The physical basis for recruitment variability in fish populations

Larval mortality is an important component of recruitment variability. To understand the mechanisms affecting larval mortality, it is necessary to take into account the nonlinear interactions involved in density-dependent population dynamics and the physical environment at scales of motion comparable with larval feeding scales. This paper develops a framework for further analysis by describing the population-dynamic and physical oceanographic setting for developing the notion of a "food signal". the fundamental unit of predator/prey interaction. This paper also considers the possibility that acoustic technology might be useful for making inferences about food signals.