(www.interscience.wiley.com). DOI:10.1002/aqc.554 Marine ¢sh diversity on the Scotian Shelf

• Main Authors: Nancy L. Shackell, Kenneth T. Frank
• Other Authors: The Pennsylvania State University CiteSeerX Archives
• Format: Text
• Language: English
• Published: 2002
• Subjects: KEY WORDS; Marine fish diversity; census; species accumulation curve; conservation; diversity surrogates; Northwest Atlantic
• Online Access: http://citeseerx.ist.psu.edu/viewdoc/summary?doi=10.1.1.513.1304; http://www.marinebiodiversity.ca/fr/pdfs/diversity_AQC_shackell1.pdf

1. Marine life in offshore regions has not been fully censused, yet related conservation policy relies on our ability to identify areas of high biodiversity. 2. We assessed the census of marine finfish on the Scotian Shelf, Northwest Atlantic using data collected during annual research vessel surveys between 1970 and 2000. The species accumulation curve did not reach an asymptote reflecting that new species continued to be discovered throughout the survey period. Only 0.12 % of the area of the Scotian Shelf has been sampled since 1970. 3. Since 1974, when over 50 % of the species had been discovered, the community composition has been relatively constant. However, the dominance structure has changed dramatically as reflected in the geographic contraction of the formerly abundant, large-bodied piscivores concomitant with the geographic expansion of their prey species. 4. The region is under-sampled, and species ’ distribution and abundance are changing. A precise estimate of diversity is elusive. As an alternative, we searched for physical correlates of finfish diversity to identify its possible surrogates. Surrogates have potential both as a method for understanding process and as a tool for conservation management. We examined the effect of area