–61 DOI 10.1007/s00442-009-1282-4 123 POPULATION ECOLOGY - ORIGINAL PAPER Spatial and temporal patterns in the contribution of Wsh from their nursery habitats Paul M. Chittaro · Rachel J. Finley · Phillip S. Levin Received: 26 February 2008 / Accepted: 7 January 2009 / Published online: 12 February 2009  GovernmentEmployee: National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration 2009 Abstract Because anthropogenic inXuences threaten the degradation of many ecosystems, determining where organ- isms live during early life-history stages and the extent to which diVerent areas contribute individuals to adult popula- tions is critical for the management and conservation of a species. Working in Puget Sound, Washington State in the United States, and using a common XatWsh (English sole, Parophrys vetulus), we sought to establish (using otolith chemistry) which areas contribute age-0 Wsh to age-1 popu- lation(s), the extent to which this pattern was consistent between two years, and whether this spatial pattern of con- tribution coincides with surveys of age-0 Wsh and/or the available area of nearshore habitat. Our study indicated completely diVerent spatial patterns of Wsh nursery use between the two years of sampling. We highlight that the contribution of individuals from nursery areas is not related to density of recently settled English sole or the available area of nearshore habitat (depth <10 m) in Puget Sound, nor can we draw conclusions based on environmental data (pre- cipitation, water salinity, light transmission, pH, dissolved oxygen, and water temperature). The results of this study highlight (1) the need for assessing the temporal patterns of nursery habitat use, and (2) that, in order to conservatively manage a species and its population(s), it may be necessary to protect several areas that are used intermittently by that species. Keywords Nursery habitat · Otolith chemistry · English sole · Puget Sound Introduction Coastal environments provide economic livelihood and rec- reational opportunities, but ecological needs and human demands can conXict sharply (see Borde et al. 2003). Near- shore areas, which provide a number of ecosystem services such as erosion protection and nutrient cycling (Thom 1987; Costanza et al. 1997; Emmett et al. 2000), provide critical habitat for many terrestrial and aquatic species (Beck et al. 2001). Despite our improved understanding of how humans alter ecosystems, and the steps necessary to reduce such negative eVects, nearshore areas often take the brunt of abuse since they are connected directly to the ter- restrial environment and thus human impacts. Puget Sound is a large marine ecosystem located in northwest Washington State in the United States, and is home to approximately 4 million people. Population pro- jections suggest that human numbers in the greater Puget Sound region will increase by 3 million people in the next 20 years (Ruckelshaus et al. 2009). Since European settle- ment, close to 45% of the intertidal areas (particularly marshes) have been lost (Hutchinson 1988), and approxi- mately 52% of the shoreline in the main Puget Sound basin has been modiWed by human activities (see the eVect of shoreline modiWcation in Puget Sound on embryo mortality of surf smelt, Hypomesus pretiosus; Rice 2006). A number of indicators warn that the ecological processes supporting the diverse species and habitats in the region have been severely disrupted. Indeed, Puget Sound is now considered a national “hot-spot” of marine Wshes at risk of extinction (Musick et al. 2000). Communicated by Martin Attrill. P. M. Chittaro (&) · R. J. Finley · P. S. Levin National Marine Fisheries Service, Northwest Fisheries Science Center, 2725 Montlake Blvd E, Seattle, WA 98112-2097, USA e-mail: Paul.Chittaro@noaa.gov