This session focuses on the large influence of human activities on early life stages of fish, both native and non-native. As anthropogenic disturbances may decrease overall habitat quality and biodiversity, it could also facilitate the surge of new invasions or the occurrence of more tolerant species.

We invite contributions that explore various aspects of the interaction between disturbances, global change, and the ecology of early life stages, including the following

• Impacts of global changes and anthropogenic disturbances on native and non-native early life stages, from assemblages to habitat management and restoration.
• Early detection of early life stages of non-native species, both through traditional surveys and innovative approaches, including but not limited to, eDNA and automated recognition.
• Risk analysis of non-native species introduction, dispersal and establishment by the contribution of larval fish ecology (e.g., spawning and recruitment conditions, egg transport, or larval feeding ecology).

Laboratory experimentation on early life stages of fish provides an in-depth understanding on key physiological features and ecological processes affecting their fitness. Such knowledge is essential for a better understanding of ecological processes, particularly in the context of acclimatization and adaptation to global change. Furthermore, laboratory experiments have a wide spectrum of applications, ranging from the optimization of rearing protocols in aquaculture, to the prediction of the impacts of habitat alteration due to the ongoing anthropogenic climate change. In this session, we encourage contributions on laboratory rearing of early life stages of freshwater, estuarine and marine species that deal with:

• The investigation of present or predicted changes in temperature, salinity, acidity, or any other environmental factor affecting early life survival.
• The investigation of the intrinsic and environmental control of feeding, growth and survival.
• Mechanisms driving the sensitivity of critical developmental windows through early ontogeny.
• The development of efficient production systems in aquaculture.

Since the seminal synthesis published by Johan Hjort in 1914, it has been widely considered that recruitment success depends mainly on survival rate during the first few days of life, often referred to as the “Critical period”. During that period, average larval growth rate has been considered as an index of survival potential, with fast observed growth leading to strong recruitment. This session is a follow-up to the “Symposium on Growth-survival paradigm in early life stages of fish”, held in Yokohama (Japan) in 2015, and its follow-up publication* that demonstrated the reasons why fast observed larval growth doesn’t always result in the expected high survival and strong recruitment. 

Ten years after the Yokohama symposium, this session invites contributions dealing with key aspects of the growth-survival dynamics including:

• Spatiotemporal, intraspecific and/or interspecific variability in larval growth-survival dynamics.
• Beyond larval life: the contribution of growth-dependent mortality during the juvenile stage to recruitment regulation and the identification of the life stage corresponding to the endpoint of pre-recruited life.
• Predation as a force shaping growth-selective mortality during early life.
• The role of intrinsic factors in driving variability of growth rate characteristics within a larval cohort.

*Robert et al. (2023) Life in the fast lane: Revisiting the fast growth—high survival paradigm during the early life stages of fishes. Fish and Fisheries, 24: 863–888.

Diadromous fish species alternate between freshwater and saltwater depending on their life-history strategies and their reproductive needs. The life cycles of diadromous fish species are intricately adapted to the foodscape and the environmental conditions in the freshwater, estuarine, and marine environments. In rivers and estuaries, variations in food abundance, accessibility, and the energetic costs of foraging create a dynamic mosaic of growth opportunities that shift across habitats and time shaping their migratory patterns.  However, their complex life-histories and specific habitat requirements make them vulnerable to threats such as habitat degradation, climate change, and fishing pressure. Understanding the full scope of the sensitivity and resilience of fishes to environmental stressors including climate change remains a challenge.

We invite contributions that integrate cutting-edge analytical approaches with field-based ecological research and expand our understanding on effects of the environmental changes on diadromous fishes over a range of biological organisation from molecular processes in individual organisms to large-scale ecological dynamics in the river and estuary environment.

Topics may include evolutionary ecology, life history traits, migration behaviors, genomics, transcriptomics, and conservation strategies that protect both the biodiversity of these species and the ecological integrity of the riverine, estuarine, and marine habitats they depend on.

This session will contribute to discussions and insights on the assessment of the impacts of environmental changes on diadromous fishes at various levels of biological organisation, from genes to ecosystems. Bridging this gap to achieve a holistic synthesis is required for a better understanding of how diadromous fishes and their habitat might respond or adapt to the multi-stressor effects in the future. 

This session focuses on the trophic dynamics of early life stages of fish on zooplankton in rivers, estuaries, and oceans. As a pivotal component of aquatic food webs, zooplankton provides essential nutrition for larval and juvenile fish, regulating their growth, survival, and recruitment success.

We invite contributions that delve into the diverse aspects of zooplankton and larval fish interactions across various aquatic environments. Key topics may include:

• Abundance and distribution of micro-, meso- and/or macrozooplankton in response to environmental changes and their implications for larval fish feeding.
• The physiological responses of zooplankton to environmental changes and how these influence their availability as prey.
• Trophic interactions and food web dynamics that highlight the role of diverse zooplankton in supporting larval fish populations.
• Innovative approaches to studying the interactions between zooplankton and larval fish, including field studies, multi-marker approaches and experimental designs.

Join us for a dynamic exchange of insights and research findings that will enhance our understanding of larval fish ecology and the vital connections to their zooplankton prey. This session aims to foster collaboration among established scientists, early-career researchers, and graduate students to address the challenges facing zooplankton, larval fish and their ecosystems. This session offers a unique opportunity to engage in lively discussions, forge collaborations, and expand your knowledge base.  We look forward to your contributions that will deepen our understanding of the relationships between zooplankton, larval fish, and the ecosystems they inhabit.

This session focuses on the systematics of larval fishes and invites presentations dealing with the taxonomic identification, classification and nomenclature of larval fish from all marine, estuarine and freshwater ecosystems. We invite contributions dealing with, but not limited to, the following topics:

• The discrimination among closely related species or the description of new species through visual examination morphological features.
• Recent progress in identifying larval fish species based on genetic tools
• Developing an integrative approach combining morphology and genomics to advance larval fish systematics
• Ecological applications facilitated by the systematics of larval fish.