Biological and physical processes affecting the larval survival and estuarine recruitment of bluefish, Pomatomus saltatrix (Pisces: Pomatomidae), along the eastern coast of the United States

The purpose of this dissertation is to examine the role of biological and physical processes in the larval survival and estuarine recruitment of bluefish, Pomatomus saltatrix, along the eastern coast of the United States. As an initial analysis, information regarding bluefish larval distribution is reviewed and it is hypothesized that the bluefish population spawns continuously as opposed to in distinct events as previously believed. If bluefish do spawn continuously, there must be a mechanism that creates the consistent appearance of two estuarine juvenile cohorts, a pattern observed in the Middle Atlantic Bight since the 1920's. A simple larval transport model is developed and this model indicates that transport processes can explain the appearance of two juvenile cohorts from a continuous production of offspring.; Following this model, the transport of South Atlantic Bight-spawned bluefish to Middle Atlantic Bight estuaries is examined in more detail. A variety of biological and physical data are analyzed and a mechanistic transport route is proposed. The specific mechanisms of this route are complex and need to be directly evaluated, but the indication is that variation in certain aspects of this transport may cause variation in the estuarine recruitment patterns of South Atlantic Bight-spawned bluefish.; The growth-mortality hypothesis (i.e. the faster an individual grows, the higher its probability of survival) is then evaluated for a cohort of bluefish larvae. Initially the otolith record of size and ontogeny is examined and it is concluded that at a given age, an individual with a larger otolith also has a larger body size. Otolith radii at various ages are then compared among individuals and this comparison indicates that larvae with larger otoliths at age had a higher probability of survival, thus supporting the growth-mortality hypothesis.; In conclusion, both biological and physical processes act in concert to shape bluefish larval survival and subsequent recruitment. This work provides a foundation for further examination into larval survival and recruitment processes of bluefish, as well as the many other species whose offspring utilize the continental shelf of the eastern coast of the United States.