Red King Crab Larval Advection
Red king crab larvae spend months in the water column and have specific habitat requirements upon settlement, which implies that the location of larval release relative to oceanographic processes and suitable juvenile habitat is important for determining recruitment success or failure in a given year.
Our ongoing study couples a biophysical individual-based model (IBM) and a Regional Ocean Modeling System (ROMS) circulation model to evaluate the importance of 1) climate and oceanographic conditions, and 2) female spatial distribution on larval advection trajectories.
Co-investigators refined an existing ROMS model by focusing on the Bristol Bay region, developed a finer scale (2 km) horizontal resolution grid that includes all circulation features and settlement areas relevant to red king crab larvae, and focus on representative years with contrasting bottom temperature conditions.
ROMS output, in the form of velocity, temperature, and salinity fields, drives the Lagrangian IBM, which tracks virtual larvae in space and time.
The IBM incorporates the most extensive biological information available for red king crab, including ovigerous female spatial distribution, fecundity, hatch timing, larval behavior, growth, and settlement habitat. A comprehensive analysis of invertebrate and sediment data suggests that optimal settlement habitats are primarily located inshore of the 50 m isobath.
Upcoming model simulations will address effects of model year, female spatial distribution, larval behavior, and hatch timing on large-scale advection.
Additional Resources
- Alaska Crab Research
- Alaska Fisheries Science Center Research Surveys
- Alaska Crab Habitat Research
- Eastern Bering Sea Crab Distribution Data Map
- Alaska Shellfish Culture Research
- Alaska Shellfish Growth Research
- Alaska Shellfish Disease Research
- Alaska Shellfish Reproduction Research
- Alaska Shellfish Additional Research
- Alaska Shellfish Ocean Acidification and Climate Research
- Dutch Harbor Snow and Tanner Crab Growth Study
- Sample Request Instructions for Alaska Groundfish and Shellfish Assessment Surveys