Trond Kristiansen, Frode Vikebų, Francisco E. Werner, R. Gregory Lough, Svein Sundby, Edward G. Durbin, and Larry Buckley
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Abstract
Growth and survival in the early life stages of cod are known to be affected by environmental conditions. In particular, variations in temperature and light strongly impact the growth and feeding conditions for larval cod, creating differential survival conditions between years and between habitats. We compared the latitudinal extreme nursery grounds of larval cod on Georges Bank (42°N) in the Northwest Atlantic and Lofoten (68°N) off the coast of Norway. We applied an individual-based model (IBM) to simulate larval cod growth and survival within each nursery ground for five years. The model is forced with light, idealized prey fields, and temperatures at selected locations for selected years during the spring season. We then analysed the results for differences between and within ecosystems. Using our estimated larval cod growth rates from this model, we also quantified the relative roles of environmental variables and feeding environments at the Georges Bank and Lofoten sites and their relationship to field observations.