Laboratory trials

The effects of ocean water acidification upon yellowfin tuna early life history processes and stages will be tested experimentally at the Achotines Laboratory in four phases:

• Sperm and Fertilization trials
• Egg/embryonic development trial
• Yolk-sac larval stage trial
• Early feeding larval stage trial  

Data analysis

Data collected from the laboratory trials will be analyzed using generalized linear models (GLMs) with the statistical software R

SEAPODYM modeling

Physical and biogeochemical conditions influence tuna population dynamics through changes in spawning conditions, habitat suitability, and distributions of food resources that result in changes in fish movement behavior, reproduction and mortality. Environmental data are used in SEAPODYM to functionally characterize the habitat of the population depending on its thermal biogeochemical and forage preferences (Lehodey et al. 2008).