Project: Effects of Nitrogen Sources and Plankton Food-Web Dynamics On Habitat Quality for the Larvae of Bluefin Tuna in the Gulf Of Mexico

Amendment #66: Current stock assessments for the Gulf of Mexico require better ecosystem understanding to effectively evaluate how bottom-up processes limit or enhance Atlantic Bluefin Tuna recruitment. The objective of this proposal is to elucidate the underlying mechanisms that link variability in nitrogen sources and food-web fluxes in the Gulf of Mexico to habitat quality, feeding, growth and survival for Atlantic Bluefin Tuna larvae. This proposal addresses the Program Priority: Comprehensive understanding of living coastal and marine resources, food web dynamics, habitat utilization, protected areas, and carbon flows, specifically "(d) Food web structure and dynamics, trophic linkages, and/or predator-prey relationships, especially projects that develop and/or apply new techniques or technologies".