SGER: Quantifying the effect of upwelling and relaxation on otolith chemistry and fish growth

上升流和松弛事件的鱼类招募到中央加州的作用已被记录在一般意义上。然而，人们对实际的迁移机制、迁移和水团驻留的时间、与滞留在上涌沃茨、沿着锋面或漩涡内有关的利益或成本，以及在远洋环境内和定居后对生存的最终影响缺乏了解。在拟议的研究中，调查人员将试图回顾性地确定水团暴露和量化这些各种海洋学特征（重点是上涌和放松）的影响，在暴露期间和暴露后，通过使用耳石显微结构和化学和RNA：DNA分析的中上层少年短腹岩鱼的生长和条件。结果将被用来评估耳石微结构和化学作为工具，了解的因素，有助于招聘变异性和年级强度的岩鱼沿着加州海岸。拟议的项目将是非常有益的量化机制的一年级强度被认为是渔业中最具挑战性的问题。 更广泛的影响的结果，包括在建模中使用的扩散和招聘机制，调整来自远洋调查的一年级强度的总估计，并在适当的设计保护区的援助。 一名研究生也将在项目期间接受培训。

The role of upwelling and relaxation events on recruitment of fishes to central California has been documented in a general sense. However, there is a lack of understanding about the actual transport mechanism, timing of transport and water mass residence, benefits or costs associated with entrapment in upwelled waters, along fronts, or within eddies, and the ultimate effects on survival within the pelagic environment and after settlement. In the proposed study the investigators will attempt to retrospectively determine water mass exposure and quantify the influence of these various oceanographic features (with an emphasis on upwelling and relaxation) on growth and condition of pelagic juvenile shortbelly rockfish during and after exposure by using otolith microstructure and chemistry and RNA:DNA analysis. The results will be used to evaluate otolith microstructure and chemistry as tools for understanding the factors that contribute to recruitment variability and year-class strength of rockfishes along the California coast. The proposed project will be extremely beneficial for quantifying the mechanism underlying the year-class strength is considered the most challenging issue in fisheries. The broader impacts of the results include use in modeling dispersal and recruitment mechanisms, tune the gross estimates of year-class strength that come from pelagic surveys, and aide in the proper design on protected areas. A graduate student will also be trained during the project.