Planktonic processes affecting establishment and maintenance of reef fish stocks

"One of the most intriguing unanswered questions we face is how does an island, situated in the midst of a strong oceanic current, sustain itself of populations of animals which have pelagic early life stages? One obvious answer is from upstream sources, but when the upstream sources do not exist or when the length of the larval life does not coincide with current speeds this problem is complicated further. Since these questions impinge on arriving at suitable strategies for the management of reef resources, it is necessary to gain an understanding of the factors and mechanisms which control the recruitment of animals. The purpose of this paper is to provide background material on this subject and to outline the types of experiments which need to be conducted to solve the problem. Two major components are involved - the biological factors of the species and the physical factors of the environment. These two aspects insure successful recruitment"--Introduction. William J. Richards. Also available online in PDF format via the NOAA Central Library. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 13-14). 1980 NMFS (National Marine Fisheries Service) SEFSC (Southeast Fisheries Science Center) Library Public Domain 1864