Inter-annual recruitment variability of sole (Solea solea) in the North Sea is high. Among many fish taxa, the early life stages are critical in determining recruitment. With a Lagrangian larval transport model, coupling a physical model with an Individual-Based Model (IBM), it has been shown that hydrodynamics explains part of this variability in sole (Lacroix et al. 2013). IBMs require a good knowledge of the biological processes governing larval dispersal. However, it is difficult to obtain observations of life history traits; their estimates may strongly influence larval connectivity / retention and successful migration as predicted by the model. Various assumptions about these traits can be tested by comparing simulation results with field data. Several datasets, from the literature and from a 2-year-long monthly sampling at 13 stations in the southern North Sea, will be used to identify the most plausible model parameterisation. It represents a first step towards the calibration and improvement of a larval dispersal model of sole in the North Sea and the development of a tool for fisheries management.

Abstract of an Oral Presentation or a Poster