Variability of preferred environmental conditions for Atlantic bluefin tuna (Thunnus thynnus) larvae in the Gulf of Mexico during 1993–2011 |
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| Authors: | Ricardo Domingues Gustavo Goni Francis Bringas Barbara Muhling David Lindo‐Atichati John Walter |
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| Institution: | 1. Cooperative Institute for Marine and Atmospheric Studies, University of Miami, Miami, FL, U.S.A.;2. Atlantic Oceanographic and Meteorological Laboratory, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Miami, FL, U.S.A.;3. Princeton University Program in Atmospheric and Oceanic Science, Princeton, NJ, U.S.A.;4. Geophysical Fluid Dynamics Laboratory, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Princeton, NJ, U.S.A.;5. Department of Engineering Science & Physics, College of Staten Island, City University of New York, Staten Island, NY, U.S.A.;6. Department of Applied Ocean Physics and Engineering, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, Woods Hole, MA, U.S.A.;7. Southeast Fisheries Science Center, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, National Marine Fisheries Service, Miami, FL, U.S.A. |
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| Abstract: | The Gulf of Mexico (GOM) is the primary spawning ground for western Atlantic bluefin tuna (Thunnus thynnus). In this work, information reported by previous studies about the preferred environmental conditions for the occurrence of bluefin tuna larvae in the GOM is integrated into a dimensionless index, the BFT_Index. This index is used to evaluate the spatial and temporal variability of areas with favorable environmental conditions for larvae within the GOM during 1993–2011. The main findings of this work are that: (i) the proposed index successfully captures the spatial and temporal variability in the in situ occurrence of bluefin tuna larvae; (ii) areas with favorable environmental conditions for larvae in the GOM exhibit year‐to‐year spatial and temporal variability linked with mesoscale ocean features and sea surface temperature; and (iii) comparison of the BFT_Index‐derived variability with recruitment of age‐0 fish estimated from recent stock assessment indicates that changes in environmental conditions may drive a relevant component (~58%) of the recruitment variability. The comparison with the recruitment dataset further revealed the existence of key regions linked with recruitment in the central/northern GOM, and that the Loop Current may function as a trap for larvae, possibly leading to low survival rates. Above (below) average conditions for occurrence of larvae in the GOM during spring were observed in 2000, 2001, 2002, 2006–2008, and 2011 (1994, 1996, 1998, 1999, 2003 and 2010). Results reported here have potential applications to assessment of bluefin tuna. |
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| Keywords: | environmental index fisheries oceanography fronts and eddies ichthyoplankton distribution loop current mesoscale features satellite altimetry |
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