'The Korea Society of Information Technology Services'
Abstract
Growth rate has been shown to effect survival and recruitment of marine fishes. How growth rates in the field are affected by larval development and environmental variability is poorly understood. Recent growth rates of sprat larvae, a key species in the Baltic Marine ecosystem, were determined by converting RNA/DNA ratios determined from individual larvae into recent growth based on a laboratory calibrated RNA/DNA temperature growth model. Several factors (larval size, temperature and photoperiod) that may contribute to the observed variability in recent growth sampled in the spawning seasons 2002 through 2004 were analyzed with a variety of models. Best fit was found for the Generalized Additive Models (GAMs). Larval size (dry weight), photoperiod and temperature terms explained 29 % and 36 %
of the variability observed in recent growth of sprat larvae in the Baltic Sea, respectively
