The egg production method applied to the spawning biomass estimation of sardine, Sardina pilchardus (Walb.), on the North Atlantic Spanish coast

• Main Authors: García-García, A. (Alberto), Pérez-Contreras, M.N. (María Nélida), Lo, N.C.H. (Nancy), Lago-de-Lanzós-y-Tomás, A. (Ana), Solá, A.
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English
• Published: Centro Oceanográfico de Vigo
• Subjects: Sardine; Evaluation; Egg production; Fecundity; Cantabrian Sea; Spain; Española; Saavedra; North Atlantic
• Online Access: http://hdl.handle.net/10508/8886

During April-May 1988, an Egg Production Method Cruise was carried out with the purpose of evaluating the spawning biomass of the sardine, Sardina pilchardus (Walb.), from the Galician and Cantabrian coasts of Spain. This cruise was coordinated with the acoustical evaluation of this stock on board the R/V Cornide de Saavedra. The area covered extends from the Spanish-Portuguese border (41º 55' N) to the Spanish-French border (1º 58' W). Vertical plankton tows at 524 stations were distributed over the continental shelf and slope water in a 6 X 6 mile grid, with a 6 X 3 mile grid in areas of more intense spawning, to estimate the daily egg production parameter. A total of 44 epipelagic trawls were done in order to estimate the biological parameter relative to the adult population, that is, average female weight, batch fecundity, spawning fraction and sex ratio. The suruey area was post-stratified into three regions and the spawning biomass was estimated for each region. The sum of the three spawning biomass estimates was the total spawning biomass for the survey area. Three regions were established by differentiated adult parameters, such as average female weight in conjunction with the considered acoustical divisions. These regions correspond to the Galician coast (I), the western Cantabrian area (II) and the eastern sector of the Cantabrian coast (III). Desde abril a mayo de 1988 se aplica el Método de Producción Diaria de Huevos con el objetivo de estimar la biomasa reproductora de la sardina noratlántica española, Sardina pilchardus (Walb.), comprendida en el área de las costas de Calicia y del Cantábrico. Esta campaña fue realizada coordinadamente con la campaña de evaluación acústica de pelágicos a bordo del B/O Comide de Saavedra. El área de cobertura se extiende desde la frontera luso-española (41º 55' N) hasta la frontera con Francia (1º 58' O). Se muestrearon 524 estaciones para la recogida de muestras planctónicas a lo largo de la plataforma y talud en un mallaje de estaciones de 6 X 6 millas ...