Due to these factors, measuring larval dispersal, development and settlement during field studies presents many challenges, and therefore the development of biophysical models has become increasingly important to understand larval transport and settlement pathways. active larval swimming behaviour, pelagic larval duration (PLD), fecundity, larval survival, prevailing current regimes and larval homing abilities. Larval dispersal and recruitment dynamics in the marine environment are complex, and governed by a multitude of physical, biological and behavioural variables including, but not limited to, source and sink location bathymetry, gamete release locations (pelagic vs.

Globally, many fisheries and aquaculture operations remain reliant on wild populations, and their sustainability and success depend on consistent recruitment and supply of juvenile and or adult individuals. Developing an understanding of how currents and other oceanographic factors influence key life-history traits of marine organisms is vital for their conservation and management, particularly for species that are important fisheries or aquaculture resources. Considering the vast majority of marine organisms are broadcast spawners with pelagic larval dispersal, ocean current dynamics directly impact their population connectivity, recruitment patterns, stock and population genetic structures, physiology, morphology and behaviour. Ocean currents are a key physical feature of the marine environment, influencing species' diversity, distribution, reproduction and abundance. Simulation results will further optimise black-lip pearl oyster spat collection activity in Fiji by informing targeted collector deployments, while the model provides a versatile and highly informative toolset for the fishery management and aquaculture of other marine taxa with similar life histories. Significant and positive correlations at these sites across three separate spawning seasons ( r(26) = 0.435 r(26) = 0.438 r(26) = 0.428 respectively, p = 0.02), suggest high utility of the model despite its simplicity, for informing future spat collector deployment. Localised regions of larval aggregation were also identified and compared to physical spat-fall recorded at 28 spat collector deployment locations. Simulations successfully identified country-wide patterns of potential larval dispersal and settlement from 2012–2015, with east-west variations between bi-annual spawning peaks and circulation associated with El Niño Southern Oscillation. This study used a simple Lagrangian particle dispersal model to investigate current-driven larval dispersal patterns, identify potential larval settlement areas and compare simulated with physical spat-fall, to inform targeted spat collection efforts. In the Fiji Islands, culture of the black-lip pearl oyster ( Pinctada margaritifera) is almost exclusively reliant on wild-caught juvenile oysters (spat), through a national spat collection programme. Biophysical modelling has increasingly been used to investigate dispersal and recruitment dynamics, for optimising management of fisheries and aquaculture resources. Larval dispersal and recruitment in the marine environment are complex processes, influenced by a multitude of physical and biological factors. Please note that these.GIF files need to be opened in a web browser to display correctly.įisheries and aquaculture industries worldwide remain reliant on seed supply from wild populations, with their success and sustainability dependent on consistent larval recruitment.

It contains data sourced from LINZ under CC-By, and available online at dispersal simulation files. The chart image is adapted from area chart NZ 14638 Fiji to Kermadec Islands including Tongtapu at 1:1,500,000 scale, and is based upon official Paper Navigational Charts published by the New Zealand Hydrographic Authority at Land Information New Zealand (LINZ). Shallow water particle seed polygons are presented in blue on the inset, to capture the largest possible extent of suitable P. On the chart image, reef areas are highlighted in black, with shallow water depth contours <150m (500ft) highlighted in blue. S1 Fig: Particle dispersal simulation study area bathymetric chart and hydrodynamic model seed area polygons (inset).

Oyster spat collector