Integrated understanding of initial conditions of early life stages using integrated ecosystem survey data

Since 2000, the yearly acoustic pelagic survey of Ifremer in the Bay of Biscay designed for fish stock assessment of small pelagic fish has been converted into an integrated pelagic ecosystem monitoring plateforme. This has been achieved by coupling sensors and automating data acquisition streams. The data series now spans from 2000 to 2014. Together with data sensors and sampling designs, we present here an integrated study allowing to understand the spawning process of anchovy. We compare the maps of anchovy eggs obtained with CUFES (continuous underway fish egg sampler) with that of their spawning adults sampled at the same time by acoustics and identification trawl hauls. The distributions of eggs are surprisingly different than that of adults, with in particular a shift in their gravity centres. The differences are characterized using geostatistics and interpreted with hydrological and meteorological information collected on board during the survey at stations. The initial conditions of early life stages are characterized.