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Old 04-26-2005, 10:58 AM   #9
Ed B
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Join Date: Mar 2003
Location: Middletown, RI
Posts: 304
I do not believe that fish in salt water coastal environment are sensitive to a barometric pressure change by itself. If you look at the amount of pressure fluctuation that accompanies a major frontal system, it is minimal compared to the amount of fluctuation in pressure that accompanies vertical movement of the fish in the water column, as well as pressure fluctuations due to waves and tide fluctuation.

What I do believe is that the fish, baitfish and plankton are sensitive to the changing ocean conditons that accompany atmospheric frontal systems (like wind, wave direction and height, temperature fluctuation, mixing of the water column wind driven currents etc). Barometric pressure is just one of the changing variables that are associated with these frontal systems but the other variables probably have a bigger impact on the response of the food chain.

I do believe what has been stated that in general fish will often move deeper with a higher pressure front that has moved in, but not because of the pressure, but IMO it is because of the other changing events associated with the new frontal system.

Ed
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