Description: Cod and sprat are the dominant fish species in the Baltic pelagic ecosystem, both of great economic importance and ecologically strongly interlinked. Management of both species is challenged by highly variable recruitment success. Recent studies have identified predation and hydrographic conditions during the egg phase to be of critical importance. Two years of extensive field investigations in the Bornholm Basin, central Baltic Sea, were undertaken. In 2002, a typical stagnation situation characterized by low salinity and poor oxygen conditions was investigated, and in early 2003, a major inflow of North Sea water completely changed the hydrographic conditions by increasing salinity and oxygen content, thereby altering ecological conditions. The goal was to quantify egg mortality caused by predation and hydrography, and to compare these estimates with independent estimates based on cohort analysis. Results indicated high intra-annual variability in egg mortality. Cod and sprat egg mortality responded differently to the major Baltic inflow: mortality related to hydrographic conditions increased for sprat and decreased for cod. On the other hand, predation mortality during peak spawning decreased for sprat and increased for cod.

Description: The GLOBEC Germany program (2002–2007) had the ambitious goal to resolve the processes impacting the recruitment dynamics of Baltic sprat (Sprattus sprattus L.) by examining various factors affecting early life history stages. At the start of the research program, a number of general recruitment hypotheses were formulated, i.e. focusing on (1) predation, (2) food availability, (3) physical parameters, (4) the impact of current systems, and finally (5) the importance of top-down vs bottom-up effects. The present study synthesizes the results of field sampling (2002 and 2003), laboratory experiments, and modeling studies to re-evaluate these hypotheses for the Baltic sprat stock. Recruitment success was quite different in the 2 years investigated. Despite a lower spawning stock biomass in 2003, the total number of recruits was almost 2-fold higher that year compared to 2002. The higher recruitment success in 2003 could be attributed to enhanced survival success during the post-larval/juvenile stage, a life phase that appears to be critical for recruitment dynamics. In the state of the Baltic ecosystem during the period of investigation, we consider bottom-up control (e.g. temperature, prey abundance) to be more important than top-down control (predation mortality). This ranking in importance does not vary seasonally. Prevailing water circulation patterns and the transport dynamics of larval cohorts have a strong influence on sprat recruitment success. Pronounced transport to coastal areas is detrimental for year-class strength particularly at high sprat stock sizes. A suggested mechanism is density-dependant regulation of survival via intra- and inter-specific competition for prey in coastal areas. A documented change in larval vertical migration behavior between the early 1990s and early 2000s increased the transport potential to the coast, strengthening the coupling between inter-annual differences in the magnitude and direction of wind-driven surface currents and year-to-year changes in reproductive success. However, due to the strong linkages and feed-back loops in the Baltic Sea food web, the most robust projections of the future strength of the Baltic sprat stock will need to take into account climate-driven changes in both abiotic (e.g., drift trajectories) and biotic (trophodynamic) factors. Although our understanding of processes affecting pre-recruit (larval) growth and survival has been advanced by the integrated research conducted within the GLOBEC Germany program, key mechanisms potentially affecting life stages outside of the spawning basins remain to be explored including the dynamics of coastal habitats of juveniles and the feeding and overwintering grounds of adults. Highlights: ► Food limitation may contribute to the formation of seasonal ‘windows of survival’. ► Change in larval migration exalted the importance of transport. ► Temperature is the most important physical factor influencing sprat recruitment. ► Bottom-up control is more important than top-down control. ► Projected Baltic water temperature increase suggests higher sprat recruitment potential.

Description: Optic technologies and methods/procedures are established across all areas and scales in limnic and marine research in Germany and develop further continuously. The working group “Aquatic Optic Technologies” (AOT) constitutes a common platform for knowledge transfer among scientists and users, provides a synergistic environment for the national developer community and will enhance the international visibility of the German activities in this field. This document summarizes the AOT-procedures and -techniques applied by national research institutions. We expect to initiate a trend towards harmonization across institutes. This will facilitate the establishment of open standards, provide better access to documentation, and render technical assistance for systems integration. The document consists of the parts: Platforms and carrier systems outlines the main application areas and the used technologies. Focus parameters specifies the parameters measured by means of optical methods/techniques and indicates to which extent these parameters have a socio-political dimension. Methods presents the individual optical sensors and their underlying physical methods. Similarities denominates the common space of AOT-techniques and applications. National developments lists projects and developer groups in Germany designing optical high-technologies for limnic and marine scientific purposes.

Description: Transport of Baltic sprat Sprattus sprattus L. larvae spawned on different spawning grounds was investigated by detailed drift model simulations for the years 1979–2002. Modeling approaches with and without diurnal vertical migration were applied. We used recently collected data on spawning location, vertical distribution and the timing of spawning as input to a particle tracking model. Results of this modeling study enabled the identification of potential nursery grounds for sprat originating from different spawning grounds. On average, westerly winds are prevailing over the Baltic Sea. This leads to on average higher abundance of juvenile sprat along the southern and the eastern coast lines of the Baltic. The horizontal distribution of simulated larval or 0-group sprat is consistent with the observed distribution of 0-group sprat obtained from the hydroacoustic field surveys. In addition, this analysis identifies the potential for advective mixing between juveniles originating from different spawning sites or from the same spawning site throughout the spawning season. High spatial overlap was found between Arkona- and Bornholm Basin larvae hatched at the beginning of the spawning season. Mixing probability of sprat juveniles between Arkona- and Gotland Basin as well as between Bornholm- and Gotland Basin were on relatively low levels.

Description: This thesis shows different aspects of the distribution of adult sprat in the central Baltic Sea. The seasonal development of the horizontal distribution of sprat was investigated in 2002/2003 under the influence of a shift in the environmental regime. During the period of investigation, several inflow events of saline and well oxygenated water into the deep Basins of the Baltic Sea were observed. This includes the first major Baltic inflow (MBI) since 1993, which occurred in January/February 2003 and dramatically changed the environmental condition in the Bornholm Basin. Prior to this MBI, a ‘typical’ seasonal development of the sprat abundance in the Bornholm Sea was observed. After the MBI in 2003, relatively cold temperatures were observed in the Bornholm Basin throughout the water column. It was assumed that these unfavourable conditions lead to an avoidance migration of sprat in the more eastern areas. This was supported by an increase of the sprat abundance in the Gotland Basin. The abiotic parameters that determine the vertical distribution of sprat were investigated during several cruises, including meso-scale and small-scale investigations. Temperature and oxygen content of the water were confirmed as main driving factors for the vertical distribution of sprat, whereby the relevant thresholds were determined as 5°C and 1ml/l oxygen content. Other environmental parameters were identified to have an impact on the diel vertical migration (DVM) of sprat. Light was assumed to induce DVM of sprat, whereas the causal relationship remained unclear. Strong vertical temperature gradients can prevent DVM, if the minimum temperature, to be passed is colder than 5°C. On the other hand, cold water was crossed where the temperature gradient was relatively low. The influence of salinity and depth was found to be negligible. The results of these investigations were used to develop two models for the vertical distribution of sprat. The first model approach bases upon the calculation of the probability of occurrence, calculated for temperature and oxygen. This simple model was successfully applied to data, derived during spawning time in spring 2002, but revealed weaknesses when applied to other seasons. Furthermore, a more complex was introduced, whereas the vertical distribution of sprat was modelled as behavioural response to external stimuli. This approach was successfully applied to model the diel vertical migration of sprat. With the latter model approach a tool is delivered to include the vertical distribution into ecosystem models and is therefore an important improvement in ecosystem research in the Baltic. With regard to the consequences of the distribution patterns of Baltic sprat it was shown, that the vulnerability of key zooplankton species to predation by clupeids is highly influenced by the spatial overlap of predator and prey. Highest impact of sprat on zooplankton species was found for Pseudocalunus sp. during spring and Temora longicornis during summer.

Description: Optic technologies and methods/procedures are established across all areas and scales in limnic and marine research in Germany and develop further continuously. The working group “Aquatic Optic Technologies” (AOT) constitutes a common platform for knowledge transfer among scientists and users, provides a synergistic environment for the national developer community and will enhance the international visibility of the German activities in this field. This document summarizes the AOT-procedures and -techniques applied by national research institutions. We expect to initiate a trend towards harmonization across institutes. This will facilitate the establishment of open standards, provide better access to documentation, and render technical assistance for systems integration. The document consists of the parts: Platforms and carrier systems outlines the main application areas and the used technologies. Focus parameters specifies the parameters measured by means of optical methods/techniques and indicates to which extent these parameters have a socio-political dimension. Methods presents the individual optical sensors and their underlying physical methods. Similarities denominates the common space of AOT-techniques and applications. National developments lists projects and developer groups in Germany designing optical hightechnologies for limnic and marine scientific purposes.