Barnacle larval transport in the Mandovi–Zuari estuarine system, central west coast of India

Abstract

A two-dimensional hydrodynamic and particle tracking model was used to estimate the dispersion and retention of barnacle larvae from their possible spawning sites in a tropical monsoon-influenced estuarine system (central west coast of India). Validation of the hydrodynamic simulations yielded a good match with field measurements. The pattern of larval dispersal in the region varied with the winds and currents. The seasonal changes in abundance could be attributed to physical forcing and weather conditions. The extent of barnacle larval dispersal from spawning sites varied from 10 to 78 km for different sites and seasons. During a 24-h cycle, the larval abundance showed one to two peaks in the estuarine area. The increased larval abundance is favored by the flood currents, pushing the larvae into the estuary. Physical forcing in the region helps in transport of the larvae from their spawning sites hugging to the coast and contributing to the population within the estuary. Field observations and numerical experiments suggest the occurrence of higher larval abundance in the estuary during post-monsoon. The dispersal pattern indicated that the barnacle population present in the estuary is well mixed, and with a seasonally changing pattern.

Length-weight relationship of seven finfish species from Mandovi-Zuari estuarine system, Goa, India

“…Mandovi–Zuari estuarine network has been considered as a major estuarine ecosystem along the west coast of India. (George et al, ; Qasim & Sen Gupta, ). Sreekanth, Lekshmi, Singh, Chakraborty, and Reddy () has reported rich diversity of finfish and shellfish assemblages of commercial importance from this estuarine network, which provides livelihood for the traditional fishermen.…”

Modeling the impacts of fishing regulations in a tropical Indian estuary using Ecopath with Ecosim approach

“…The ecosystem of Zuari estuary defined in this study covers the 10 km stretch upstream from the mouth, which is approximately 5 km wide and 5-6 m deep. The estuary is highly productive, in which the freshwater is well mixed with marine water by tides and winds (George et al, 2013;Qasim, 1973). The annual freshwater runoff into the estuary is 9 km 3 , and this discharge makes the estuary highly productive and dynamic (Qasim, 1973).…”

Applying a Coupled Biophysical Model to Predict Larval Dispersal and Source/Sink Relationships in a Depleted Metapopulation of the Eastern OysterCrassostrea virginica

“…Export of larvae is a key step in this process. Oyster larval export has been predicted in various modeling studies (North et al 2008, Narv aez et al 2012, Kim et al 2013, Park et al 2014, and export of various larval species from an estuary into neighboring estuaries has been documented (Ellien et al 2000, Natunewicz et al 2001, George et al 2013, Safak et al 2015. At least in the case of oysters, however, the biological significance of that export has not been considered.…”