A review of methods for quantifying spatial predator–prey overlap

Abstract Kempf, A., Dingsør, G. E., Huse, G., Vinther, M., Floeter, J., and Temming, A. 2010. The importance of predator–prey overlap: predicting North Sea cod recovery with a multispecies assessment model. – ICES Journal of Marine Science, 67: 1989–1997. The overlap between predator and prey is known as a sensitive parameter in multispecies assessment models for fish, and its parameterization is notoriously difficult. Overlap indices were derived from trawl surveys and used to parametrize the North Sea stochastic multispecies model. The effect of time-invariant and year- and quarter-specific overlap estimates on the historical (1991–2007) and predicted trophic interactions, as well as the development of predator and prey stocks, was investigated. The focus was set on a general comparison between single-species and multispecies forecasts and the sensitivity of the predicted development of North Sea cod for the two types of overlap implementation. The spatial–temporal overlap between cod and its predators increased with increasing temperature, indicating that foodweb processes might reduce the recovery potential of cod during warm periods. Multispecies scenarios were highly influenced by assumptions on future spatial overlap, but they predicted a considerably lower recovery potential than single-species predictions did. In addition, a recovery of North Sea cod had strong negative effects on its prey stocks. The consequences of these findings for management are discussed.

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Predator–prey overlap induced Holling type III functional response in the North Sea fish assemblage

Marine Ecology Progress Series ◽

10.3354/meps07555 ◽

2008 ◽

Vol 367 ◽

pp. 295-308 ◽

Cited By ~ 20

Author(s):

A Kempf ◽

J Floeter ◽

A Temming

Keyword(s):

Functional Response ◽

North Sea ◽

Fish Assemblage ◽

Predator Prey ◽

Type Iii ◽

The North ◽

The North Sea ◽

Sea Fish ◽

Prey Overlap

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Predator–prey overlap in three dimensions: cod benefit from capelin coming near the seafloor

Ecography ◽

10.1111/ecog.05473 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Johanna Fall ◽

Edda Johannesen ◽

Göran Englund ◽

Geir Odd Johansen ◽

Øyvind Fiksen

Keyword(s):

Three Dimensions ◽

Predator Prey ◽

Prey Overlap

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Survival probability of Baltic larval cod in relation to spatial overlap patterns with their prey obtained from drift model studies

ICES Journal of Marine Science ◽

10.1016/j.icesjms.2005.04.003 ◽

2005 ◽

Vol 62 (5) ◽

pp. 878-885 ◽

Cited By ~ 15

Author(s):

H-H. Hinrichsen ◽

J.O. Schmidt ◽

C. Petereit ◽

C. Möllmann

Keyword(s):

Three Dimensional ◽

Growth And Survival ◽

Predator Prey ◽

Spatial Overlap ◽

Model Studies ◽

Hatching Time ◽

Drift Model ◽

The Baltic ◽

Prey Overlap ◽

Baltic Cod

Abstract Temporal mismatch between the occurrence of larvae and their prey potentially affects the spatial overlap and thus the contact rates between predator and prey. This might have important consequences for growth and survival. We performed a case study investigating the influence of circulation patterns on the overlap of Baltic cod larvae with their prey. A three-dimensional hydrodynamic model was used to analyse spatio-temporally resolved drift patterns of larval Baltic cod. A coefficient of overlap between modelled larval and idealized prey distributions indicated the probability of predator–prey overlap, dependent on the hatching time of cod larvae. By performing model runs for the years 1979–1998 investigated the intra- and interannual variability of potential spatial overlap between predator and prey. Assuming uniform prey distributions, we generally found the overlap to have decreased since the mid-1980s, but with the highest variability during the 1990s. Seasonally, predator–prey overlap on the Baltic cod spawning grounds was highest in summer and lowest at the end of the cod spawning season. Horizontally variable prey distributions generally resulted in decreased overlap coefficients. Finally, we related variations in overlap patterns to the variability of Baltic cod recruitment success.

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Match-mismatch dynamics in the Norwegian-Barents Sea system

Marine Ecology Progress Series ◽

10.3354/meps13276 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 650 ◽

pp. 81-94

Author(s):

ASA Ferreira ◽

LC Stige ◽

AB Neuheimer ◽

B Bogstad ◽

N Yaragina ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Early Life ◽

Barents Sea ◽

Mechanistic Explanation ◽

Trophic Levels ◽

Calanus Finmarchicus ◽

Life Stages ◽

Early Life Stages ◽

Predator Prey ◽

Spatio Temporal ◽

Prey Overlap

A key process affecting variation in the recruitment of fish into fisheries is the spatio-temporal overlap between prey and predator (match-mismatch hypothesis, MMH). The Northeast Arctic cod Gadus morhua and its dominant prey, the copepod Calanus finmarchicus, have long been studied in the Norwegian-Barents Sea system. However, the mechanistic explanation of how cod survival is affected by MMH dynamics remains unclear. Most MMH studies have focused on either the time synchrony or the spatial overlap between trophic levels. Here, we used G. morhua larvae and C. finmarchicus data collected in the Norwegian-Barents Sea via ichthyoplankton surveys from 1959-1992 to assess the effect of the predator-prey relationship on predator recruitment to the fisheries at age 3 (as a measure of survival) and to develop a metric of predator-prey overlap using spatio-temporal statistical models. We then compared the interannual variability of the predator-prey overlap with the predator’s abundance at recruitment to assess how MMH dynamics explain the survival of cod during its early life stages. We found that the amount of overlap between cod larvae (length: 11-15 mm) and their prey explained 29% of cod recruitment variability. Positive correlations between predator-prey overlap and subsequent recruitment were also found for predators of 6-10 and 16-20 mm, but not for 21+ mm. This improved predator-prey overlap metric is thus (1) useful to better understand how predator-prey dynamics at early life stages of fish impact the survival of later stages; and (2) a valuable tool for assessing the state of an ecosystem.

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