Working Group on Deep-water Ecology (WGDEC)

• Main Author: ICES
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English
• Published: ICES 2021
• Subjects: Josephine; North Atlantic
• Online Access: https://archimer.ifremer.fr/doc/00788/90043/95627.pdf; https://doi.org/10.17895/ices.pub.8289; https://archimer.ifremer.fr/doc/00788/90043/

The joint ICES/NAFO Working Group on Deep-water Ecology (WGDEC) collates new information on the distribution of Vulnerable Marine Ecosystems (VMEs) for use in annual ICES advisory processes and the development of new methods/techniques to further our understanding of deep-sea ecosystems, and further suggests novel management tools to ensure human activities do not adversely affect them. This year 11,160 new VME presence records and 3,985 absence records were submitted and uploaded into the VME database. Following decisions at WGDEC 2020, a VME Data QA sub-group was initiated to undertake a quality control review of new data submissions in advance of the WGDEC meeting, affording more time for WGDEC to focus on other ToRs during the meeting. The QA sub-groupsuccessfully reviewed all new data submitted, allowing timely re-submission by data providers before the meeting commenced. The group also identified some changes to the VME data call that would improve the quality of data being ingested into the VME database, such as changes to the obligations to complete specific VME data call fields. All new QA’ed data submissions and outputs of the VME Weighting algorithm, displaying the likelihood of VME presence (VME Index) and confidence, were mapped to support ICES in providing advice on the distribution of VMEs in the North Atlantic. VMS data from NEAFC was analysed by the Working Group on Spatial Fisheries Data (WGSFD), and outputs were used by WGDEC to assess whether fishing activity was occurring in the vicinity of VMEs in the NEAFC Convention Area.Following an additional ICES advice request from NEAFC, the group also reviewed all available VME data from the Josephine Seamount, and a recommendation was made that a closure proposal advised by ICES in 2013 shouldbe re-considered. No other closure proposals were recommended this year. A further objective this year was to review the VME weighting algorithm, developed by WGDEC in 2015, to identify potential development options. The use of the weighting algorithm outputs ...