Life cycle of the jellyfish Rhizostoma pulmo (Scyphozoa: Rhizostomeae) and its distribution, seasonality and inter-annual variability along the Catalan coast and the Mar Menor (Spain, NW Mediterranean)

Abstract There is an important small-scale fishery using mechanized dredges and targeting clams (mainly wedge clam Donax trunculus and striped venus clam Chamelea gallina) along the Catalan coast (NW Mediterranean Sea). This study evaluated for the first time the discards and impact of mechanized clam dredging on the Catalan coast. To this end, three surveys were performed on board standard clam vessels (September and November 2016 and January 2017). Surveys were conducted in the three main clam fishing areas (Rosas Bay, South Barcelona and Ebro Delta). The composition of discards and the impact caused to discarded species was assessed using a three-level scale (undamaged; minor or partial damage; and lethal damage). Our study revealed that a large proportion of the catch (between 67–82% weight) is discarded. Even though about 63% of the discarded species were undamaged, 11% showed minor or partial damage and 26% lethal damage. Infaunal and epifaunal species with soft-body or fragile shells were the most impacted by the fishing activity (e.g. the sea urchin Echinocardium mediterraneum (~89%) and the bivalve Ensis minor (~74%)). Our results showed different levels of impact by target species and fishing area.

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European hake (Merluccius merluccius, Linnaeus 1758) spillover analysis using VMS and landings data in a no-take zone in the northern Catalan coast (NW Mediterranean)

Fisheries Research ◽

10.1016/j.fishres.2020.105870 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 237 ◽

pp. 105870 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Joan Sala-Coromina ◽

Jose Antonio García ◽

Paloma Martín ◽

Ulla Fernandez-Arcaya ◽

Laura Recasens

Keyword(s):

Merluccius Merluccius ◽

Catalan Coast ◽

Nw Mediterranean ◽

European Hake

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Spatial differences in bacterioplankton composition along the Catalan coast (NW Mediterranean) assessed by molecular fingerprinting

FEMS Microbiology Ecology ◽

10.1111/j.1574-6941.2000.tb00726.x ◽

2000 ◽

Vol 33 (1) ◽

pp. 51-59 ◽

Cited By ~ 149

Author(s):

Michael Schauer ◽

Ramon Massana ◽

Carlos PedrÃ³s-AliÃ³

Keyword(s):

Molecular Fingerprinting ◽

Catalan Coast ◽

Spatial Differences ◽

Nw Mediterranean

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A coastal storms intensity scale for the Catalan sea (NW Mediterranean)

Natural Hazards and Earth System Science ◽

10.5194/nhess-11-2453-2011 ◽

2011 ◽

Vol 11 (9) ◽

pp. 2453-2462 ◽

Cited By ~ 41

Author(s):

E. T. Mendoza ◽

J. A. Jimenez ◽

J. Mateo

Keyword(s):

Energy Content ◽

Western Mediterranean ◽

Synoptic Situation ◽

Spatial And Temporal Variability ◽

Class Iii ◽

Intensity Scale ◽

Data Set ◽

Catalan Coast ◽

Content Variable ◽

Nw Mediterranean

Abstract. A 5-class intensity scale for wave storms in the Catalan coast is presented. This has been done by analysing a storm data set which comprises 5 buoys during the period 1988/2008. The obtained classification improves the former proposal of Mendoza and Jiménez (2008) by better resolving spatial and temporal variability in wave storms in the area. The obtained classification reflects the increase in wave storm properties as the storm category increases. Because the selected classification parameter was the energy content which implicitly contains Hs and storm duration, this variable was used to define class limits; class I storms (24–250 m2 h), class II storms (251–500 m2 h), class III (501–700 m2 h), class IV storms (701–1200 m2 h) and class V storms (>1200 m2 h). The energy content variable was also used as proxy for induced hazards; the observed increase in energy content for higher classes reflected a significant increase in the intensity of the potential hazards. Lastly, the dominant synoptic situation for wave storms along the Catalan coast was the presence of a Mediterranean cyclone although a direct correspondence on cyclone's intensity over the western Mediterranean with wave energy content was not found.

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Storm-induced damages along the Catalan coast (NW Mediterranean) during the period 1958–2008

Geomorphology ◽

10.1016/j.geomorph.2011.07.034 ◽

2012 ◽

Vol 143-144 ◽

pp. 24-33 ◽

Cited By ~ 51

Author(s):

José A. Jiménez ◽

Amanda Sancho-García ◽

Eva Bosom ◽

Herminia I. Valdemoro ◽

Jorge Guillén

Keyword(s):

Catalan Coast ◽

Nw Mediterranean

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The spatial and temporal structure of hydrographic and phytoplankton biomass heterogeneity along the Catalan coast (NW Mediterranean)

Journal of Marine Research ◽

10.1357/002224089785076145 ◽

1989 ◽

Vol 47 (4) ◽

pp. 813-827 ◽

Cited By ~ 15

Author(s):

Mercedes Masó ◽

Carlos M. Duarte

Keyword(s):

Phytoplankton Biomass ◽

Temporal Structure ◽

Catalan Coast ◽

Nw Mediterranean

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Ecological traits, genetic diversity and regional distribution of the macroalga Treptacantha elegans along the Catalan coast (NW Mediterranean Sea)

Scientific Reports ◽

10.1038/s41598-020-76066-6 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 10 (1) ◽

Author(s):

Alba Medrano ◽

Bernat Hereu ◽

Simone Mariani ◽

João Neiva ◽

Marta Pagès-Escolà ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Regional Distribution ◽

Current Status ◽

Depth Range ◽

Northern Coast ◽

High Turnover ◽

Catalan Coast ◽

Demographic Traits ◽

Nw Mediterranean ◽

Unique Source ◽

Nw Mediterranean Sea

Abstract The widespread decline of canopy-forming macroalgal assemblages has been documented in many regions during the last decades. This pattern is often followed by the replacement of structurally complex algal canopies by more simplified habitats (e.g., turfs or sea urchin barren grounds). Against all odds, the fucoid Treptacantha elegans, a large Mediterranean brown macroalga, broadened its depth range to deeper and exposed environments and displayed an unexpected range expansion along the northern coast of Catalonia over the last two decades. Here, we reconstruct the spread of T. elegans in time and space and unravel ecological and demographic traits such as population dynamics and genetic patterns to provide a comprehensive and integrated view of the current status and geographical expansion for this species. Fast-growing dynamics, early fertile maturity, and high turnover rate are the main competitive advantages that allow the exposed populations of T. elegans to colonize available substrata and maintain dense and patchy populations. We also provided evidence that the deeper and exposed populations of T. elegans constitute a single group across the Catalan coast, with little genetic differentiation among populations. This seems to support the hypothesis of a unique source of spread in the last decades from the Medes Islands No-Take Zone towards both southern and northern waters.

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Classifying compound coastal storm and heavy rainfall events in the north-western Spanish Mediterranean

10.5194/hess-2020-560 ◽

2020 ◽

Author(s):

Marc Sanuy ◽

Tomeu Rigo ◽

José A. Jiménez ◽

M. Carmen Llasat

Keyword(s):

Extreme Events ◽

Heavy Rainfall ◽

Time Window ◽

Weather Conditions ◽

Flash Floods ◽

Coastal Storms ◽

The North ◽

Catalan Coast ◽

Nw Mediterranean ◽

The Impact

Abstract. The Northwest (NW) Mediterranean coastal zone is a populous and well-developed area in which the impact of natural hazards like flash floods and coastal storms can result in frequent and significant damages. Although the occurrence and impacts of such hazards have been widely covered, few studies have considered their combined impact on the region, which would result in more damage. Within this context, this study analyses the occurrence and characteristics of compound extreme events of heavy rainfall episodes (as a proxy for flash floods) and coastal storms (using the maximum significant wave height) along the Catalan coast as a paradigm of the NW Mediterranean. Two different types of events are considered: multivariate, in which the two hazards occur at the same location, and spatially compounding, in which they occur within the same limited time window and their impacts accumulate at distinct and separate locations. The analysis is regionally performed along a coastline extension of about 600 km by considering seven coastal sectors and their corresponding river catchment basins. Once the compound events are analysed, the synoptic atmospheric pressure fields are analysed to determine the prevailing weather conditions that generated them. Finally, a Bayesian network is used to fully characterise these events over the territory. The obtained results show that the NW Mediterranean, represented by the Catalan coast, has a high probability of experiencing compound extreme events (3.4 events per year). Despite the relatively small size of the study area (600 km of coastline), there are significant variations in the event characteristics along the territory, with the most frequent type being spatially compound, except in the northernmost sectors where multivariate events dominate. These northern sectors also present the highest correlation in the intensity of both hazards. Three representative synoptic situations have been identified as dominant for the occurrence of these events, with different relative importance levels of the compounding drivers (rainfall and waves) and different distributions of impacts across coastal basins. Overall, the results indicate that heavy rainfall has the more significant damage impact despite the wave damage having a larger spatial reach.

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