Spatiotemporal dynamics of predators and survival of marine fish early life stages: Atlantic cod (Gadus morhua) in the North Sea

•Predation loss was examined with a biophysical model for North Sea cod.•Egg to juvenile (age 0) survival strongly impacted by predator distribution.•Key predators were herring (on eggs/larvae) and grey gurnard (on juveniles).•Spatiotemporal predation variability altered the mortality-body size slope.•Cod survival varied substantially among known spawning areas.