Results from an Atlantic herring population model developed by National Oceanic and Atmoshpheric Administration (NOAA) scientists will have an ecological and management impact.

In an effort to understand the decline of Atlantic herring in the northeast United States, scientists studied the influence of haddock predation on herring eggs.

The model created by NOAA scientists shows a correlation between herring population trends and the size of the haddock population.

“The premise of our study is that the success of the herring spawning strategy is dependent on overwhelming egg predators, and in particular haddock,” said a scientist.

The model demonstrates how a population is able to enter a period of high productivity after extensive periods of low productivity.