Food-Web and Ecosystem Structure of the Open-Ocean and Deep-Sea Environments of the Azores, NE Atlantic
The Marine Strategy Framework Directive intends to adopt ecosystem-based management for resources, biodiversity and habitats that puts emphasis on maintaining the health of the ecosystem alongside appropriate human use of the marine environment, for the benefit of current and future generations. Wit...
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Online Access: | http://hdl.handle.net/10316/108607 https://doi.org/10.3389/fmars.2016.00245 |
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ftunivcoimbra:oai:estudogeral.uc.pt:10316/108607 2023-10-09T21:56:16+02:00 Food-Web and Ecosystem Structure of the Open-Ocean and Deep-Sea Environments of the Azores, NE Atlantic Morato, Telmo Lemey, Emile Menezes, Gui Pham, Christopher K. Brito, Joana Soszynski, Ambre Pitcher, Tony J. Heymans, Johanna J. 2016 http://hdl.handle.net/10316/108607 https://doi.org/10.3389/fmars.2016.00245 en eng #PLACEHOLDER_PARENT_METADATA_VALUE# Fundo Regional da Ciência,Tecnologia(FRCT),through the research project 2020-M2.1.2/I/026/2011(Pro-Convergência) European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under grant agreement No.633680,DiscardLessproject FCT/UID/MAR/04292/2013 Program Investigador FCT (IF/01194/2013) 2296-7745 http://hdl.handle.net/10316/108607 doi:10.3389/fmars.2016.00245 info:eu-repo/semantics/openAccess ecopath ecosystem model fisheries Azores trophic links info:eu-repo/semantics/article 2016 ftunivcoimbra https://doi.org/10.3389/fmars.2016.00245 2023-09-13T00:02:23Z The Marine Strategy Framework Directive intends to adopt ecosystem-based management for resources, biodiversity and habitats that puts emphasis on maintaining the health of the ecosystem alongside appropriate human use of the marine environment, for the benefit of current and future generations. Within the overall framework of ecosystem-based management, ecosystem models are tools to evaluate and gain insights in ecosystem properties. The low data availability and complexity of modeling deep-water ecosystems has limited the application of ecosystem models to few deep-water ecosystems. Here, we aim to develop an ecosystem model for the deep-sea and open ocean in the Azores exclusive economic zone with the overarching objective of characterizing the food-web and structure of the ecosystem. An ecosystem model with 45 functional groups, including a detritus group, two primary producer groups, eight invertebrate groups, 29 fish groups, three marine mammal groups, a turtle and a seabird group was built. Overall data quality measured by the pedigree index was estimated to be higher than the mean value of all published models. Therefore, the model was built with source data of an overall reasonable quality, especially considering the normally low data availability for deep-sea ecosystems. The total biomass (excluding detritus) of the modeled ecosystem for the whole area was calculated as 24.7 t km-2. The mean trophic level for the total marine catch of the Azores was estimated to be 3.95, similar to the trophic level of the bathypelagic and medium-size pelagic fish. Trophic levels for the different functional groups were estimated to be similar to those obtained with stable isotopes and stomach contents analyses, with some exceptions on both ends of the trophic spectra. Omnivory indices were in general low, indicating prey speciation for the majority of the groups. Cephalopods, pelagic sharks and toothed whales were identified as groups with key ecological roles in the ecosystem. Due to concerns on the use of ecosystem ... Article in Journal/Newspaper toothed whales Universidade de Coimbra: Estudo Geral Frontiers in Marine Science 3 |
institution |
Open Polar |
collection |
Universidade de Coimbra: Estudo Geral |
op_collection_id |
ftunivcoimbra |
language |
English |
topic |
ecopath ecosystem model fisheries Azores trophic links |
spellingShingle |
ecopath ecosystem model fisheries Azores trophic links Morato, Telmo Lemey, Emile Menezes, Gui Pham, Christopher K. Brito, Joana Soszynski, Ambre Pitcher, Tony J. Heymans, Johanna J. Food-Web and Ecosystem Structure of the Open-Ocean and Deep-Sea Environments of the Azores, NE Atlantic |
topic_facet |
ecopath ecosystem model fisheries Azores trophic links |
description |
The Marine Strategy Framework Directive intends to adopt ecosystem-based management for resources, biodiversity and habitats that puts emphasis on maintaining the health of the ecosystem alongside appropriate human use of the marine environment, for the benefit of current and future generations. Within the overall framework of ecosystem-based management, ecosystem models are tools to evaluate and gain insights in ecosystem properties. The low data availability and complexity of modeling deep-water ecosystems has limited the application of ecosystem models to few deep-water ecosystems. Here, we aim to develop an ecosystem model for the deep-sea and open ocean in the Azores exclusive economic zone with the overarching objective of characterizing the food-web and structure of the ecosystem. An ecosystem model with 45 functional groups, including a detritus group, two primary producer groups, eight invertebrate groups, 29 fish groups, three marine mammal groups, a turtle and a seabird group was built. Overall data quality measured by the pedigree index was estimated to be higher than the mean value of all published models. Therefore, the model was built with source data of an overall reasonable quality, especially considering the normally low data availability for deep-sea ecosystems. The total biomass (excluding detritus) of the modeled ecosystem for the whole area was calculated as 24.7 t km-2. The mean trophic level for the total marine catch of the Azores was estimated to be 3.95, similar to the trophic level of the bathypelagic and medium-size pelagic fish. Trophic levels for the different functional groups were estimated to be similar to those obtained with stable isotopes and stomach contents analyses, with some exceptions on both ends of the trophic spectra. Omnivory indices were in general low, indicating prey speciation for the majority of the groups. Cephalopods, pelagic sharks and toothed whales were identified as groups with key ecological roles in the ecosystem. Due to concerns on the use of ecosystem ... |
format |
Article in Journal/Newspaper |
author |
Morato, Telmo Lemey, Emile Menezes, Gui Pham, Christopher K. Brito, Joana Soszynski, Ambre Pitcher, Tony J. Heymans, Johanna J. |
author_facet |
Morato, Telmo Lemey, Emile Menezes, Gui Pham, Christopher K. Brito, Joana Soszynski, Ambre Pitcher, Tony J. Heymans, Johanna J. |
author_sort |
Morato, Telmo |
title |
Food-Web and Ecosystem Structure of the Open-Ocean and Deep-Sea Environments of the Azores, NE Atlantic |
title_short |
Food-Web and Ecosystem Structure of the Open-Ocean and Deep-Sea Environments of the Azores, NE Atlantic |
title_full |
Food-Web and Ecosystem Structure of the Open-Ocean and Deep-Sea Environments of the Azores, NE Atlantic |
title_fullStr |
Food-Web and Ecosystem Structure of the Open-Ocean and Deep-Sea Environments of the Azores, NE Atlantic |
title_full_unstemmed |
Food-Web and Ecosystem Structure of the Open-Ocean and Deep-Sea Environments of the Azores, NE Atlantic |
title_sort |
food-web and ecosystem structure of the open-ocean and deep-sea environments of the azores, ne atlantic |
publishDate |
2016 |
url |
http://hdl.handle.net/10316/108607 https://doi.org/10.3389/fmars.2016.00245 |
genre |
toothed whales |
genre_facet |
toothed whales |
op_relation |
#PLACEHOLDER_PARENT_METADATA_VALUE# Fundo Regional da Ciência,Tecnologia(FRCT),through the research project 2020-M2.1.2/I/026/2011(Pro-Convergência) European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under grant agreement No.633680,DiscardLessproject FCT/UID/MAR/04292/2013 Program Investigador FCT (IF/01194/2013) 2296-7745 http://hdl.handle.net/10316/108607 doi:10.3389/fmars.2016.00245 |
op_rights |
info:eu-repo/semantics/openAccess |
op_doi |
https://doi.org/10.3389/fmars.2016.00245 |
container_title |
Frontiers in Marine Science |
container_volume |
3 |
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1779320892208185344 |