Coupling of potential habitat models with particle tracking experiments to examine larval fish dispersal and connectivity in deep water regions.

ABSTRACT: Computing Lagrangian trajectories with ocean circulation models is a powerful way to infer larval dispersal pathways and connectivity. Defining release areas and timing of particles to represent larval habitat realistically is critical to obtaining representative dispersal pathways. However, it is challenging due to spatial and temporal variability in larval density. Forward-tracking particle experiments were conducted to study larval connectivity of four species (neritic or mesopelagic) in the Gulf of Mexico's (GoM) deep-water region. A seasonal climatology coupled with predicted potential larval habitat models based on generalized additive models was used to delimit the particle dispersal origin. Two contrasting mesoscale circulation patterns were examined: (1) high Loop Current (LC) int

SUBMITTER: Dauden-Bengoa G 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC11318887 | biostudies-literature | 2024

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature