The application of DEB theory to fish energetics
Bas Kooijman, dept Theoretical Biology, Vrije Universiteit, Amsterdam NL
bas@bio.vu.nl; http://www.bio.vu.nl/thb/

2005/01/12 Lecture given at 
IRD (Institut de Recherche pour le Developpement)
Centre de Recherches Halieutiques Mediterraneennes et Tropicales, Sete, France

Metabolic organization of individual organisms seems to follow simple
quantitative rules that can be understood from basic physical chemical
principles. These rules quantify how individuals acquire and utilize
energy and nutrients, while cycling through their life stages. Dynamic
Energy Budget (DEB) theory identifies the most basic rules, and links
them together in a consistent framework.

The DEB theory applies to all species of organisms (unicellular as
well as multicellular ones) and links various levels of biological
organization; this multi-level approach is considered to be essential
for the understanding of life processes. Many popular empirical models
turn out to be special cases of the standard DEB model, or very close
numerical approximations. We will here focus on applications of the
energetics of animals such as fish and molluscs.

The lecture will start with a brief introduction to the principles of
the DEB theory. Then follows a discussion on the allocation of
resources, on total body growth and on the growth of body
parts. Finally I will consider the principles of body size scaling of
metabolic functions and the energetics of the population dynamics of
schools

A general introductory paper to the DEB theory can be found at
 http://www.bio.vu.nl/thb/research/bib/Kooy2001.html