Modeling the Influence of Hydrodynamic Processes on Anchovy Distribution and Connectivity in the Black Sea

Model results indicate that larval dispersal in the Black Sea is strongly controlled at the basin scale by the Rim Current circulation and its two cyclonic basin-wide gyres. It is locally controlled by mesoscale eddies. Consistent with the observed circulation fields, a strong meridional transport exists from the northern to the southern coastal zone along the western coast and the central basin. The peripheries of both the western and the eastern cyclonic gyres are also associated with strong larval transport from the southern coast to offshore areas. Elsewhere the connectivity between different regions is not as well pronounced due to weaker and patchy current fields. Variability in the dispersal of larvae is considerable when comparing different years and seasons and should be taken into account when designing networks of Marine Protected Areas in the Black Sea. Keywords : Black Sea anchovy larvae, Black Sea circulation, connectivity, Lagrangian modeling, temperature dependence