Abstract
Atlantic cod is an iconic species in New England and historically was one of the principal stocks in the New England groundfish fishery and a mainstay of the regional economy. The most recent stock assessments of cod in U.S. waters indicate that these stocks are overfished despite low catch limits in recent years. Climate change is believed to be impacting the capacity of these stock to rebuild.
The chapter provides and overview of Atlantic cod biology, the history of the fishery and resource, and the stock assessments and management of cod in U.S. waters. This chapter also discusses a new paradigm of cod population structure which indicates there are five biological populations in U.S. waters and ongoing work to integrate this information into the assessment and management process.