Spillover of the Atlantic bluefin tuna offspring from cages in the Adriatic Sea: A multidisciplinary approach and assessment

Authored by Philippe Verley, Tomislav Dzoic, Gordana Beg Paklar, Branka Grbec, Stjepan Ivatek-Sahdan, Barbara Zorica, Tanja Segvic-Bubic, Vanja Cikes Kec, Ivana Lepen Pleic, Ivona Mladineo, Leon Grubisic

Date Published: 2017

DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0188956

Sponsors: No sponsors listed

Platforms: Java Ichthyop

Model Documentation: Other Narrative Mathematical description

Model Code URLs: http://www.ichthyop.org/downloads

Abstract

During routine monitoring of commercial purse seine catches in 2011, 87 fingerling specimens of scombrids were collected in the southern Adriatic Sea. Sequencing of the mitochondrial DNA control region locus inferred that specimens belonged to the Atlantic bluefin tuna, Thunnus thynnus (Linnaeus, 1758) (N = 29), bullet tuna, Auxis rochei (Risso, 1810) (N = 30) and little tunny, Euthynnus alletteratus, Rafinesque, 1810 (N = 28). According to previously published growth parameters, the age of the collected specimens was estimated at approximately 30-40 days, suggesting they might have been spawned in the Adriatic Sea, contrary to the current knowledge. A coupled modelling system with hydrodynamic (ROMS) and individual based model (IBM-Ichthyop) was set up to determine the location of the spawning event. Numerical simulations with the IBM model, both backward and forward in time, indicate commercial tuna cages in the middle Adriatic coastal area as possible spawning location. The two other non-commercial species likely opportunistically use the positive environmental (abiotic and biotic) conditions to spawn in the same area.

Tags

Size Age Mediterranean sea Thunnus-thynnus l.