The Early-life History Group is one of the two groups under the Biology Program is designed to increase the available knowledge of the life-history and behavior of tunas, tuna like-species, and other associated species in the EPO. The other group under the program is the Life-History and Behavior Group.

The research of the Early Life-History Group is mainly conducted at the Achotines Laboratory and includes the following activities (described in detail in Document SAC-11-14):

1. Field and laboratory experiments to investigate the key environmental and biological factors of the early life history of the tuna that affect the recruitment of young fish to the exploitable population.
2. Develop tools to forecast recruitment of young tuna to the exploitable population.

• Scientific research
   

• Stock assessment
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• Ecosystem & Bycatch
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• Biology
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  • Early-life History
     
  • Life-History & Behavior
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  • Achotines Lab., Panama
     
• Data Collection & Database
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  • Database
     
  • IT support
     

G.1.a	Studies of pre-recruit survival and growth of yellowfin tuna, including expanding studies of early-juvenile life stages		Jan 2018-Dec 2023
G.2.a	Develop comparative models of pre-recruit survival and reproductive patterns of Pacific tunas		Jun 2018-Dec 2023
G.3.a	Develop a larval growth index to forecast yellowfin recruitment		Jun 2018-Jun 2024
M.1.c	Acoustic discrimination to avoid purse seine catches of undersized yellowfin tuna		Jan 2020-Dec 2023
N.1.b	Investigate the effects of wind-induced microturbulence on yellowfin larval survival		Jun 2018-Dec 2021
N.2.a	Develop models of the effects of climate change on pre-recruit life stages of tropical tunas		Jan 2018-Dec 2022
Q.1.a	Achotines Laboratory support of Yale University’s Environmental Leadership Training Initiative (ELTI) in Panama		Apr 2018-Mar 2022
U.1.a	Long-term plan to strengthen research at the Achotines Laboratory		Jul 2021-Dec 2022

• Yole Buchalla, Charles James McGuigan, John D. Stieglitz, Ronald H. Hoenig, Carlos E. Tudela, Kimberly G. Darville, Leonardo Ibarra-Castro, Daniel Benetti 2023. Advancements in hatchery production of red snapper Lutjanus campechanus: Exclusive use of small strain rotifers as initial prey for larval rearing. World Aquaculture Society 10.1111/jwas.12992
• Charles J. McGuigan, Yole Buchalla, Carlos E. Tudela, Sean Starkman, Daniel D. Benetti 2023. Using multi-model inference to determine the growth rates of red snapper, Lutjanus campechanus, through ontogeny. Aquaculture Reports 10.1016/j.aqrep.2023.101681
• Tanaka, T., Honryo, T., Sawada, Y., Margulies, D., Scholey, V., Wexler, J., Stein, M., Biswas, A., Takii, K. 2022. Biochemical changes occurring in yellowfin tuna eggs during embryonic development. Fishes 10.3390/fishes7020062
• Nicol, S., P. Lehodey, I. Senina, D. Bromhead, A. Frommel, J. Hampton, J. Havenhand, D. Margulies, P. Munday, V. Scholey, J. Williamson, and N. Smith 2022. Ocean futures for the world’s largest yellowfin tuna population under the combined effects of ocean warming and acidification. Frontiers in Marine Science 10.3389/fmars.2022.816772
• Pasparakis, C., Y. Wang, R.M. Heuer, W. Zhang, J.D. Stieglitz, C.J. McGuigan, D.D. Benetti, V.P. Scholey, D. Margulies, and M. Grosell. 2021. Ultraviolet avoidance by embryonic buoyancy control in three species of marine fish. Science of the Total Environment 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2021.150542
• Heuer, R.M., Y. Wang, C. Pasparakis, V. Scholey, D. Margulies and M. Grosell. 2020. Effects of elevated CO2 on yellowfin tuna (Thunnus albacares) early life stage respiration and ammonia excretion. Journal of the Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology 34(S1): 1-1. 10.1096/fasebj.2020.34.s1.09653
• Kwan, G.T., Wexler, J.B., Wegner, N.C. and Tresguerres, M 2019. Ontogenetic changes in cutaneous and branchial ionocytes and morphology in yellowfin tuna (Thunnus albacares) larvae. Journal of Comparative Physiology B 10.1007/s00360-018-1187-9
• Honryo, T., M. Kurata, A. Guillen, Y. Tamura, A. Cano, M. S Stein, D Margulies, V. P. Scholey, and Y. Sawada 2017. Optimal period for the effective promotion of initial swim bladder inflation in yellowfin tuna, Thunnus albacares (Temminck and Schlegel), larvae. Aquaculture Research 10.1111/are.13355
• Stein, M., D. Margulies, J.B. Wexler, V.P. Scholey, R. Katagiri, T. Honryo, T. Sasaki, A. Guillen, Y. Agawa and Y. Sawada. 2017. A comparison of the effects of two prey enrichment media on growth and survival of Pacific bluefin tuna, Thunnus orientalis, larvae. World Aquaculture Society 10.1111/jwas.12478
• Katagiri, R., T. Sasaki, A. Diaz, M. Ando, D. Margulies, V.P. Scholey, and Y. Sawada 2017. Effect of taurine enrichment in rotifer (Brachionus sp.) on growth of larvae of Pacific bluefin tuna Thunnus orientalis (Temminck & Schlegel) and yellowfin tuna T. albacares (Temmink & Schlegel). Aquaculture Research 10.1111/are.13134