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Combining microvolume isotope analysis and numerical simulation to reproduce fish migration history
Author(s) -
Sakamoto Tatsuya,
Komatsu Kosei,
Shirai Kotaro,
Higuchi Tomihiko,
Ishimura Toyoho,
Setou Takashi,
Kamimura Yasuhiro,
Watanabe Chikako,
Kawabata Atsushi
Publication year - 2019
Publication title -
methods in ecology and evolution
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 3.425
H-Index - 105
ISSN - 2041-210X
DOI - 10.1111/2041-210x.13098
Subject(s) - otolith , fish <actinopterygii> , population , computer science , population dynamics of fisheries , fishery , environmental science , ecology , biology , demography , sociology
Tracking the movement of migratory fish is of great importance for efficient conservation, although this has been technically difficult to achieve in small fish to which artificial tags cannot be attached. We show that migration history can be reproduced by combining high‐resolution otolith stable oxygen isotope ratio (δ 18 O) analysis and numerical simulation. High‐precision micromilling and microvolume carbonate analysing systems had the remarkable capability of extracting the otolith δ 18 O profiles with 10–30 days resolution. Furthermore, reasonable movements were reproduced by searching the routes consistent with the otolith δ 18 O profile, using an individual‐based model with random swimming behaviour. This method will be a valuable alternative to tagging and electronic loggers for revealing migration routes in early life stages, thereby providing crucial information to understand population structures and the environmental cause of recruitment variabilities, and to validate and improve fish movement models.