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

了解导致鱼类种群波动的因素，包括鲑鱼，仍然是渔业研究中的一项重要挑战。在最初海洋时期的摄食对于鱼类的成功补充是至关重要的。因此，在具有短暂生命和非常动态(短暂)锋面特征的沿海地区，幼鱼的海洋生存能力可能会得到提高。这是因为与邻近水域相比，近海锋面，包括羽流锋面、潮汐锋面和陆架破裂锋面，似乎具有更高的生产力和更长的保留时间。这些锋面的短暂性质往往没有反映在增强的浮游生物种群中，这造成了用传统田间技术检测其生物重要性的困难。生物速率过程，而不是浮游生物储量，似乎在这种锋面特征中得到了增强。拟议研究的总体目标是更好地了解造成鱼类种群和捕鱼量波动的潜在因素。具体地说，这项研究将调查小规模物理干扰与仔鱼生物学和人口学之间的相互作用。将采用一种新的方法解决这个问题，方法是将细胞生物分子的化合物稳定同位素成分与目前生物海洋学领域使用的标准技术相结合。这项研究将提供关于小尺度海洋过程和浮游热点在整个生态系统预算中的重要性的基本知识。预期通过将上述知识纳入鱼类种群模型，这项研究的结果可用于改善鱼类种群管理和幼鱼存活率。

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.