Gadoid numbers and speed, and environmental characteristics in the South Arran Marine Protected Area

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Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Elliott, Sophie A M, Sabatino, Alessandro D, Heath, Michael R, Turrell, William R, Bailey, David M
Format: Dataset Open Access
Language:en
Published: PANGAEA 2017
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author Elliott, Sophie A M
Sabatino, Alessandro D
Heath, Michael R
Turrell, William R
Bailey, David M
author_facet Elliott, Sophie A M
Sabatino, Alessandro D
Heath, Michael R
Turrell, William R
Bailey, David M
collection Datos científicos de ciencias marinas y ambientales
contents Nature conservation and fisheries management often focuses on particular seabed features that are considered vulnerable or important to commercial species. As a result, individual seabed types are protected in isolation, without any understanding of what effect the mixture of seabed types within the landscape has on ecosystem functions. Here we undertook predictive seabed modelling within a coastal marine protected area using observations from underwater stereo-video camera deployments and environmental information (depth, wave fetch, maximum tidal speeds, distance from coast and underlying geology). The effect of the predicted substratum type, extent and heterogeneity or the diversity of substrata, within a radius of 1500 m around each camera deployment of juvenile gadoid relative abundance was analysed. The predicted substratum model performed well with wave fetch and depth being the most influential predictor variables. Gadus morhua (Atlantic cod) were associated with relatively more rugose substrata (Algal-gravel-pebble and seagrass) and heterogeneous landscapes, than Melanogrammus aeglefinus (haddock) or Merlangius merlangus (whiting) (sand and mud). An increase in M. merlangus relative abundance was observed with increasing substratum extent. These results reveal that landscape effects should be considered when protecting the seabed for fish and not just individual seabed types. The landscape approach used in this study therefore has important implications for marine protected area, fisheries management and monitoring advice concerning demersal fish populations.
format Dataset Open Access
id pangaea_https___doi_org_10_1594_PANGAEA_879306
institution PANGAEA
language en
publishDate 2017
publisher PANGAEA
record_format pangaea
spellingShingle Gadoid numbers and speed, and environmental characteristics in the South Arran Marine Protected Area
Elliott, Sophie A M
Sabatino, Alessandro D
Heath, Michael R
Turrell, William R
Bailey, David M
BIO; Biology; Scotland; South_Arran_MPA; South Arran Marine Protected Area
Nature conservation and fisheries management often focuses on particular seabed features that are considered vulnerable or important to commercial species. As a result, individual seabed types are protected in isolation, without any understanding of what effect the mixture of seabed types within the landscape has on ecosystem functions. Here we undertook predictive seabed modelling within a coastal marine protected area using observations from underwater stereo-video camera deployments and environmental information (depth, wave fetch, maximum tidal speeds, distance from coast and underlying geology). The effect of the predicted substratum type, extent and heterogeneity or the diversity of substrata, within a radius of 1500 m around each camera deployment of juvenile gadoid relative abundance was analysed. The predicted substratum model performed well with wave fetch and depth being the most influential predictor variables. Gadus morhua (Atlantic cod) were associated with relatively more rugose substrata (Algal-gravel-pebble and seagrass) and heterogeneous landscapes, than Melanogrammus aeglefinus (haddock) or Merlangius merlangus (whiting) (sand and mud). An increase in M. merlangus relative abundance was observed with increasing substratum extent. These results reveal that landscape effects should be considered when protecting the seabed for fish and not just individual seabed types. The landscape approach used in this study therefore has important implications for marine protected area, fisheries management and monitoring advice concerning demersal fish populations.
title Gadoid numbers and speed, and environmental characteristics in the South Arran Marine Protected Area
topic BIO; Biology; Scotland; South_Arran_MPA; South Arran Marine Protected Area
url https://doi.org/10.1594/PANGAEA.879306