ECOLATUN Project

Introducing ECOLATUN! Comparative trophic ECOlogy of LArvae of Atlantic bluefin TUNa (Thunnus thynnus) from NW Mediterranean and Gulf of Mexico spawning areas.

The general objective of the project is to characterize the Atlantic Bluefin Tuna (ABFT) larval trophodynamics and assess its influence on larval growth and predator-prey interactions with other top predator larvae (Katsuwonus pelamis, Thunnus atlanticus, Auxis rochei, Euthynnus alletteratus, Coryphaena hippurus, and Sphyraena sphyraena), from a comparative ecosystem approach of their main spawning regions, the Gulf of Mexico (GOM) and Northwest Mediterranean Sea (MED), which show contrasting environmental conditions.

This multidisciplinary, cross-institutional, and international project will be comprised of the following sub-projects:

1. Larval population genetics

2. Larval trophodynamics

3. Larval growth

4. Characterization of oceanographic features

5. Larval fish community

6. Synthesis of relational ecology

Stay tuned for more information on our kick-off meeting, workshops, and exciting new research!

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