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Transport and connectivity modeling of larval permit from an observed spawning aggregation in the Dry Tortugas, Florida

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Abstract

Large aggregations of adult permit (Trachinotus falcatus) were consistently observed since 2004 by divers in a collaborative fishery-independent reef fish visual census survey during May and June on the western-most edge of the Dry Tortugas Bank, Florida, in coral reef habitat, indicating proximal spawning sites. We investigated the possible fate and connectivity of larvae spawned at this location in the Dry Tortugas and two other published aggregation sites through a drift analysis using the ocean circulation and transport dynamics simulator HYCOM (Hybrid Community Ocean Model). New age-length data facilitated the determination of larval durations and rates of juvenile growth. Modeled larval transport data from spawning sites in the Dry Tortugas, Belize and Cuba were evaluated and compared to a spatially-extensive empirical juvenile permit data set from Florida. Our study revealed that unique oceanographic processes provided pathways for both downstream larval transport and juvenile retention, to and from Florida waters. These simulation results indicated that the Dry Tortugas region is a key source of permit recruits to southeast Florida stretching from the Florida Keys and up Florida’s east coast, and to a much lesser extent the west Florida shelf. Simulations from Belize and Cuba spawning sites revealed high local retention with low connectivity to Florida, emphasizing the importance of local resource management throughout the permit’s range.

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Acknowledgments

We thank Natalia Zurcher and Nick Farmer for their assistance with empirical field efforts; Tracy Ziegler, Dave Hallac and Dan Kimball of NPS for coordinating research in the Dry Tortugas; Bob McMichaels of FWC for directing the Florida Fisheries Independent Monitoring Program (FIM) Program; and the numerous biologists for their herculean statewide FIM beach seining efforts. Initial funding was provided by Dry Tortugas National Park through CESU Grant No. H5000065040-J5299-06-1017 as part of an integrated science program to study the efficacy of marine reserves in the region. Additional funding was provided by the NOAA Coral Reef Conservation Program, NOAA National Marine Fisheries Service, Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary, Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, Robertson Foundation, and the Tarpon & Bonefish Research Center at the University of Miami. This research was approved by the Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee (IACUC) at the University of Miami.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. University of Miami, Rosenstiel School of Marine and Atmospheric Scienc, 4600 Rickenbacker Causeway, Miami, FL, 33149, USA

    David R. Bryan, Jiangang Luo, Jerald S. Ault & Steven G. Smith

  2. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Southeast Fisheries Science Center, 75 Virginia Beach Drive, Miami, FL, 33149, USA

    David B. McClellan & Derke Snodgrass

  3. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Southeast Regional Office, 263 13th Avenue South, St. Petersburg, FL, 33701, USA

    Michael F. Larkin

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  1. David R. Bryan
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  2. Jiangang Luo
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Correspondence to David R. Bryan.

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Bryan, D.R., Luo, J., Ault, J.S. et al. Transport and connectivity modeling of larval permit from an observed spawning aggregation in the Dry Tortugas, Florida. Environ Biol Fish 98, 2263–2276 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10641-015-0445-x

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10641-015-0445-x

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