Analysis and visualization of the glass eel behavior (Anguilla anguilla) in the Adour estuary and estimate of its upstream migration speed

• Published in: Aquatic Living Resources
• Main Authors: Prouzet, Patrick, Odunlami, Marc, Duquesne, Elise, Boussouar, Ahmed
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English
• Published: Edp Sciences S A 2009
• Subjects: Numerical modeling; Fish behavior; Migration; Estuary; Hydrodynamics; Exploitation rate; Glass eel; Anguilla anguilla; Atlantic Ocean
• Online Access: https://archimer.ifremer.fr/doc/00000/11171/7531.pdf; https://doi.org/10.1051/alr/2009041; https://archimer.ifremer.fr/doc/00000/11171/

The studies carried out on the Adour estuary on the migration of glass eels lead to the characterisation of their swimming behavior. Individuals migrate passively with the flood tide current behind the dynamic tide front, and their movements into the water column are linked to the surrounding luminosity and water turbidity. A numerical model was built from observations gathered on glass eel densities during scientific surveys. It uses the outputs of a hydrodynamic model accounting for the variations in the river flow and tide coefficient. It allows the simulation of the displacement of a particle in the longitudinal axis of the estuary. The variation of the vertical movements through the water column takes into account the cloud cover, the moon phases, the alternation of days and nights and the water turbidity. The results allow displaying the migration speed of groups of glass eels entering the Adour estuary. These simulations are validated by the comparison with in situ observations and the outputs of the behavioral model make possible, on the one hand, to simulate the migration speed of glass eels according to hydrological data and, on the other hand, to define the environmental conditions that stop or slow down their displacement into the estuary.