Home > GCR > Vol. 37 > Iss. 1 (2026)
Alternate Title
The Critical Role of Near-Surface Dynamics in Identifying Spawning Areas of Atlantic Bluefin Tuna in the Gulf of Mexico
Document Type
Article
Abstract
Atlantic Bluefin Tuna, Thunnus thynnus (ABFT), migrate long distances to broadcast spawn in the Gulf of Mexico (GOM) basin, the Mediterranean Sea and the Slope Sea (NW Atlantic). These areas have commonalities including a highly dynamic upper ocean eddy environment that draws nutrients from shallow thermoclines and adjacent continental shelves and can provide temporal sanctuaries from some larval predators. In the GOM basin, the Loop Current (LC) and its energetic spin—off eddies sweep weak swimming predators such as jellyfish (Pelagia noctiluca) into lines and aggregations, leaving relatively open areas as temporal sanctuaries for ABFT larvae during the vulnerable egg—to— flexion developmental stages (~9 days). In this study, archived HYCOM modeled currents are used to disperse a grid of hypothetical drifting particles in the GOM basin to determine the spatial and temporal extent of the structured mesoscale environment in relation to life histories of both ABFT and jellyfish. Although short lived submesoscale processes, such as Langmuir mixing, are important to marine biota, they tend to be entrained within the mesoscale events and carried with them. We suggest that physical dynamics of the GOM basin result in temporal predator— reduced ABFT spawn/nursery areas. It was found that persistently cleared regions occurred within the area of LC intrusion and along the northern GOM continental shelf/slope, specifically the eastern wall of the DeSoto Canyon, the Mississippi River Outflow/Mississippi Canyon area and the northwestern corner of the GOM basin. Fishery protection of spawning ABFT from long—line bycatch should be considered in these areas.
First Page
1
Last Page
8
Artificial Intelligence (AI) Use Statement
No artificial intelligence (AI) was used in the preparation of this manuscript
Recommended Citation
Johnson, D. R., W. J. Teague, H. Perry and J. S. Franks.
2026.
The Critical Role of Near-Surface Dynamics in Identifying Spawning Areas of Atlantic Bluefin Tuna in the Gulf of Mexico.
Gulf and Caribbean Research
37
(1):
1-8.
Retrieved from https://aquila.usm.edu/gcr/vol37/iss1/2
DOI: https://doi.org/10.18785/gcr.3701.02
