Hard-bottom habitats support commercially important fish species: a systematic review for the North Atlantic Ocean and Baltic Sea

• Published in: PeerJ
• Main Authors: Hugo Flávio, Rochelle Seitz, David Eggleston, Jon C. Svendsen, Josianne Støttrup
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English
• Published: PeerJ Inc. 2023
• Subjects: Reefs; Fish abundance; Spawning grounds; Essential fish habitat; Medicine; R; Biology (General); QH301-705.5; Stepping Stones; Gadus morhua; North Atlantic
• Online Access: https://doi.org/10.7717/peerj.14681; https://doaj.org/article/e0ce267aa8784554811fa9389ae38a83

Hard-bottom habitats span a range of natural substrates (e.g., boulders, cobble) and artificial habitats (e.g., the base of wind turbines, oil platforms). These hard-bottom habitats can provide a variety of ecosystem services, ranging from the enhancement of fish biomass and production to providing erosion control. Management decisions regarding the construction or fate of hard-bottom habitats require information on the ecological functions of these habitats, particularly for species targeted in ecosystem-based fisheries management. This study provides a systematic review of the relationships of various hard-bottom habitats to individual commercially harvested species that are managed jointly across the Atlantic by the International Council for the Exploration of the Sea (ICES). We systemically reviewed peer-reviewed publications on hard-bottom habitats including both natural and artificial reefs, after applying various exclusion criteria. Most studies were conducted on near-shore hard-bottom habitats, and habitat importance varied according to fish species and region. We quantified the frequency with which studies demonstrate that natural and artificial hard-bottom habitats function as spawning grounds, settlement and nursery areas, and foraging grounds, as well as provide stepping-stones during migration, or new home ranges. Hard-bottom habitats generally support higher fish densities than surrounding habitat types, although not all fish species benefit from hard-bottom habitats. Of the commercially important species, cod (Gadus morhua) was the most frequently studied species, with enhanced biomass, density, feeding, and spawning on hard-bottom habitats compared to unstructured habitats. Moreover, hard-bottom habitats appear to be of particular importance for spawning of herring (Clupea harengus). Collectively, data indicate that loss of hard-bottom habitats may translate into less-favourable conditions for spawning and biomass of diverse commercial species, including cod and herring.