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Project G.1.a - Studies of pre-recruit survival and growth of yellowfin tuna, including expanding studies of early-juvenile life stages

01 Jan 2018 - 31 Dec 2023

Program(s) in charge: Early-life History Group
Funded
Objectives
Investigate the effects of key biological and physical factors on the survival and growth of pre-recruit life stages of yellowfin, with a new emphasis on studies of early-juvenile life stages
Background
  • Research on the early life history of yellowfin is designed to develop a more complete understanding of pre-recruit mortality and the influence of key environmental and biological factors on mortality
  • Ongoing research has examined the effects of physical (turbulence, light, water temperature, dissolved oxygen) and biological (food concentration) factors on growth and survival of larval stages of yellowfin
  • Recent rearing success now allows experimental studies of the growth and survival dynamics of early-juvenile yellowfin (1-6 months of age), a life stage rarely studied worldwide
Relevance for management
The ability to estimate the effects of key biological and physical factors on survival and growth of pre-recruit (0-6 months) life stages of yellowfin provides potentially key information on recruitment processes in yellowfin
Duration
4 years
Workplan and status
January 2018-December 2023: Continued experimental studies of pre-recruit life stages at the Achotines Laboratory with a focus on early-juvenile life stages
External collaborators
Kindai University
Deliverables
  • Presentations for SAC-09, SAC-10, SAC-11 and SAC-12
  • Publication of results in one or more scientific journals
Updated date: 01 Mar 2024
Progress summary for the reporting period
  • Analysis of survival and growth patterns of larval and early-juvenile yellowfin continued through 2019, were delayed due to COVID-19 during 2020-2021 and will be renewed in 2022
  • Current analyses focus on the early-juvenile (1-6 months) stages of yellowfin, which have been reared in land-based tanks and a sea cage since 2015. A retrospective analysis of early-juvenile growth patterns in captivity over the past 24 years is ongoing.
Presentations:
  • SAC-09 (May 2018), SAC-10 (May 2019), SAC-11 (May 2020) and SAC-12 (May 2021)
  • 69th Tuna Conference (May 2018), the 70th Tuna Conference (May 2019) and the 71st Tuna Conference (May 2021)
  • 42nd Larval Fish Conference (June 2018) and 43rd Larval Fish Conference (May 2019)
Two publications on this topic are being developed
SAC-12-15 Review of research at the Achotines Laboratory
Comments
The juvenile studies continue to be supported by the regular IATTC budget with periodic collaboration with Kindai University.  Continuing studies of early-juvenile growth were delayed in 2020-2021 due to travel restrictions related to COVID-19, but were re-initiated  during 2022 and continued during 2023 and are planned for mid-2024. Research focus is now on density-dependent growth and scope for growth in early-juvenile stages from 1-6 months of age.