Insights into the juvenile dispersal of east Australian tailor using a particle tracking model — ASN Events
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Insights into the juvenile dispersal of east Australian tailor using a particle tracking model (#108)

Hayden Schilling 1 2 , Jason D Everettt 1 2 , James A Smith 1 2 , Lenore Litherland 3 , Julian M Hughes 4 , John Stewart 4 , Iain Suthers 1 2
  1. Fisheries and Marine Environmental Research Laboratory, UNSW Australia, UNSW, NSW, Australia
  2. Sydney Institute of Marine Science, Chowder Bay, NSW, Australia
  3. Queensland Fisheries, Department of Agriculture and Fisheries , Brisbane, QLD, Australia
  4. New South Wales Department of Primary Industries, Chowder Bay, NSW, Australia

Annual migrations occur in many coastal species. These migrations are often accompanied by spawning events which result in larvae and juveniles being transported along the coast by boundary currents. Patterns in larval transport of coastal species have important implications for species connectivity, conservation, and fisheries, especially in the vicinity of a strengthening boundary current such as the East Australian Current. This study used year round surveys from the entire range of east Australian tailor (Pomatomus saltatrix) to identify an extended spawning period which extends into previously unrecognised spawning locations in northern NSW. Generalised Additive Models were used to identify the environmental drivers of spawning and create a predictive model of when and where spawning occurs. Combined with fecundity estimates, a particle tracking model was developed to better understand the dispersal of larvae and juveniles from the spawning grounds before they settle in estuaries up to 12° of latitude away. This study highlights the importance of both larval dispersal and reproductive biology for understanding connectivity across a species’ range.

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