The 2nd Annual ECOLATUN Meeting is Underway!

Participants in the 2nd ECOLATUN Meeting! Back row, L-R: Fernando de la Gandara, Alberto Garcia, Trika Gerard, John Lamkin, Akinori Takasuka, Diego Alvarez. Front row, L-R: Aurelio Ortega, Patricia Reglero, Jose Maria Rodriguez, Francisco Alemany, Jose Maria Quintanilla, Raul Laiz, Walter Ingram, Carolina Johnstone, Estrella Malca, Katie Shulzitski, David Lindo-Atichati

During the week of 13-17 November 2017, the Malaga Oceanographic Center will host the second coordination meeting of the project "Comparative trophic ECOlogy of Larvae of Atlantic bluefin TUNa (Thunnus thynnus) from NW Mediterranean and Gulf of Mexico spawning areas" (ECOLATUN CTM2015-68473-R MINECO/FEDER). The main objective of this project is to advance the knowledge of bluefin tuna larvae in their two main spawning areas, the western Mediterranean and the Gulf of Mexico.

The meeting is attended by many international collaborators, including scientists from the USA (NOAA, City University of New York, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, University of Miami/CIMAS), Japan (National Research Institute of Fisheries Science), and Spain (SOCIB and IEO). These scientists will participate in the meeting for this project led by IEO scientists.

The ECOLATUN project

Using a comparative ecosystem approach, scientists will study how the different feeding strategies can explain the variability in growth of Atlantic bluefin tuna larvae, which has important repercussions in the larval survival, and consequently, in the recruitment. To this end, novel scientific methodologies will be developed and implemented, such as stable isotope analysis, together with the study of daily growth of larvae and the analysis of stomach contents, with the goal of assessing the trophic webs and their relation to the environment comparing Mediterranean and the Gulf of Mexico ecosystems.

In addition, the oceanographic features of the spawning areas, as well as the composition and structure of the larval fish community that co-inhabit with bluefin tuna larvae. Using the larval isotope signature, valuable information regarding early life trophism will be ascertained and assimilated with the maternal influence on their development.

This project will improve the characterization of the populations and more accurately define suitable habitats that promote the survival of bluefin tuna larvae. Finally, ECOLATUN’s comparative synthesis will improve the predictive power of larval habitat and larval survival models which have consequence for the management of this valuable fishery.