Impacts of phytoplankton availability on bigeye tuna (Thunnus obesus) recruitment in the Indian Ocean

Continued and substantial recruitment is one of the keys to sustainable fisheries. In the early life stage, fish larvae have extremely high mortality. Foraging success is one of the most important components of recruitment. In this study, we analyzed the influence of phytoplankton availability on the recruitment success of bigeye tuna in the Indian Ocean. Indian ocean was divided into four regions based on the spatial structure of the bigeye tuna stock assessment. The results showed prey availability has a significant positive influence on recruitment, especially in the eastern and southern Indian Ocean.