Variability of preferred environmental conditions for Atlantic bluefin tuna (Thunnus thynnus) larvae in the Gulf of Mexico during 1993–2011

Details

• Journal Title:
  Fisheries Oceanography
• Personal Author:
  Domingues, Ricardo ; Goni, Gustavo ; Bringas, Francis ; Muhling, Barbara ; Lindo‐Atichati, David ; Walter, John
• NOAA Program & Office:
  NMFS (National Marine Fisheries Service) ; OAR (Oceanic and Atmospheric Research) ; AOML (Atlantic Oceanographic and Meteorological Laboratory) ; CIMAS (Cooperative Institute for Marine and Atmospheric Studies) ; GFDL (Geophysical Fluid Dynamics Laboratory) ; SEFSC (Southeast Fisheries Science Center)
• Description:
  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.
• Source:
  Fisheries Oceanography, 25(3), 320-336
• DOI:
  https://doi.org/10.1111/fog.12152
• ISSN:
  1054-6006 ; 1365-2419
• Format:
  PDF
• Publisher:
  Wiley
• Document Type:
  Journal Article
• Rights Information:
  Accepted Manuscript
• Rights Statement:
  The NOAA IR provides access to this content under the authority of the government's retained license to distribute publications and data resulting from federal funding. While users may legally access this content, the copyright owners retain rights that govern the reproduction, redistribution, and re-use of this work. The user is solely responsible for complying with applicable copyright law.
• Compliance:
  Submitted
• Main Document Checksum:
  urn:sha-512:dd2782b7ff0b8e6450720b3cb8e7abc4fc634ef40c24c21d94c30a4dd4b9b0a844e1383da355197669b5cd3a0fa0f361ba1741ed0ed2751087be810ba4a7fb9c
• Download URL:
  https://repository.library.noaa.gov/view/noaa/61713/noaa_61713_DS1.pdf
• File Type:
  [PDF - 1.42 MB ]