Natal homing in a marine fish metapopulation

Identifying natal origins of marine fishes is challenging because of diffic ulties in conducting mark-recapture studies in marine systems. We used natu ral geochemical signatures in otoliths (ear bones) to determine natal sourc es in weakfish (Cynoscion regalis), an estuarine-spawning marine fish, in e astern North America. Spawning site fidelity ranged from 60 to 81%, compara ble to estimates of natal homing in birds and anadromous fishes. These data were in contrast to genetic analyses of population structure in weakfish. Our findings highlight the need for consideration of spatial processes in f isheries models and have implications for the design of marine reserves in coastal regions.