The substantial first impact of bottom fishing on rare biodiversity hotspots: a dilemma for evidence-based conservation.
This study describes the impact of the first passage of two types of bottom-towed fishing gear on rare protected shellfish-reefs formed by the horse mussel Modiolus modiolus (L.). One of the study sites was trawled and the other was scallop-dredged. Divers collected HD video imagery of epifauna from...
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ftdoajarticles:oai:doaj.org/article:753cfbcf84b7490692c33b1ae84d17f0 2023-05-15T17:13:03+02:00 The substantial first impact of bottom fishing on rare biodiversity hotspots: a dilemma for evidence-based conservation. Robert Cook Jose M Fariñas-Franco Fiona R Gell Rohan H F Holt Terry Holt Charles Lindenbaum Joanne S Porter Ray Seed Lucie R Skates Thomas B Stringell William G Sanderson 2013-01-01T00:00:00Z https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0069904 https://doaj.org/article/753cfbcf84b7490692c33b1ae84d17f0 EN eng Public Library of Science (PLoS) https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/pmid/23967063/pdf/?tool=EBI https://doaj.org/toc/1932-6203 1932-6203 doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0069904 https://doaj.org/article/753cfbcf84b7490692c33b1ae84d17f0 PLoS ONE, Vol 8, Iss 8, p e69904 (2013) Medicine R Science Q article 2013 ftdoajarticles https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0069904 2022-12-31T07:44:49Z This study describes the impact of the first passage of two types of bottom-towed fishing gear on rare protected shellfish-reefs formed by the horse mussel Modiolus modiolus (L.). One of the study sites was trawled and the other was scallop-dredged. Divers collected HD video imagery of epifauna from quadrats at the two study sites and directed infaunal samples from one site. The total number of epifaunal organisms was significantly reduced following a single pass of a trawl (90%) or scallop dredge (59%), as was the diversity of the associated community and the total number of M. modiolus at the trawled site. At both sites declines in anthozoans, hydrozoans, bivalves, echinoderms and ascidians accounted for most of the change. A year later, no recovery was evident at the trawled site and significantly fewer infaunal taxa (polychaetes, malacostracans, bivalves and ophuroids) were recorded in the trawl track. The severity of the two types of impact reflected the undisturbed status of the habitats compared to previous studies. As a 'priority habitat' the nature of the impacts described on M. modiolus communities are important to the development of conservation management policy and indicators of condition in Marine Protected Areas (EU Habitats Directive) as well as indicators of 'Good Environmental Status' under the European Union Marine Strategy Framework Directive. Conservation managers are under pressure to support decisions with good quality evidence. Elsewhere, indirect studies have shown declines of M. modiolus biogenic communities in fishing grounds. However, given the protected status of the rare habitat, premeditated demonstration of direct impact is unethical or illegal in Marine Protected Areas. This study therefore provides a unique opportunity to investigate the impact from fishing gear whilst at the same time reflecting on the dilemma of evidence-based conservation management. Article in Journal/Newspaper Modiolus modiolus Directory of Open Access Journals: DOAJ Articles PLoS ONE 8 8 e69904 |
institution |
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Directory of Open Access Journals: DOAJ Articles |
op_collection_id |
ftdoajarticles |
language |
English |
topic |
Medicine R Science Q |
spellingShingle |
Medicine R Science Q Robert Cook Jose M Fariñas-Franco Fiona R Gell Rohan H F Holt Terry Holt Charles Lindenbaum Joanne S Porter Ray Seed Lucie R Skates Thomas B Stringell William G Sanderson The substantial first impact of bottom fishing on rare biodiversity hotspots: a dilemma for evidence-based conservation. |
topic_facet |
Medicine R Science Q |
description |
This study describes the impact of the first passage of two types of bottom-towed fishing gear on rare protected shellfish-reefs formed by the horse mussel Modiolus modiolus (L.). One of the study sites was trawled and the other was scallop-dredged. Divers collected HD video imagery of epifauna from quadrats at the two study sites and directed infaunal samples from one site. The total number of epifaunal organisms was significantly reduced following a single pass of a trawl (90%) or scallop dredge (59%), as was the diversity of the associated community and the total number of M. modiolus at the trawled site. At both sites declines in anthozoans, hydrozoans, bivalves, echinoderms and ascidians accounted for most of the change. A year later, no recovery was evident at the trawled site and significantly fewer infaunal taxa (polychaetes, malacostracans, bivalves and ophuroids) were recorded in the trawl track. The severity of the two types of impact reflected the undisturbed status of the habitats compared to previous studies. As a 'priority habitat' the nature of the impacts described on M. modiolus communities are important to the development of conservation management policy and indicators of condition in Marine Protected Areas (EU Habitats Directive) as well as indicators of 'Good Environmental Status' under the European Union Marine Strategy Framework Directive. Conservation managers are under pressure to support decisions with good quality evidence. Elsewhere, indirect studies have shown declines of M. modiolus biogenic communities in fishing grounds. However, given the protected status of the rare habitat, premeditated demonstration of direct impact is unethical or illegal in Marine Protected Areas. This study therefore provides a unique opportunity to investigate the impact from fishing gear whilst at the same time reflecting on the dilemma of evidence-based conservation management. |
format |
Article in Journal/Newspaper |
author |
Robert Cook Jose M Fariñas-Franco Fiona R Gell Rohan H F Holt Terry Holt Charles Lindenbaum Joanne S Porter Ray Seed Lucie R Skates Thomas B Stringell William G Sanderson |
author_facet |
Robert Cook Jose M Fariñas-Franco Fiona R Gell Rohan H F Holt Terry Holt Charles Lindenbaum Joanne S Porter Ray Seed Lucie R Skates Thomas B Stringell William G Sanderson |
author_sort |
Robert Cook |
title |
The substantial first impact of bottom fishing on rare biodiversity hotspots: a dilemma for evidence-based conservation. |
title_short |
The substantial first impact of bottom fishing on rare biodiversity hotspots: a dilemma for evidence-based conservation. |
title_full |
The substantial first impact of bottom fishing on rare biodiversity hotspots: a dilemma for evidence-based conservation. |
title_fullStr |
The substantial first impact of bottom fishing on rare biodiversity hotspots: a dilemma for evidence-based conservation. |
title_full_unstemmed |
The substantial first impact of bottom fishing on rare biodiversity hotspots: a dilemma for evidence-based conservation. |
title_sort |
substantial first impact of bottom fishing on rare biodiversity hotspots: a dilemma for evidence-based conservation. |
publisher |
Public Library of Science (PLoS) |
publishDate |
2013 |
url |
https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0069904 https://doaj.org/article/753cfbcf84b7490692c33b1ae84d17f0 |
genre |
Modiolus modiolus |
genre_facet |
Modiolus modiolus |
op_source |
PLoS ONE, Vol 8, Iss 8, p e69904 (2013) |
op_relation |
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/pmid/23967063/pdf/?tool=EBI https://doaj.org/toc/1932-6203 1932-6203 doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0069904 https://doaj.org/article/753cfbcf84b7490692c33b1ae84d17f0 |
op_doi |
https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0069904 |
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PLoS ONE |
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8 |
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8 |
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e69904 |
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