Biology subjects

QUINTANILLA, J. M.

Publications and source records attributed to QUINTANILLA, J. M..

4 recordsLinked to original sources

bioRxiv2026

Comparative food-web analysis of bluefin tuna spawning habitats in the eastern Indian Ocean and Gulf of Mexico

Using linear inverse ecosystem modeling as a data assimilation tool, we compare spawning grounds of Atlantic and Southern Bluefin Tuna (ABT and SBT, respectively) based on results from field campaigns in the Gulf of Mexico (GoM) and eastern Indian Ocean off northwest Australia (Argo Basin). Both regions are warm, stratified, low-nutrient waters dominated by cyanobacteria (Prochlorococcus). Despite these similarities, the Argo Basin is more productive, with [~]1.5X higher net primary production and nearly 2X higher production of top trophic levels in the model (tuna larvae, planktivorous fish, and predatory gelatinous zooplankton). Higher primary production in the Argo Basin is mainly driven by higher N2 fixation and storm mixing of new nutrients in the upper and lower euphotic zone, respectively. Increased ecosystem efficiency (secondary production of top trophic levels / primary production) results from differences in plankton food web organization. In the GoM, protistan zooplankton are the direct consumers of nearly all phytoplankton production. In contrast, higher rates of herbivory by crustaceans feeding on nanophytoplankton combines with a higher impact of appendicularians on cyanobacteria to convert plankton production into larval tuna prey more efficiently in the Argo Basin. Despite similarities in the proportions of phytoplankton production mediated by cyanobacteria and other picoplankton in both systems, food web pathways to larval tuna and other planktivorous fish are substantially shorter in the Argo Basin. Our results highlight the impact of distinct zooplankton ecological niches on ecosystem efficiency and suggest a need for better inclusion of plankton food-web structure in models simulating climate impacts on fisheries production. HIGHLIGHTSO_LIDeveloped food web models of tuna spawning habitat (Indian Ocean & Gulf of Mexico) C_LIO_LISpawning habitats in the Argo Basin and Gulf of Mexico (GoM) are both oligotrophic C_LIO_LIArgo Basin had higher net primary production in part as a result of nitrogen fixation C_LIO_LIArgo Basin had higher rates of direct herbivory by metazoan zooplankton C_LIO_LIThis resulted in greater ecosystem efficiency in the Argo Basin. C_LI

ecology↗

bioRxiv2025

Analysis of environmental data during a lagrangian experiment: The influence of vertical movements.

Investigating the time evolution of physical and biochemical properties of the ocean with in situ sampling can follow two approaches: Eulerian and Lagrangian. In the Eulerian approach, repeated measurements are taken at fixed locations, whereas the sampling point moves with the displacement of a water parcel in the Lagrangian approach. During the BLOOFINZ-IO cruise off northwest Australia, four Lagrangian experiments ("cycles") were conducted with multidisciplinary sampling done at regular intervals for several days following a satellite tracked drifter with mixed-layer drogue. To test the Lagrangian nature of these experiments, we adapted the Bindoff and McDougall (1994) approach for decomposing observed changes between adjacent CTD profiles into components due to vertical movement (heaving) and those occurring along isopycnal surfaces. Profile depth variability was mainly driven by vertical displacements of isopycnals (internal waves), while temperature, chlorophyll, oxygen and salinity were relatively stable when observed on isopycnal surfaces across all casts within the same cycle, and different on average between cycles. Our analysis clearly indicated that density surface was a more appropriate vertical coordinate than physical depth for assessing real environmental variability during each cycle and confirmed the Lagrangian character of the experiments. While the BLOOFINZ cruise serves as a case study, the methodology can be readily extended to analyze other biochemical variables in different ocean regions.

ecology↗

bioRxiv2025

Optimal Maternal Feeding Isotopic Niche: influence of breeder trophic behaviour on larval growth and survival in bluefin tuna species

Maternal effects play a fundamental role in shaping early larval growth and survival in marine fishes. This study explores the relationship between maternal trophic ecology and larval growth in bluefin tunas, with a focus on Southern Bluefin Tuna (SBT) and an expanded dataset from multiple Atlantic Bluefin Tuna populations incorporated into the General Bluefin Model (GBM). Daily growth and stable isotopes ({delta}{superscript 1}N and {delta}{superscript 1}3C) were obtained from 80 pre-flexion SBT larvae and 355 pre-flexion larvae from the GBM dataset. Results revealed a significant negative linear trend between larval age and {delta}{superscript 1}N values, consistent with the gradual attenuation of maternally inherited isotopic signatures during development. Faster growing larvae had higher growth rates showed significantly lower {delta}{superscript 1}N and {delta}{superscript 1}3C values, indicating that maternal trophic behaviour and their prey sources critically influence larval growth potential. Maternal isotopic niche breadth, inferred from larval isotope data, was markedly narrower in groups with optimal larval growth, suggesting that specialized (stenophagous) maternal feeding strategies promote enhanced offspring performance. These patterns were observed consistently in two bluefin species across seven different populations, despite geographic and temporal variability, highlighting a robust ecological link between maternal foraging behaviour and larval development. From these findings, we introduce the hypothesis of an Optimal Maternal Feeding Isotopic Niche, representing a constrained isotopic range associated with increased larval growth and survival. This framework advances our understanding of the influence of maternal trophic ecology on offspring fitness and offers valuable insights for the conservation and management of highly migratory pelagic species with complex reproductive strategies.

ecology↗

bioRxiv2025

Trophic specialization enhances growth performance in larvae of southern bluefin, albacore, and skipjack tunas from the eastern Indian Ocean

We examined trophic ecology and its influence on larval growth variability for three scombrids, southern bluefin (Thunnus maccoyii, SBT), albacore (T. alalunga, ALB), and skipjack tunas (Katsuwonus pelamis, SKJ), that share a common spawning ground in the eastern Indian Ocean. We combined otolith-based ageing with bulk nitrogen and carbon stable isotope analysis (SIA) of individual larvae. Significant interspecific differences in {delta}{superscript 1}N and {delta}{superscript 1}3C indicate adaptive resource partitioning that allows these tunas to coexist during early ontogeny. Trophic position and isotopic niche were estimated with both frequentist and Bayesian approaches, enabling the evaluation of ontogenetic isotope shifts, niche overlap, and resource use in relation to growth. ALB grew fastest had the highest trophic position, and the broadest isotopic niche. Optimally growing tuna larvae occupied the narrowest trophic niche and had lower trophic positions for all three species, supporting the hypothesis that strong trophic specialization supports better growth performance, and that feeding on more efficient shorter food chains (e.g., microbial loop via appendicularians) can enhance larval fitness. Using lower C:N ratio as a proxy of larval condition, found in optimal growing groups, supports the broader hypothesis that growth potential is closely tied to energy allocation strategies during early ontogeny. A detailed understanding of how larval trophodynamics, niche breadth, and resource partitioning interact with growth and survival during these vulnerable stages is essential for ecosystem-based management, particularly in systems where growth rate modulates predation risk and competitive fitness.

ecology↗