scholarly journals Trait-based approach on deep-sea corals in the high-seas of the Flemish Cap and Flemish Pass (northwest Atlantic)

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ana García-Alegre ◽  
Francisco J Murillo ◽  
Mar Sacau ◽  
Ellen Kenchington ◽  
Alberto Serrano ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Deep Sea ◽  
Oil And Gas ◽  
Biological Traits ◽  
Trait Variation ◽  
Ecological Processes ◽  
Northwest Atlantic ◽  
Grand Banks ◽  
Management Measures ◽  
Trawl Fisheries ◽  
Offshore Bank

Deep-sea coral aggregations represent important ecosystems in the Flemish Cap, where some areas have been closed to bottom fisheries by the Northwest Atlantic Fisheries Organization in order to implement conservation and management measures and prevent significant adverse impacts on Vulnerable Marine Ecosystems (VMEs). Flemish Cap is an offshore Bank located about 600 km to the east of Newfoundland, separated from the Grand Banks by the Flemish Pass, a channel approximately 1200 m deep. 40 taxa of corals were identified in the area from bottom trawl research vessel surveys (2006-2015) and rock dredges (2009-2010). They included 22 Alcyonacea, 11 Pennatulacea, 3 Antipatharia and 4 Scleractinia. Corals identified were classified according to their biological traits in an attempt to better understand their function in the ecosystem. This study analyzes which biological traits were useful to classify corals in the Flemish Cap and Flemish Pass prioritizing traits where information is available and that capture variation for a range of biological or ecological processes. This study represents a baseline classification, quantifying trait variation among species, for further studies such as habitat suitability models or impact studies from trawl fisheries and oil and gas exploitation, which represent the main potential human activities in the area.

scholarly journals Trait-based approach on deep-sea corals in the high-seas of the Flemish Cap and Flemish Pass (northwest Atlantic)

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ana García-Alegre ◽  
Francisco J Murillo ◽  
Mar Sacau ◽  
Ellen Kenchington ◽  
Alberto Serrano ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Deep Sea ◽  
Oil And Gas ◽  
Biological Traits ◽  
Trait Variation ◽  
Ecological Processes ◽  
Northwest Atlantic ◽  
Grand Banks ◽  
Management Measures ◽  
Trawl Fisheries ◽  
Offshore Bank

Deep-sea coral aggregations represent important ecosystems in the Flemish Cap, where some areas have been closed to bottom fisheries by the Northwest Atlantic Fisheries Organization in order to implement conservation and management measures and prevent significant adverse impacts on Vulnerable Marine Ecosystems (VMEs). Flemish Cap is an offshore Bank located about 600 km to the east of Newfoundland, separated from the Grand Banks by the Flemish Pass, a channel approximately 1200 m deep. 40 taxa of corals were identified in the area from bottom trawl research vessel surveys (2006-2015) and rock dredges (2009-2010). They included 22 Alcyonacea, 11 Pennatulacea, 3 Antipatharia and 4 Scleractinia. Corals identified were classified according to their biological traits in an attempt to better understand their function in the ecosystem. This study analyzes which biological traits were useful to classify corals in the Flemish Cap and Flemish Pass prioritizing traits where information is available and that capture variation for a range of biological or ecological processes. This study represents a baseline classification, quantifying trait variation among species, for further studies such as habitat suitability models or impact studies from trawl fisheries and oil and gas exploitation, which represent the main potential human activities in the area.

scholarly journals Managing human impacts across diverse marine environments

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Laura M Robson ◽  
Anita J Carter ◽  
Ellen Last ◽  
Frances J Peckett ◽  
Elly Hill
Keyword(s):  
Deep Sea ◽  
Oil And Gas ◽  
Time Series Data ◽  
Human Impacts ◽  
Series Data ◽  
Marine Biodiversity ◽  
Management Measures ◽  
Joint Nature Conservation Committee ◽  
The Uk

As an island nation, the UK is surrounded by water, spanning from the coast and intertidal, to the circalittoral and deep-sea. Understanding the changing condition and resilience of marine biodiversity within these vastly different water masses is of key importance to understanding both the impacts of, and how to best manage, human activities whilst enabling continued sustainable development. One of the biggest challenges to understanding biodiversity state is the lack of time-series data, particularly in areas where long-term monitoring has not yet been implemented around our offshore (>12nm) and deep-sea waters. To manage this, the UK’s Joint Nature Conservation Committee are further developing spatial mapping proxy methods, gathering data on human activity presence, pressures caused by these activities, and the associated sensitivity of biodiversity to these pressures, to understand key areas of risk. Whilst evidence for these assessments is becoming more widely available for offshore waters, there is a large evidence gap on deep-sea biodiversity sensitivity, and understanding how to manage this little-studied environment. With ongoing pressures from fishing and oil and gas activity, and future threats from deep-sea mining, this is a key area of research which is urgently needed to help develop effective and sustainable management measures.

Deep-sea sponge grounds of the Flemish Cap, Flemish Pass and the Grand Banks of Newfoundland (Northwest Atlantic Ocean): Distribution and species composition

2012 ◽  
Vol 8 (9) ◽  
pp. 842-854 ◽  
Author(s):  
Francisco Javier Murillo ◽  
Pablo Durán Muñoz ◽  
Javier Cristobo ◽  
Pilar Ríos ◽  
Concepción González ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Atlantic Ocean ◽  
Species Composition ◽  
Deep Sea ◽  
Northwest Atlantic ◽  
Grand Banks

scholarly journals Managing human impacts across diverse marine environments

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Laura M Robson ◽  
Anita J Carter ◽  
Ellen Last ◽  
Frances J Peckett ◽  
Elly Hill
Keyword(s):  
Deep Sea ◽  
Oil And Gas ◽  
Time Series Data ◽  
Human Impacts ◽  
Series Data ◽  
Marine Biodiversity ◽  
Management Measures ◽  
Joint Nature Conservation Committee ◽  
The Uk

As an island nation, the UK is surrounded by water, spanning from the coast and intertidal, to the circalittoral and deep-sea. Understanding the changing condition and resilience of marine biodiversity within these vastly different water masses is of key importance to understanding both the impacts of, and how to best manage, human activities whilst enabling continued sustainable development. One of the biggest challenges to understanding biodiversity state is the lack of time-series data, particularly in areas where long-term monitoring has not yet been implemented around our offshore (>12nm) and deep-sea waters. To manage this, the UK’s Joint Nature Conservation Committee are further developing spatial mapping proxy methods, gathering data on human activity presence, pressures caused by these activities, and the associated sensitivity of biodiversity to these pressures, to understand key areas of risk. Whilst evidence for these assessments is becoming more widely available for offshore waters, there is a large evidence gap on deep-sea biodiversity sensitivity, and understanding how to manage this little-studied environment. With ongoing pressures from fishing and oil and gas activity, and future threats from deep-sea mining, this is a key area of research which is urgently needed to help develop effective and sustainable management measures.

scholarly journals Distribution of Megabenthic Communities Under Contrasting Settings in Deep-Sea Cold Seeps Near Northwest Atlantic Canyons

2021 ◽  
Vol 8 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jason Cleland ◽  
Georgios Kazanidis ◽  
J. Murray Roberts ◽  
Steve W. Ross
Keyword(s):  
Deep Sea ◽  
Habitat Complexity ◽  
Microbial Mats ◽  
Oil And Gas ◽  
Human Impacts ◽  
Cold Seep ◽  
Cold Seeps ◽  
Remotely Operated Vehicle ◽  
Northwest Atlantic ◽  
Spatial Management

Cold seeps support fragile deep-sea communities of high biodiversity and are often found in areas with high commercial interest. Protecting them from encroaching human impacts (bottom trawling, oil and gas exploitation, climate change) requires an advanced understanding of the drivers shaping their spatial distribution and biodiversity. Based on the analysis of 2,075 high-quality images from six remotely operated vehicle dives, we examined cold seep megabenthic community composition, richness, density, and biodiversity at a relatively shallow (∼400 m water depth) site near Baltimore Canyon (BC) and a much deeper site (∼1,500 m) near Norfolk Canyon (NC), in the northwest Atlantic. We found sharp differences in the megabenthic composition between the sites, which were driven mostly by bathymetric gradients. At both BC and NC there were significant differences in megabenthic composition across habitats. Hard habitats in and around cold seeps had significantly higher values of species richness, density, and biodiversity than soft habitats. Depth and habitat complexity were the leading environmental variables driving megabenthic variability. The presence of microbial mats and gas bubbling sites had a statistically significant contribution to explaining megabenthic variability mainly in the shallower BC and less in the deeper NC areas examined; drivers behind this discrepancy could be related to differences between BC and NC in terms of chemical compound fluxes and megafaunal life history characteristics. Our surveys revealed marine litter, primarily from commercial fisheries. This study highlights the importance of habitat complexity for the proliferation of highly diverse cold-seep ecosystems and underscores the importance of discovery science to inform spatial management of human activities in the deep and open ocean.

Environmental influences on fish and shellfish production in the Northwest Atlantic

1994 ◽  
Vol 2 (1) ◽  
pp. 16-32 ◽  
Author(s):  
K.H. Mann ◽  
K.F. Drinkwater
Keyword(s):  
Environmental Factors ◽  
Gadus Morhua ◽  
Cold Water ◽  
Climatic Factors ◽  
Homarus Americanus ◽  
Fishing Mortality ◽  
Poor Growth ◽  
Northwest Atlantic ◽  
Grand Banks ◽  
Fish And Shellfish

Evidence is reviewed, linking physical oceanographic processes in the marine environment to changes in fish and shellfish stocks in the Northwest Atlantic. A case history study of the cod (Gadus morhua) stock of the northern Grand Banks and Labrador Shelf indicates a long slow amelioration of the environment between about 1945 and 1965, followed by a deterioration in the period 1965–1992. The most important environmental factors for the cod stocks appear to have been salinity and temperature. The trends can be traced back to climatic factors involving the Icelandic Low and the Azores–Bermuda High. When the atmospheric pressure difference in winter tended to be high, there was a progressive increase in the area of sea ice off Labrador and in the volume of cold water at depth. These factors have been shown to affect temperature and salinity conditions on the Grand Banks in spring and summer and are associated with poor growth and recruitment in the cod stocks. A similar case study of lobster (Homarus americanus) stocks indicates that temperature and river discharge are important environmental correlates, but neither can be shown to fully account for the recent trends in the stocks. Evidence is reviewed to show that physical environmental processes also influence recruitment and distribution of stocks of haddock, capelin, and squid. Some of the problems with correlational analysis are also discussed. It is recognized that factors other than the environment are influencing the stocks. Fishing mortality (detailed consideration of which is not included in this review) has clearly been important. Interactions between environmental factors and fishing mortality are probably of major importance.Key words: ocean environment, fish production, recruitment, northern cod, American lobster.

Patchwork of oil and gas facilities in Saudi waters of the Arabian Gulf has the potential to enhance local fisheries production

2015 ◽  
Vol 72 (8) ◽  
pp. 2398-2408 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lotfi Rabaoui ◽  
Yu-Jia Lin ◽  
Mohammad A. Qurban ◽  
Rommel H. Maneja ◽  
Javier Franco ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Oil And Gas ◽  
Arabian Gulf ◽  
Habitat Characteristics ◽  
Small Fish ◽  
Faunal Assemblages ◽  
Fishery Resources ◽  
Management Measures ◽  
Coastal Embayments ◽  
Oceanographic Variables

Abstract Because of the increasing oil industry development in the Arabian Gulf, hundreds of oil and gas facilities have been installed in both offshore and inshore areas during the last few decades. However, no studies have been conducted till now on the influence of these platforms on the structure and composition of marine faunal assemblages. The present work addresses this issue to propose environmental management measures connected to the utilization of fishery resources. Offshore and inshore surveys were carried out along the Saudi Gulf waters using trawl and beach-seine nets, respectively. Data relative to only fish (offshore) and fish and invertebrates (inshore) were collected concurrently with several factors: density of oil and gas facilities (offshore), distance to the nearest coastal platform (inshore), oceanographic variables, and habitat characteristics. Results of offshore surveys indicated higher fish density—both total and of fishery resources—in locations with a higher number of oil and gas facilities within a 5 km radius, whereas biomass density was not significantly different. Hence, oil and gas facilities seem to serve as nursery areas for small fish. For inshore communities, more species and diversity were found in stations closer to coastal oil and gas facilities. In addition, among the five coastal embayments sampled, those with more oil and gas facilities had more species. The findings of the present work support the hypothesis of a positive net ecological role of oil and gas platforms of the Saudi Arabian Gulf, with the implication that this effect could be extended to improve the sustainability of important fishery resources.

scholarly journals Distribution of deep-water corals of the Flemish Cap, Flemish Pass, and the Grand Banks of Newfoundland (Northwest Atlantic Ocean): interaction with fishing activities

2010 ◽  
Vol 68 (2) ◽  
pp. 319-332 ◽  
Author(s):  
F. J. Murillo ◽  
P. Durán Muñoz ◽  
A. Altuna ◽  
A. Serrano
Keyword(s):  
Atlantic Ocean ◽  
Continental Slope ◽  
Deep Water ◽  
Coral Species ◽  
Habitat Mapping ◽  
Bottom Trawl ◽  
Soft Corals ◽  
Northwest Atlantic ◽  
Grand Banks ◽  
Black Corals

Abstract Murillo, F. J., Durán Muñoz, P., Altuna, A., and Serrano, A. 2011. Distribution of deep-water corals of the Flemish Cap, Flemish Pass, and the Grand Banks of Newfoundland (Northwest Atlantic Ocean): interaction with fishing activities. – ICES Journal of Marine Science, 68: 319–332. The distribution of deep-water corals of the Flemish Cap, Flemish Pass, and the Grand Banks of Newfoundland is described based on bycatch from Spanish/EU bottom trawl groundfish surveys between 40 and 1500 m depth. In all, 37 taxa of deep-water corals were identified in the study area: 21 alcyonaceans (including the gorgonians), 11 pennatulaceans, 2 solitary scleractinians, and 3 antipatharians. The greatest diversity of coral species was on the Flemish Cap. Corals were most abundant along the continental slope, between 600 and 1300 m depth. Soft corals (alcyonaceans), sea fans (gorgonians), and black corals (antipatharians) were most common on bedrock or gravel, whereas sea pens (pennatulaceans) and cup corals (solitary scleractinians) were found primarily on mud. The biomass of deep-water corals in the bycatches was highest in previously lightly trawled or untrawled areas, and generally low in the regularly fished grounds. The information derived from bottom-trawl bycatch records is not sufficient to map vulnerable marine ecosystems (VMEs) accurately, but pending more detailed habitat mapping, it provides a valuable indication of the presence/absence of VMEs that can be used to propose the candidate areas for bottom fishery closures or other conservation measures.

Annual to decadal-scale variations in northwest Atlantic sector temperatures inferred from Labrador tree rings

1996 ◽  
Vol 26 (1) ◽  
pp. 143-148 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rosanne D. D'arrigo ◽  
Edward R. Cook ◽  
Gordon C. Jacoby
Keyword(s):  
Warm Season ◽  
Temperature Sensitive ◽  
Northwest Atlantic ◽  
Atlantic Sector ◽  
Grand Banks ◽  
Maximum Latewood Density ◽  
Latewood Density ◽  
Scale Temperature ◽  
Decadal Scale ◽  
North Atlantic Climate

Temperature-sensitive maximum latewood density chronologies from sites near tree line in Labrador are used to infer past changes in warm-season surface air and sea surface temperatures for the northwest Atlantic. Temperatures are reconstructed for the Grand Banks region based on density records from southern Labrador, while a density series from near Okak Fiord, northern Labrador, is used to infer past temperature variations for north-coastal Labrador and the adjacent Labrador Sea. The Labrador chronologies show good agreement with annual and decadal-scale temperature fluctuations over the recent period of instrumental record, and extend this temperature information into the past by several centuries. The lowest density value at the Okak site occurs in 1816, known as the "year without a summer" in eastern North America. Spectral analyses reveal statistically significant variations with periods of around 8.7, 18–22, and 45–66 years. These fluctuations are in general agreement with those identified in several instrumental and modeling analyses of North Atlantic climate.

New Scientific Information Can Help to Inform the Evaluation of EU Deep-sea Fisheries Regulations

2021 ◽  
pp. 1-20
Author(s):  
Phillip J Turner ◽  
Matthew Gianni ◽  
Ellen Kenchington ◽  
Sebastian Valanko ◽  
David E Johnson
Keyword(s):  
Deep Sea ◽  
Scientific Information ◽  
Fish Population ◽  
Molecular Techniques ◽  
Fish Stocks ◽  
Horizon 2020 ◽  
Management Measures ◽  
Sea Fish ◽  
The Eu ◽  
Fish Population Structure

Abstract The European Union’s deep-sea fisheries regulations (Regulation (EU) No. 2016/2336) established obligations to manage deep-sea fisheries and to protect vulnerable marine ecosystems (VMEs). The European Commission is scheduled to complete a review of the regulations in 2021, providing an opportunity for new scientific information to be incorporated into the implementation of the regulations. Here, we summarise research outputs from the EU-funded Horizon 2020 ATLAS Project and explain their relevance to the regulation of deep-sea fisheries in EU waters. ATLAS research has increased our understanding of the distribution of VMEs and their importance in terms of ecosystem functioning. ATLAS research has also highlighted the utility of molecular techniques to understand fish population structure and the potential for habitat suitability models to help incorporate climate change into decision-making. Building on these scientific advances, we provide recommendations to help increase the effectiveness of management measures to conserve deep-sea fish stocks and protect VMEs.

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