Manual of recommended practices for modelling physical-biological interactions during fish early life

This manual of recommended practices is a product of the “Workshop on Advancements in Modelling Physical –Biological Interactions in Fish Early Life History: Recommended Practices and Future Directions” (WKAMF; http://northweb.hpl.umces.edu/research/wkamf_intro.htm). The WKAMF was held 3 – 5 April 2006 in Nantes, France. The goal was to evaluate the current state and next steps in the developing field of modelling physical – biological interactions in the early life of fish. The workshop focused on recent advances in coupled biological – physical models that incorporate predictions from three dimensional circulation models to determine the transit of fish eggs, larvae, and juveniles from spawning to nursery areas. These coupled biophysical models provide new insight into how planktonic dispersal, growth, and survival are mediated by physical and biological conditions, and how they have contributed to enhanced understanding of fish population variability and stock structure.