Tuna Ecology and Biology
 The Tuna Ecology and Biology
(TEB) section of the OFP undertakes analyses to understand the biological parameters and the environmental processes that influence the productivity of tuna and billfish populations and that are fundamental for stocks assessment. Biological investigation focus on tuna and billfish age and growth, on tuna movement and behaviour as observed from classical or electronic data archiving tags, and on tuna and billfish diet in a more general study devoted to the food web of the pelagic ecosystem. Beside to field sampling and laboratory analyses, mathematical models are developed to understand the environmental determinants of tuna fishery production, including impacts of climate fluctuation (El Niño Southern Oscillation, Pacific decadal Oscillation and global warming). There is also increasing interest in other components of the ecosystem which supports the tuna fishery, and impacts of fishing on them.
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Tuna Biology and behavior
Tuna Growth
 Estimates of
growth parameters are key inputs to stock assessment models. Growth studies of main tuna and billfish species are conducted using counts of otolith daily increments or annual rings on dorsal spines (parameters are key inputs to stock assessment models). Growth studies of main tuna and billfish species are conducted using counts of otolith daily increments or annual rings on dorsal spines
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Tuna Movements
Movements, migrations and stocks structure
of tuna are investigated with conventional or electronic tagging experiments, genetic studies, and modelling
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Environmental Relationships and Modelling
Climate Variations
 Important progress has been made in identifying the influence of
climate variations (ENSO, PDO) on the distribution and abundance of tuna in the Pacific Ocean
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Modelling
 The relationships between tuna and their oceanic environment are investigated through development of a
Spatial
Environmental Population Dynamics Model
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OFCCP
GLOBEC
 The Oceanic Fisheries and Climate Change Project
(OFCCP GLOBEC) will investigate the effect of climate change on the productivity and distribution of oceanic tuna stocks and fisheries in the Pacific Ocean with the goal of predicting short- to long-term changes and impacts related to climate variability and global warming
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Billfish and By-catches
The first step is to improve
data coverage of billfish catches by all sectors, including gamefishing (billfish catches are currently not well estimated), allowing preliminary stock assessments to be undertaken. Concurrently, information are collected by scientific observers on the occurrence of by-catch in WCPO tuna fisheries
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Ecosystem research
To develop ecological approaches of
fisheries management it is important to take into account species interactions
and underlying ecosystem dynamics. Assessing the impact of fisheries and
environmental effects on the ecosystem implies a good comprehension of this
system. Predation induces an important mortality in the ecosystem that is often
higher than fishery mortality, and determining trophic interactions between
species is a major step towards a better understanding and modeling of the
ecosystem dynamic.
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