Knowledge of connectivity among subpopulations is fundamental in the identification of the appropriate geographical scales for stock status evaluation and management, the identification of areas with greater retention rates, and space-based fisheries management. Here, an integration of hydrodynamic, biological, and habitat models results is used to assess connectivity and support the definition of essential fish habitats (EFH) in the Adriatic Sea, with reference to Nephrops norvegicus, an important benthic commercial resource, the recruitment of which is strongly related to larval dispersal from spawning to recruitment areas. We explored oceanographic and biological connectivity in the Adriatic Sea under a wide and representative variety of oceanographic conditions (winters 2006–2012) by tracking 3D trajectories of larvae released from different areas. We used a Lagrangian model that features a specific larval behavior module with explicit dependence on environmental parameters (i.e., temperature and sediment type) and that is driven by high-resolution hydrodynamic and meteorological data. The results were used to partition the area in which Nephrops was observed into 20 homogenous management subareas; to assess the connection between spawning, recruitment, and harvesting grounds; and to identify potential subpopulation boundaries as well as the connectivity among the potential subpopulations. The results suggest the presence of at least three distinct subpopulations, which need to be independently managed and conserved, and confirms that the Jabuka-Pomo pit is the most important spawning area, but alone it cannot sustain Nephrops populations throughout the Adriatic Sea. The results also show the importance to move from particle-tracking to approaches based on integrated models.

中文翻译：

---

亚得里亚海的 Nephrops norvegicus：连通性建模、基本鱼类栖息地和管理区域网络

亚种群之间连通性的知识对于确定用于种群状况评估和管理的适当地理尺度、确定具有更高保留率的区域以及基于空间的渔业管理至关重要。在这里，水动力、生物和栖息地模型结果的整合用于评估连通性并支持亚得里亚海基本鱼类栖息地 (EFH) 的定义，参考Nephrops norvegicus，一种重要的底栖商业资源，其招募与幼体从产卵区到招募区的扩散密切相关。我们通过跟踪从不同地区释放的幼虫的 3D 轨迹，探索了亚得里亚海在各种具有代表性的海洋条件下（2006-2012 年冬季）的海洋学和生物连通性。我们使用了拉格朗日模型，该模型具有特定的幼虫行为模块，显式依赖于环境参数（即温度和沉积物类型），并且由高分辨率水动力和气象数据驱动。结果用于划分Nephrops 所在的区域观察到 20 个同质管理分区；评估产卵、补充和收获场之间的联系；并识别潜在的亚群边界以及潜在亚群之间的连通性。结果表明至少存在三个不同的亚种群，需要独立管理和保护它们，并证实 Jabuka-Pomo 坑是最重要的产卵区，但仅靠它无法维持整个亚得里亚海的Nephrops种群。结果还显示了从粒子跟踪转向基于集成模型的方法的重要性。