To stay or not to stay? A model to test decision making of Mysis diluviana to vertically migrate
Chapina, Rosaura J
Chapina, Rosaura J
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Abstract
Freshwater mysids play vital roles in lake food webs because their extensive diel vertical migration (DVM) couples pelagic and deep-water benthic habitats. Mysids are omnivorous and thus have the potential to transport nutrients in both vertical directions, and also, serve as a vital food source for many pelagic and benthic fishes. Recent observations indicate that Mysis spp exhibit partial DVM (pDVM) where a percentage of the population remains benthic at night. The drivers that determine if mysids migrate at night remain unknown. A model was developed to evaluate how decisions to migrate or remain on the bottom at night, and the potential drivers that could influence those decisions, can lead to population-level pDVM behavior. The model runs on hourly time step and includes seasonal changes in light, temperature, food availability, and habitat-dependent mortality. We used the model to test several hypotheses about Mysis decision making including: (1) pelagic food availability; (2) size-based predation risk; and (3) body condition (reproductive state). The model will be compared with empirical observations on pDVM in Lakes Champlain and Ontario. Results from the model will be used to guide hypothesis development and quantify effects of alternative migration strategies on Mysis survival and growth.
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1:00pm-3:00pm
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Graduate
Date
2020-01-01