Recruitment dynamics in fish: population consequences of trait-mediated tradeoffs and harvest

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The abundance of fish and many other organisms tend to vary substantially over time within populations, and among populations. This variation often impacts other species within the communities and ecosystems that they inhabit. It is of course also important to humankind, particularly if the species is one that we exploit for food, or if it is a "pest" species. My research is aimed at understanding the biological processes that lead to this variability. In fish populations, much of this variability originates in the early life stages that are particularly susceptible to predators and the vagaries of the environment. Therefore, variability in survival of these young life stages is reflected in older life stages. The objectives of the research proposed here include: (1) understanding the ecological and environmental processes that lead to survival of the young stages of fish populations, (2) understanding of how variation in early survival feeds back to variability at adult life stages and (3) how we might manage fisheries harvest in ways that ensure viable populations in the future.