Opportunistically recorded acoustic data support Northeast Atlantic mackerel expansion theory
Abstract Fisheries independent monitoring of widely distributed pelagic fish species which conduct large seasonal migrations is logistically complex and expensive. One of the commercially most important examples of such a species in the Northeast Atlantic Ocean is mackerel for which up to recently o...
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Online Access: | http://dx.doi.org/10.1093/icesjms/fsv243 http://academic.oup.com/icesjms/article-pdf/73/4/1115/31231092/fsv243.pdf |
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croxfordunivpr:10.1093/icesjms/fsv243 2023-10-01T03:58:13+02:00 Opportunistically recorded acoustic data support Northeast Atlantic mackerel expansion theory van der Kooij, Jeroen Fässler, Sascha M.M. Stephens, David Readdy, Lisa Scott, Beth E. Roel, Beatriz A. 2015 http://dx.doi.org/10.1093/icesjms/fsv243 http://academic.oup.com/icesjms/article-pdf/73/4/1115/31231092/fsv243.pdf en eng Oxford University Press (OUP) ICES Journal of Marine Science volume 73, issue 4, page 1115-1126 ISSN 1095-9289 1054-3139 Ecology Aquatic Science Ecology, Evolution, Behavior and Systematics Oceanography journal-article 2015 croxfordunivpr https://doi.org/10.1093/icesjms/fsv243 2023-09-08T10:46:40Z Abstract Fisheries independent monitoring of widely distributed pelagic fish species which conduct large seasonal migrations is logistically complex and expensive. One of the commercially most important examples of such a species in the Northeast Atlantic Ocean is mackerel for which up to recently only an international triennial egg survey contributed to the stock assessment. In this study, we explore whether fisheries acoustic data, recorded opportunistically during the English component of the North Sea International Bottom Trawl Survey, can contribute to an improved understanding of mackerel distribution and provide supplementary data to existing dedicated monitoring surveys. Using a previously published multifrequency acoustic mackerel detection algorithm, we extracted the distribution and abundance of schooling mackerel for the whole of the North Sea during August and September between 2007 and 2013. The spatio-temporal coverage of this unique dataset is of particular interest because it includes part of the unsurveyed summer mackerel feeding grounds in the northern North Sea. Recent increases in landings in Icelandic waters during this season suggested that changes have occurred in the mackerel feeding distribution. Thus far it is poorly understood whether these changes are due to a shift, i.e. mackerel moving away from their traditional feeding grounds in the northern North Sea and southern Norwegian Sea, or whether the species' distribution has expanded. We therefore explored whether acoustically derived biomass of schooling mackerel declined in the northern North Sea during the study period, which would suggest a shift in mackerel distribution rather than an expansion. The results of this study show that in the North Sea, schooling mackerel abundance has increased and that its distribution in this area has not changed over this period. Both of these findings provide, to our knowledge, the first evidence in support of the hypothesis that mackerel have expanded their distribution rather than moved away. Article in Journal/Newspaper Northeast Atlantic Norwegian Sea Oxford University Press (via Crossref) Norwegian Sea ICES Journal of Marine Science 73 4 1115 1126 |
institution |
Open Polar |
collection |
Oxford University Press (via Crossref) |
op_collection_id |
croxfordunivpr |
language |
English |
topic |
Ecology Aquatic Science Ecology, Evolution, Behavior and Systematics Oceanography |
spellingShingle |
Ecology Aquatic Science Ecology, Evolution, Behavior and Systematics Oceanography van der Kooij, Jeroen Fässler, Sascha M.M. Stephens, David Readdy, Lisa Scott, Beth E. Roel, Beatriz A. Opportunistically recorded acoustic data support Northeast Atlantic mackerel expansion theory |
topic_facet |
Ecology Aquatic Science Ecology, Evolution, Behavior and Systematics Oceanography |
description |
Abstract Fisheries independent monitoring of widely distributed pelagic fish species which conduct large seasonal migrations is logistically complex and expensive. One of the commercially most important examples of such a species in the Northeast Atlantic Ocean is mackerel for which up to recently only an international triennial egg survey contributed to the stock assessment. In this study, we explore whether fisheries acoustic data, recorded opportunistically during the English component of the North Sea International Bottom Trawl Survey, can contribute to an improved understanding of mackerel distribution and provide supplementary data to existing dedicated monitoring surveys. Using a previously published multifrequency acoustic mackerel detection algorithm, we extracted the distribution and abundance of schooling mackerel for the whole of the North Sea during August and September between 2007 and 2013. The spatio-temporal coverage of this unique dataset is of particular interest because it includes part of the unsurveyed summer mackerel feeding grounds in the northern North Sea. Recent increases in landings in Icelandic waters during this season suggested that changes have occurred in the mackerel feeding distribution. Thus far it is poorly understood whether these changes are due to a shift, i.e. mackerel moving away from their traditional feeding grounds in the northern North Sea and southern Norwegian Sea, or whether the species' distribution has expanded. We therefore explored whether acoustically derived biomass of schooling mackerel declined in the northern North Sea during the study period, which would suggest a shift in mackerel distribution rather than an expansion. The results of this study show that in the North Sea, schooling mackerel abundance has increased and that its distribution in this area has not changed over this period. Both of these findings provide, to our knowledge, the first evidence in support of the hypothesis that mackerel have expanded their distribution rather than moved away. |
format |
Article in Journal/Newspaper |
author |
van der Kooij, Jeroen Fässler, Sascha M.M. Stephens, David Readdy, Lisa Scott, Beth E. Roel, Beatriz A. |
author_facet |
van der Kooij, Jeroen Fässler, Sascha M.M. Stephens, David Readdy, Lisa Scott, Beth E. Roel, Beatriz A. |
author_sort |
van der Kooij, Jeroen |
title |
Opportunistically recorded acoustic data support Northeast Atlantic mackerel expansion theory |
title_short |
Opportunistically recorded acoustic data support Northeast Atlantic mackerel expansion theory |
title_full |
Opportunistically recorded acoustic data support Northeast Atlantic mackerel expansion theory |
title_fullStr |
Opportunistically recorded acoustic data support Northeast Atlantic mackerel expansion theory |
title_full_unstemmed |
Opportunistically recorded acoustic data support Northeast Atlantic mackerel expansion theory |
title_sort |
opportunistically recorded acoustic data support northeast atlantic mackerel expansion theory |
publisher |
Oxford University Press (OUP) |
publishDate |
2015 |
url |
http://dx.doi.org/10.1093/icesjms/fsv243 http://academic.oup.com/icesjms/article-pdf/73/4/1115/31231092/fsv243.pdf |
geographic |
Norwegian Sea |
geographic_facet |
Norwegian Sea |
genre |
Northeast Atlantic Norwegian Sea |
genre_facet |
Northeast Atlantic Norwegian Sea |
op_source |
ICES Journal of Marine Science volume 73, issue 4, page 1115-1126 ISSN 1095-9289 1054-3139 |
op_doi |
https://doi.org/10.1093/icesjms/fsv243 |
container_title |
ICES Journal of Marine Science |
container_volume |
73 |
container_issue |
4 |
container_start_page |
1115 |
op_container_end_page |
1126 |
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1778530769114759168 |