Fish nurseries in a changing world

Marine Conservation Research Group
Fish nurseries in a changing world
Title: Fish nurseries in a changing world: towards new functional indices of habitat quality
Funded by: NERC via ARIES Doctoral Training Partnership
Dates: October 2023 – October 2027
Partners: Devon and Severn IFCA; Ocean Ecology Limited; University of Essex
University of Plymouth staff: Marion Lefebvre du Prey , Dr Benjamin Ciotti
 
 
 
 
This project seeks to develop new functional indices of juvenile fish habitat quality, for better identifying and understanding of important fish nurseries – habitats that are essential not only for wildlife conservation, but also for maintaining sustainable fisheries.
The framework for measuring the quality of habitats for juvenile fish is well established, but is usually assessed simply from the abundance of fish they contain, while functional indicators that reveal how a habitat supports growth, survival, and movements from juvenile to adult populations are often overlooked.
During this project, we will develop a new index for measuring juvenile fish growth, as well as tools for reconstructing fish population movements.
The calibration of these tools for juvenile common sole (Solea solea) under controlled, laboratory conditions will enhance their reliability and applicability to this highly valuable species.
Marion Lefebvre du Prey working in the field
Marion Lefebvre du Prey working with a juvenile fish
Marion Lefebvre du Prey in the lab

Project aims:

  • To develop and calibrate a new functional index for measuring the growth of juvenile sole, approximated by RNA concentration in white muscle.
  • To develop tools for reconstructing movements from juvenile to adult populations, based on chemical signatures in fish otoliths and eye lenses.

Implementation and outcomes:

  • We aim apply these tools to identify critical nursery sites for common sole in the Severn estuary: a data-scarce but management relevant system.
  • This project will not only be a technical advance for correctly measuring juvenile habitat quality, but it will also inform managers and help set conservation priorities in the Severn estuary.
 
 
 

Fish Habitat Research Unit

The Fish Habitat Research Unit (FHRU) at the University of Plymouth forms an important pool of expertise investigating how marine habitats support fisheries, sustainability and nature conservation.
Through a transdisciplinary approach, the unit partners with a range of actors in fisheries and conservation, providing the research capacity to inform robust decision making and management approaches to pressing real-world problems.
Fish Habitat Research Group