Abstract
Fishery of blue mussels Mytilus edulis constitutes a very important economic activity in Denmark, whereas mussel farming on long-lines or nets is a new, growing sector. Spawning from natural mussel beds takes place during early summer, and larvae disperse via water currents before settling on the bottom or on spat collectors in the farms. In the present study, we coupled a 3D physical model system (FlexSem) with an agent-based model in order to examine the connectivity of this marine system in terms of mussel larval dispersal and settling potential. To address this question, we (1) estimated the dispersal and connectivity between 17 areas in the Limfjorden, (2) identified the main donor and receiver areas of mussel larvae and (3) identified possible dispersal barriers. The results show that the central narrow strait in the Limfjorden was the main donor area in all the studied years, and that the adjacent eastern areas were the main receiver areas. Towards the inner basins of the Limfjorden, isolation increased and limited connectivity was observed. The results from the cluster analysis grouped the Limfjorden into 3 to 5 clusters, but there was still some exchange of simulated larvae observed among these clusters. Analysis of molecular markers revealed no genetic differentiation between areas and supports the model results, indicating that despite distinguishable hydrographic boundaries, the mussel populations in the Limfjorden are well connected. This study demonstrates how connectivity modeling can be used to support site selection processes in aquaculture.
Highlights
The marine environment provides different means for organisms to travel and disperse among populations
The aim of the present study was to assess the mussel larval dispersal and connectivity in the Limfjorden, and to determine whether the system can be considered a well-connected system, or if, on the contrary, we can identify dispersal barriers limiting the transport of mussel larvae
The results show that the self-recruitment of mussel larvae in all areas is generally high (>94% in 2009, 2010 and 2012, and between 70 and 80% in 2011 and 2017)
Summary
The marine environment provides different means for organisms to travel and disperse among populations. The life cycle of most marine organisms is characterized by a larval stage that is transported in the sea, leading to the potential of dispersal over broad geographic regions (Pineda et al 2007, Cowen & Sponaugle 2009, Sala et al 2013). This pelagic phase, which can last from a few days to several months, Publisher: Inter-Research · www.int-res.com. The pediveliger larvae seek out different types of substrates before settlement, which involves some swimming and crawling behavior, culminating in the attachment of the larvae once a suitable substrate is chosen (Riisgård et al 2015)
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