Ichthyoplankton transport around the Brazilian Fernando de Noronha archipelago and Rocas Atoll: Are there any connectivity patterns?

摘要

To investigate the influence of environmental conditions on ichthyoplankton transport in the FN and AR system, the outputs of a hydrodynamic simulation have been used as inputs to force an Individual-Based Model (IBM) around islands. The results show larval retention over the entire year. This retention is highly correlated with the intensity of the zonal current. Lagrangian analysis reveals connectivity between FN and AR, represented here by larval transport success, which would be important for the conservation of the species in these tropical Brazilian islands.