Discrimination of Solea solea nurseries along the French Atlantic coast using otolith elemental signatures

International audienceOtolith elemental composition analysis has become a powerful tool to study fish population structure and connectivity between juvenile and adult habitats. The aim of the present study was to determine otolith elemental signature of sole from the main nurseries along the French Atlantic coast. 0-group sole juveniles (n=124) were sampled in 6 nurseries (embayed and estuarine) in the Bay of Biscay during September/October 2003. Multi-elemental composition was determined in whole otoliths using solution-based inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS). Elemental signatures differed significantly among sites, primarily due to variation in concentrations of the elements Li, Na, Mg, Mn, Cu, Sr, Rb and Ba. Discriminant function analysis (DFA) correctly classified over 68% of the individuals to their respective nursery based on otolith elemental signatures. This study constitutes the first step before evaluating the relative contribution of these different nurseries to the adult population at the scale of the Bay of Biscay. This approach might provide useful information in term of fisheries and coastal habitat management