Herring Spawn

As the herring eggs (roe) come to maturity in the females, the herring begin to swim in more intense schools and move closer to the shore where marine plants such as eelgrass and kelp can be found to spawn on. As females release their eggs they settle and attach onto kelp, eelgrass and rocks. The males then release milky sperm ("milt") into the water to fertilize the released roe. This turns the water a spectacular milky turquoise colour. The eggs incubate for 11-40 days before hatching.

Herring have a lifespan of 8-10 years. Unlike salmon, they don’t spawn once in a lifetime… most individuals will spawn 5-7 times in their life. This means that each female can provide the ecosystem upwards of 140,000 eggs in her lifetime! ~ Why the Herring Spawn is so Important

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