Connectivity Patterns of Coastal Fishes Following Different Dispersal Scenarii Across a Transboundary Marine Protected Area

The strait of Bonifacio constitutes one of the rare transboundary Marine Protected Areas (MPA) of the Mediterranean Sea (between Sardinia, Italy and Corsica, France). Based on the hypothesis that no-take zones will produce more fish larvae, compared to adjacent fished areas, we modeled the outcome of larvae released by coastal fishes inside the no-take zones of the MPA in order to: (i) identify the main potential recruitment areas, (ii) quantify the connectivity and the larval supply from the MPAs to the surrounding areas. A high resolution hydrodynamic model (MARS 3D, Corse 400m) combined to an individual based model (Ichthyop software) was used to model the larval dispersal following various scenarii (Pelagic Larval Duration PLD – release depth) over the main spawning period (April to September). Dispersal model outputs were then compared with those obtained from an ichthyoplankton sampling cruise performed in August 2012. Results revealed the significant influence of PLD in the connectivity between coastal areas. The synchronization between spawning and hydrodynamic conditions appeared to be determinant in the larval transport success. Our results will contribute to identify the most sensitive species to the dispersal dynamic, to produce predictive maps, and overall constitute a tool for conservation planning.