Aquatic Sciences Meeting, Albuquerque 2001

SS42 American Fisheries Society/ASLO Joint Session: Scaling Fisheries From Egg to Adult and Back Again (Spatial and Temporal Connections)

Date: Wednesday, February 14, 2001, Time: 2:00:00 PM

Location: Sandia/Santa Ana

Cowen, R, K, Univ. of Miami, RSMAS, Miami, USA, rcowen@rsmas.miami.edu

Paris, C, B, SUNY Stony Brook, MSRC, Stony Brook, USA, cparis@rsmas.miami.edu

Olson, D, B, Univ. of Miami, RSMAS, Miami, USA, dolson@rsmas.miami.edu

THE ROLE OF LONG DISTANCE DISPERSAL VERSUS LOCAL RETENTION IN REPLENISHING MARINE POPULATIONS.

Early models and evidence from genetics suggested that long distance dispersal of larvae is likely a common event leading to considerable population connectivity among distant populations. However, recent evidence strongly suggests that local retention is more the rule, and that long distance transport is likely insufficient to sustain ecologically marine populations. We build on earlier model results to examine the probability of larval dispersal to downstream islands within different regions of the Caribbean at varying distances from source populations. Through repeated runs of an 3-D ocean circulation model (MICOM), coupled with a random flight model estimating larval subgrid turbulent motion, we estimate the likelihood of particular circulation events transporting large numbers of larvae to within a 5 and 10 km radii of downstream populations, as well as account for total accumulations of larvae over each year. Further, we incorporate realistic larval behavior and mortality estimates into our models. Our results are consistent with the hypothesis that marine populations must rely on mechanisms enhancing self-recruitment rather than depend on distant 'source' populations.

This Session Listing

Aquatic Sciences Meeting, Albuquerque 2001

Quicklinks