Research

Rockfish are live bearers meaning they mate, internally fertilize their eggs and release live young, such as this one-day old Rosy Rockfish larva.  Once mature, a typical rockfish releases a single brood of young annually; however, at least 15 species are capable of producing multiple broods.  For my research, I am interested in better understanding how fecundity and plasticity in the frequency of reproduction may change in relation to female size, energy reserves and oceanographic conditions, and how this variability affects population-level dynamics.

Collecting Chilipepper Rockfish in California
Pregnant female
Ovary with thousands of eyed-larvae
Unfertilized eggs under a microscope (Preserved)
Fertilized eggs under a microscope (Preserved)
Eyed-larvae under a microscope (Preserved)

Publications and Presentations

My Google Scholar site

Mapes, H., Beyer, S.G., Choi, J., Saas, E., Alonzo, S.H., Field, J.C.(2023) Image analysis approach to estimate fecundity of live-bearer rockfishes (Sebastes spp.) along the California Coast. Environmental Biology of Fishes. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10641-023-01448-4

Zahner. J.A, M.A. Heller-Shipley, H.A. Oleynik, S.G. Beyer, P-Y. Hernvann, M. Véron, A.N. Odell, J.Y. Sullivan, A.L. Hayes, V.G. Gertseva, K.L. Oken, O.S. Hamel, M.A. Haltuch (2023*) Status of Shortspine Thornyhead (Sebastolobus alascanus) along the US West coast in 2023. Pacific Fishery Management Council, Portland, Oregon. 130 p. *Pending approval by PFMC

Min, M., E. Sellinger, T. Wang, S.G. Beyer, A. Rovellini, M. Veron, S.N. Wassermann, V.G. Gertseva, K.L. Oken, O.S. Hamel, M.A. Haltuch (2023*) Status of Rex Sole (Glyptocephalus zachirus) along the US West Coast in 2023. Pacific Fishery Management Council, Portland, Oregon. 126 p. *Pending approval by PFMC

Beyer, S.G. Field, J.C., Mangel, M., Harvey, C.J., Alonzo, S.H. (May 9, 2023) State-dependent life history theory predicts spatial variation in the life history traits of California Current rockfishes. Presentation at the joint NOAA National Stock Assessment Working Group (NSAW) and Maturity Assessment and Reproductive Variability in Life Strategies (MARVLS) workshop. Providence, RI

Beyer, S.G. (March 30, 2023) Reproductive plasticity in the long-lived, live-bearing California rockfishes. Invited speaker: Spring Seminar Series, School of Aquatic and Fishery Sciences, University of Washington (recording here)

McClure M.M., Haltuch M.A., Willis-Norton E., Huff D.D., Hazen E.L., Crozier L.G., Jacox M.G., Nelson M.W., Andrews K.S., Barnett L.A.K., Berger A.M., Beyer S., Bizzarro J., Boughton D., Cope J.M., Carr M., Dewar H., Dick E., Dorval E., Dunham J., Gertseva V., Greene C.M., Gustafson R.G., Hamel O.S., Harvey C.J., Henderson M.J., Jordan C.E., Kaplan I.C., Lindley S.T., Mantua N.J., Matson S.E., Monk M.H., Moyle P., Nicol C., Pohl J., Rykaczewski R.R., Samhouri J.F., Sogard S., Tolimieri N., Wallace J., Wetzel C., and Bograd S.J. (2023) Vulnerability to climate change of managed stocks in the California Current large marine ecosystem. Frontiers in Marine Science 10:1103767. doi.org/10.3389/fmars.2023.1103767

Beyer, S.G. (2022) Causes and Consequences of Phenotypic Plasticity in Reproductive Traits for Rockfishes (Sebastes spp.) of the California Current Ecosystem. Dissertation. University of California, Santa Cruz. 256 pgs. https://escholarship.org/uc/item/4556q0d2

Beyer, S.G. (October 4, 2022) Reproductive plasticity of California rockfishes in response to variable environmental conditions. Invited speaker: Groundfish Seminar Series, NOAA Alaska Fisheries Science Center, Seattle, WA (virtual-recording here)

Beyer S.G., Alonzo S.H., Sogard S.M. (2021) Zero, one or more broods: reproductive plasticity in response to temperature, food, and body size in the live-bearing rosy rockfish Sebastes rosaceus. Marine Ecology Progress Series 669: 151–173

Bellquist, L., Beyer, S., Arrington, M., Maeding, J., Siddall, A., Fischer, P., Hyde, J., Wegner, N.C. (2019) Effectiveness of descending devices to mitigate the effects of barotrauma among rockfishes (Sebastes spp.) in California recreational fisheries. Fisheries Research 215: 44-52

Lefebvre, L.S., Beyer, S.G., Stafford, D.M., Kashef, N.S., Dick, E.J., Sogard, S.M., Field, J.C. (2018) Double or nothing: Plasticity in reproductive output in the chilipepper rockfish (Sebastes goodei). Fisheries Research. 204: 258-268

Dick, E.J., Beyer, S.G., Mangel, M., Ralston, S. (2017) A meta-analysis of fecundity in rockfishes (genus Sebastes). Fisheries Research. 187: 73-85

Beyer, S.G., Sogard, S.M, Dick, E.J., Stafford, D., Lefebvre, L., Kashef, N., Field. J.C. (2016) Inter-annual variability in larval production of rockfishes (Sebastes spp.) in the California Current. Presentation at the 25th North Pacific Marine Science Organization (PICES) meeting, November 2-13, San Diego, CA

Beyer, S.G., Arrington, M.B., Maeding, J., Sogard, S.M. (2016) Changing fishing practices through outreach to decrease mortality of overfished rockfish in the Central California recreational fishery. Presentation at the 19th Western Groundfish Conference, February 2016, Newport, OR

Field. J.C., Beyer, S.G., He, X. (2015) Status of the Chilipepper Rockfish, Sebastes goodei, in the California Current for 2015. Pacific Fishery Management Council Stock Assessment and Fishery Evaluation

Marks, C.I, Fields, R.T., Field, J.C., Miller, R.R., Beyer, S.G., Sogard, S.M., Wilson-Vanderberg, D., Howard, D., Starr, R.M. (2015) Changes in size composition and relative abundance of fishes in Central California after a decade of spatial fishing closures. CalCOFI Report, Vol 56, 2015

He, X., Field, J.C., Beyer, S.G., Sogard, S.M. (2015) Effects of size-dependent relative fecundity specifications in fishery stock assessments. Fisheries Research 165: 54-62

Beyer, S.G., Sogard, S.M., Harvey, C.J., Field, J.C. (2015) Variability in rockfish (Sebastes spp.) fecundity: species contrasts, maternal size effects, and spatial differences. Environmental Biology of Fishes 98: 81-100

Beyer, S.G., Sogard, S.M., Stafford, D., Kashef, N., Lefebvre, L., Field, J.C. (2014) How to quantify multiple broods in rockfish? Presentation at MARVLS Reproductive Biology Workshop, NOAA Alaska Fisheries Science Center, November 6, 2014, Seattle, WA

Beyer, S.G., Sogard, S.M., Harvey, C.J., Field, J.C. (2011) Oceanographic effects on rockfish growth and productivity in the California Current. Presentation at the 140th Annual Meeting of the American Fisheries Society, September 2011, Seattle, WA

Harvey, C.J., Field, J.C., Beyer, S.G., Sogard, S.M. (2011) Modeling growth and reproduction of Chilipepper Rockfish under variable environmental conditions. Fisheries Research 109: 187-200

Szedlmayer, S.T., Beyer, S.G. (2011) Validation of annual periodicity in otoliths of Red Snapper, Lutjanus campechanus. Environmental Biology of Fishes 91: 219-230

Beyer, S.G., Szedlmayer, S.T. (2010) The use of otolith shape analysis for ageing juvenile red snapper, Lutjanus campechanus. In: Proceedings of the 4th International Otolith Symposium, 24-28 August 2009, Monterey, California. Environmental Biology of Fishes 89: 333-340