View article

Herring larvae form a large, persistent and well-defined aggregate off southwest Nova Scotia coincident with a region of strong tidally generated turbulence. Our objective is to test the hypothesis that turbulent, tidally well-mixed regions constitute a preferential feeding environment for herring larvae, and are thus the proximate cause for the apparent retention of larvae in these areas. Dimensional analysis, coupled with relevant biological parameters and field data, are used to derive two non-dimensional numbers from existing predator-prey encounter models, and to propose a third number which incorporates the minimum encounter rate required for larval maintenance. The results of this analysis show that when root-mean-square turbulent velocities are of the same order of magnitude as the prey velocities, they start to influence encounter rates significantly; and that when turbulent velocities are an order of …