Dynamics of the Fraser River plume front: implications for fish larval survival

了解导致包括鲑科鱼类在内的鱼类种群波动的因素仍然是渔业研究的一个重要挑战。在初始海洋期的摄食是至关重要的补充成功的鱼类。因此，少年海洋生存可能会提高在沿海地区达到短寿命和非常动态（短暂）的锋面功能。这是因为，与邻近沃茨相比，近海岸锋，包括卷流锋、潮汐锋和陆架断裂锋，似乎具有更高的生产力和更长的滞留时间。这些前沿的短暂性往往没有反映在增强的浮游生物种群中，这给用传统的实地技术检测其生物重要性造成了困难。生物率过程，而不是浮游生物种群，似乎是加强在这样的锋面功能。拟议研究的总体目标是更好地了解导致鱼类种群和补充量波动的潜在因素。具体来说，这项研究将调查小规模的物理干扰和仔鱼生物学和人口统计学之间的相互作用。这将解决使用一种新的方法，通过结合目前在生物海洋学领域使用的标准技术的化合物稳定同位素组成的细胞生物分子。这项研究将提供关于小规模海洋过程和南极热点在整个生态系统收支中的重要性的基本知识。预计本研究的结果可用于改善鱼类种群和幼鱼生存的管理，将上述知识纳入鱼类种群建模。

The understanding of factors leading to fluctuations in fish populations, including salmonids, remains an important challenge in fisheries research. The feeding during the initial oceanic period is crucial for the recruitment success of fish. The juvenile oceanic survival may therefore be enhanced in coastal regions reach with short-living and very dynamic (ephemeral) frontal features. This is because near-coastal fronts, including plume, tidal and shelf-break fronts, appeared to have higher productivity and longer retention time compared to adjacent waters. The ephemeral nature of these fronts is often not reflected in enhanced planktonic stocks, which create difficulties in detection of their biological importance by traditional field techniques. Biological rate processes, rather than plankton stocks, appeared to be enhanced in such frontal features. The overall goal of the proposed research is to better understand the underlying factors contributing to fluctuations in fish populations and recruitment. Specifically, this research will investigate interactions between small-scale physical disturbances and larval fish biology and demography. This will be addressed using a novel methodological approach by combining a compound stable isotope composition of cellular biomolecules with standard techniques currently used in the field of biological oceanography. This research will provide a fundamental knowledge of the significance of small-scale oceanic processes and planktonic hot spots in the overall ecosystem budget. It is anticipated that the findings of this study could be used to improve management of fish stocks and juvenile fish survival by incorporating the above knowledge into fish population modeling.