Effects of climate variability and change on the recruitment of Antarctic toothfish in the Ross Sea region: the impact of sea-ice drift, ocean circulation, and prey resources

Recruitment is one of the key factors affecting productivity of harvested species and the catch levels set under CCAMLR decision rules. Climate variability and change have the potential to affect the recruitment of target species in the CCAMLR Convention Area, including Antarctic toothfish (Dissostichus mawsoni). Improving knowledge of the factors affecting recruitment, and especially climate-related factors, will help anticipate future changes to stock productivity and potential future catch levels. Climate can potentially affect recruitment: (1) by changing the physical transport pathways by which eggs and larvae move from spawning areas to areas of preferred habitat for juvenile fish; (2) by changing the biological resources (prey) available for larvae and early-stage juveniles during this early-life history transit period. In this paper, we present a summary of research aiming to understand how sea-ice drift, ocean circulation, and prey resources may affect recruitment of Antarctic toothfish in the Ross Sea region.