An analysis of historical landing data of some pelagic species caught by purse seines in the Aegean Sea

The fishing activity with purse seines in the Aegean Sea accounts for almost half of the pelagic fish excluding anchovy (Engraulis encrasicolus Linnaeus, 1758) in Turkey. In this study, we aimed to analyse the catch amounts of some important pelagic species caught by Aegean purse seiners between 1973 and 2019. While mid-1990s are the most captured years for the European pilchard (Sardina pilchardus Walbaum, 1792) in Aegean Sea and also Turkish Seas, this amount has decreased at the level of 10000 mt in the mid-2000s and remained similar amounts up to now. Though European pilchard was the most caught species in the Aegean until 2011, this has changed in favour of anchovy in the last decade. Recently, almost all pelagic species such as mackerel (Scomber scombrus Linnaeus, 1758), chub mackerel (Scomber japonicus Houttuyn, 1782) and bogue (Boops boops Linnaeus, 1758) have been caught from the Aegean Sea in Turkey. In the study, the production of these species in the historical period was tried to be associated with the regulations implemented with circulars and notifications, and the problems preventing the sustainable use of these species that were caught by purse seiners were determined and solutions were proposed for the future.

A first assessment of the distribution and abundance of large pelagic species at Cocos Ridge seamounts (Eastern Tropical Pacific) using drifting pelagic baited remote cameras

Understanding the link between seamounts and large pelagic species (LPS) may provide important insights for the conservation of these species in open water ecosystems. The seamounts along the Cocos Ridge in the Eastern Tropical Pacific (ETP) ocean are thought to be ecologically important aggregation sites for LPS when moving between Cocos Island (Costa Rica) and Galapagos Islands (Ecuador). However, to date, research efforts to quantify the abundance and distribution patterns of LPS beyond the borders of these two oceanic Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) have been limited. This study used drifting-pelagic baited remote underwater video stations (BRUVS) to investigate the distribution and relative abundance of LPS at Cocos Ridge seamounts. Our drifting-pelagic BRUVS recorded a total of 21 species including elasmobranchs, small and large teleosts, dolphins and one sea turtle; of which four species are currently threatened. Depth of seamount summit was the most significant driver for LPS richness and abundance which were significantly higher at shallow seamounts (< 400 m) compared to deeper ones (> 400m). Distance to nearest MPA was also a significant predictor for LPS abundance, which increased at increasing distances from the nearest MPA. Our results suggest that the Cocos Ridge seamounts, specifically Paramount and West Cocos which had the highest LPS richness and abundance, are important aggregation sites for LPS in the ETP. However, further research is still needed to demonstrate a positive association between LPS and Cocos Ridge seamounts. Our findings showed that drifting pelagic BRUVS are an effective tool to survey LPS in fully pelagic ecosystems of the ETP. This study represents the first step towards the standardization of this technique throughout the region.

The history of hydroacoustic surveys on small pelagic fishes in the European Mediterranean Sea

The study of small pelagic fish by hydroacoustic methods in the Mediterranean Sea began in the Adriatic in the 1950’s. Since 2009, internationally coordinated, extensive, regular surveys have been conducted in the framework of the MEDIAS - Mediterranean International Acoustic Surveys – action, under the EU Data Collection Framework, to provide inputs for the management of small pelagics, particularly European anchovy (Engraulis encrasicolus) and European sardine (Sardina pilchardus). The surveys cover EU Mediterranean waters and monitor the distribution and abundance of small pelagic species using a common protocol. The hydroacoustic surveys, historically conducted by each Country separately, have since been standardized and harmonized. This is a review of the evolution of the surveys from the beginning up to the present and discusses the future prospects. It reports the historical time series of anchovy, sardine and other small pelagics in different areas and describes the spatial and temporal distribution of small pelagic species in decadal maps of the major areas of their distribution in the European Mediterranean Sea. Furthermore, it discusses the use of MEDIAS data for stock assessment purposes, the collection of auxiliary information for an ecosystem-based management approach, the need for further standardization and future challenges.

Surface habitat modification through industrial tuna fishery practices

Natural floating objects (FOBs) have always been a major component of the habitat of pelagic species. Since the 1990s, the number of FOBs in the open ocean has increased greatly as a result of the introduction of fish aggregating devices (FADs) by the industrial tropical tuna purse seine vessels. These changes, and their potential impacts on the species that associate with FOBs, remain poorly understood. Using fisheries observer data, data from satellite-linked tracking buoys attached to FOBs and Lagrangian simulations, this study quantifies the temporal changes in the density and spatial distribution of FOBs due to the use of FADs in the Indian Ocean (IO) between 2006 and 2018. From 2012 to 2018, the entire western IO is impacted, with FADs representing more than 85% of the overall FOBs, natural FOBs less than 10%, and objects originating from pollution 5%. Results also suggest that both FADs and natural FOBs densities are lower in the eastern IO, but this initial investigation highlights the need for further studies. Our study confirms that FADs have greatly modified the density and spatial distribution of FOBs, which highlights the need to investigate potential consequences on the ecology of associated species.

Length-weight relationship and condition factor of Trachurus trachurus found in the central-east region of the Moroccan Mediterranean

Trachurus trachurus, is a migratory, semi-pelagic species of the Carangidae family living in schools often associated with mackerel. This species is very common in the Mediterranean, and it is found on all Moroccan coasts. This study aims to determine the length-weight relationship and the condition factor (K) of Trachurus trachurus. Thus, 390 specimens were collected between August 2017 and August 2018 in the central-east region of the Moroccan Mediterranean. The parameters of the length-weight relationship were determined and analyzed by length and sex. It appears that this species has better growth in length than in weight, therefore having a negative or lower allometry. It varies according to sex, length, and season. This result shows that Trachurus trachurus in this study is not overweight in its habitat.

Investigating otolith mass asymmetry in six benthic and pelagic fish species (Actinopterygii) from the Gulf of Tunis

Otolith mass asymmetry can significantly affect the vestibular system functionalities; usually, the X values of mass asymmetry vary between −0.2 and + 0.2 (−0.2 &lt; X &lt; + 0.2). These values can change during a fish life and therefore they are not related to the fish total length. We collected a total of 404 fish specimens from the Gulf of Tunis, including three pelagic species: Sardina pilchardus (Walbaum, 1792) (74 otolith pairs), Trachurus mediterraneus (Steindachner, 1868) (66 otolith pairs), and Chelon auratus (Risso, 1810) (60 otolith pairs) and three benthic species: Gobius niger Linnaeus, 1758 (77 otolith pairs), Mullus barbatus Linnaeus, 1758 (60 otolith pairs), and Trachinus draco Linnaeus, 1758 (67 otolith pairs). The relation between the total length and the otolith mass asymmetry was first calculated and compared, and then was evaluated. The comparison of the otolith mass asymmetry between benthic and pelagic species showed a significant difference (P &lt; 0.05), where the absolute mean value of X does not exceed the critical value (0.2) for all the studied species. No relation has been found between the magnitude of the otolith mass asymmetry and the length in both benthic and pelagic specimens. Environmental factors have an indirect effect on somatic growth and otolith accretion. The significant difference found in this study can be due to the difference between the benthic and pelagic environments.

Coupling and Decoupling of Reproduction and Larval Recruitment

Stock-recruitment relationships for managing commercial fisheries are difficult to measure and notoriously poor, so marine ecologists have relied on larval recruitment as a proxy for how planktonic processes regulate populations and communities. However, my literature review revealed that coupling between reproductive output and recruitment in benthic populations was common, occurring in 62% of 112 studies and 64% of 81 species. Coupling was considerably stronger for studies on brooders (72%) than broadcast-spawners (46%) and taxa with short (74%) than long (56%) planktonic larval durations (PLDs); hence, it was highest for brooders with short PLDs (94%). Coupling was similar in studies on benthic animals (63%) and seagrasses and kelp (56%). Coupling was detected more often by quantifying both reproductive output and settlement (79%) than adult density and recruitment (60%). It also was detected in 83% of just 21% of studies that estimated dispersal. Coupling was even detected by 55% of the 46% of studies conducted at just one site and 58% of the 65% of studies lasting no longer than 3 years. Decoupling was detected 33 times in invertebrates and fishes, occurring more often in the plankton (48.5%) and during reproduction (45.5%) than after settlement (6%), and nine times in seagrasses and kelp, occurring more often during reproduction (44.4%) than postsettlement (33.3%) or in the plankton (22.2%). Widespread coupling between reproductive output and settlement for sedentary, benthic species suggests that the poor stock-recruitment relationships typical of vagile, wide-ranging, pelagic species may be due more to the difficulty of detecting them than decoupling.

Global warming is causing a more pronounced dip in marine species richness around the equator

The latitudinal gradient in species richness, with more species in the tropics and richness declining with latitude, is widely known and has been assumed to be stable over recent centuries. We analyzed data on 48,661 marine animal species since 1955, accounting for sampling variation, to assess whether the global latitudinal gradient in species richness is being impacted by climate change. We confirm recent studies that show a slight dip in species richness at the equator. Moreover, richness across latitudinal bands was sensitive to temperature, reaching a plateau or declining above a mean annual sea surface temperature of 20 °C for most taxa. In response, since the 1970s, species richness has declined at the equator relative to an increase at midlatitudes and has shifted north in the northern hemisphere, particularly among pelagic species. This pattern is consistent with the hypothesis that climate change is impacting the latitudinal gradient in marine biodiversity at a global scale. The intensification of the dip in species richness at the equator, especially for pelagic species, suggests that it is already too warm there for some species to survive.