One fish, two fish, red fish, blue fish: oceanographic drivers of fish
larvae recruitment on the Patagonian Shelf
Supervisors
Main supervisor: Doctor Emma Young (British Antarctic Survey)
Co-supervisor: Doctor Steve Simpson (University of Exeter)
Co-supervisor: Dr Adrian Jenkins (British Antarctic Survey)
Co-supervisor: Dr Mark Belchier (British Antarctic Survey)
Co-supervisor: Dr Paul Brickle (
CASE supervisor at the South Atlantic Environmental Research Institute (SAERI), Falkland Islands.
)
Project enquiries - Email: eyoung@bas.ac.uk Contact number: +44 (0) 01223 221307
Host Institution: British Antarctic Survey
Project description
The waters around the Falkland Islands are highly productive and support a successful fishing industry for
various species of finfish, including red cod and southern blue whiting. However, stocks of these species can
vary widely from year to year, and catches of southern blue whiting in particular have shown a significant
decline in recent years (FIFD, 2012). The underlying causes of the variability in stock size are not well
understood, which complicates sustainable management of the fisheries. In addition, oil exploration on the
Patagonian shelf has gained considerable momentum over the last few years, and there is concern that oil-based
pollution could seriously impact fisheries.
Although adult red cod and southern blue whiting exhibit differing behaviours as adults, both species spawn
planktonic (drifting) eggs that develop into planktonic larvae. During these early life stages, their transport is
therefore largely governed by the underlying oceanographic currents. Variability in these currents could have a
significant influence on the dispersal and successful recruitment of the larvae to the adult stocks. Development
of a better understanding of oceanographic variability in the Falkland Islands region and its subsequent
influence on fish larvae recruitment dynamics would be a significant step towards more effective fish stock
management. Identification of dominant dispersal pathways would also allow a more detailed understanding of
the vulnerability of the early life stages of these fish species to pollution from oil extraction activity.
The aim of this project is to use numerical modelling tools to investigate the key drivers of oceanographic
variability on the Patagonian shelf, and how this variability influences the dispersal and retention of fish eggs
and larvae. The modelling will comprise two parts:
a) Development and validation of a high-resolution hydrodynamic model of the Patagonian shelf region, and
subsequent investigation of the key drivers of seasonal and inter-annual variability in the regional
oceanography.
b) Development of Individual Based Models for the eggs and larvae of red cod and southern blue whiting, and
application of these models to investigate the key influences on inter-annual variability in patterns of dispersal
and retention. The results will be considered both in the context of recruitment variability and stock size, and
the vulnerability of the early life stages to oil extraction activity.
Based at the British Antarctic Survey, and with the opportunity to spend several months in the Falkland Islands,
this PhD offers an exciting opportunity to work at the cutting edge of inter-disciplinary science.
Reference
FIFD (2012) Vessel Units, Allowable Effort, and Allowable Catch 2014. Fisheries Dept., Directorate of Natural
Resources, Falkland Islands Government, 27 pp.
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