FOREVAR - Mesoscale environmental forcing and variability of pelagic populations in the Bay of Biscay

The spatial distribution of this population is relatively limited (in comparison with highly migratory species in the same area), its life duration is short, it is highly dependent on hydroclimatic variations and it is an economically important stock. The Bay of Biscay is constituted by a collection of mesoscale features which can be activated or not, depending on meteorological conditions. 3D hydrodynamical models, such as the one developed at IFREMER allow for realistic reconstruction of the key mesoscale structures so that it is possible to study the details of the bio-hydrodynamical coupling between anchovy habitats during successive life stages (e.g. spawning, larval stages) and the activation/de-activation of physical structures).

The current results from the programme include the determination of: - spatial distribution of spawning areas - the influence of wind regimes - regional variations in larval growth and food web structures - spatial structures of fish schools - a recruitment forecast index - evaluation of the anchovy stock and cartography of adult distribution and spawning areas are currently produced annually and used for management advice