Diversity and community structure of epibenthic invertebrates and fish in the North Sea
The structure of North Sea benthic invertebrate and fish communities is an important indicator of anthropogenic and environmental impacts. Although North Sea fish stocks are monitored regularly, benthic fauna are not. Here, we report the results of a survey carried out in 2000, in which five nations...
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ftunivwagenin:oai:library.wur.nl:wurpubs/370272 2024-01-14T10:09:22+01:00 Diversity and community structure of epibenthic invertebrates and fish in the North Sea Callaway, R. Alsvag, J. de Boois, I.J. Cotter, J. Ford, A. Hinz, H. Jennings, S. Kroncke, I. Lancaster, J. Piet, G.J. Prince, P. Ehrich, S. 2002 application/pdf https://research.wur.nl/en/publications/diversity-and-community-structure-of-epibenthic-invertebrates-and https://doi.org/10.1006/jmsc.2002.1288 en eng https://edepot.wur.nl/30907 https://research.wur.nl/en/publications/diversity-and-community-structure-of-epibenthic-invertebrates-and doi:10.1006/jmsc.2002.1288 info:eu-repo/semantics/restrictedAccess Wageningen University & Research ICES Journal of Marine Science 59 (2002) 6 ISSN: 1054-3139 assemblages benthic communities circulation disturbance english-channel epifauna infauna macrofauna mortality populations info:eu-repo/semantics/article Article/Letter to editor info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersion 2002 ftunivwagenin https://doi.org/10.1006/jmsc.2002.1288 2023-12-20T23:20:27Z The structure of North Sea benthic invertebrate and fish communities is an important indicator of anthropogenic and environmental impacts. Although North Sea fish stocks are monitored regularly, benthic fauna are not. Here, we report the results of a survey carried out in 2000, in which five nations sampled the epibenthic and fish fauna at 270 stations throughout the North Sea. The aim of the survey was to investigate the diversity and community structure of epibenthic and fish communities and to identify relationships with environmental factors, including the frequency of commercial otter and beam trawling disturbance. Epibenthic species diversity was lower in the southern North Sea than in central and northern areas. Fish, conversely, were more diverse in the south. The 50 m, 100 m and 200 m depth contours broadly defined the boundaries of benthic and fish communities. The abundance of epibenthos of the southern North Sea was dominated by free-living species, whilst north of the 50 m contour sessile species prevailed. A hybrid area, with sessile species typical of the north and free-living species characteristic of the south, was found off the Norfolk and Flamborough coast stretching towards the Dogger Bank. Large-scale hydrodynamic phenomena were most likely to be responsible for the main divisions between communities, especially the boundary between mixed and stratified water masses. However, bottom temperature, sediment parameters and beam trawling were closely correlated with species richness and diversity, as well as community patterns, and may modify regional species composition. Our study shows that effective large-scale sampling of benthic communities can be conducted during existing fisheries surveys. Since annual fisheries surveys are conducted throughout the northeast Atlantic shelf seas, concurrent benthic surveys would allow benthic sampling on unprecedented spatial and temporal scales. The samples would help to monitor the environmental impacts of trawling disturbance, climate change, pollution ... Article in Journal/Newspaper Northeast Atlantic Wageningen UR (University & Research Centre): Digital Library Dogger Bank ENVELOPE(2.333,2.333,54.833,54.833) ICES Journal of Marine Science 59 6 1199 1214 |
institution |
Open Polar |
collection |
Wageningen UR (University & Research Centre): Digital Library |
op_collection_id |
ftunivwagenin |
language |
English |
topic |
assemblages benthic communities circulation disturbance english-channel epifauna infauna macrofauna mortality populations |
spellingShingle |
assemblages benthic communities circulation disturbance english-channel epifauna infauna macrofauna mortality populations Callaway, R. Alsvag, J. de Boois, I.J. Cotter, J. Ford, A. Hinz, H. Jennings, S. Kroncke, I. Lancaster, J. Piet, G.J. Prince, P. Ehrich, S. Diversity and community structure of epibenthic invertebrates and fish in the North Sea |
topic_facet |
assemblages benthic communities circulation disturbance english-channel epifauna infauna macrofauna mortality populations |
description |
The structure of North Sea benthic invertebrate and fish communities is an important indicator of anthropogenic and environmental impacts. Although North Sea fish stocks are monitored regularly, benthic fauna are not. Here, we report the results of a survey carried out in 2000, in which five nations sampled the epibenthic and fish fauna at 270 stations throughout the North Sea. The aim of the survey was to investigate the diversity and community structure of epibenthic and fish communities and to identify relationships with environmental factors, including the frequency of commercial otter and beam trawling disturbance. Epibenthic species diversity was lower in the southern North Sea than in central and northern areas. Fish, conversely, were more diverse in the south. The 50 m, 100 m and 200 m depth contours broadly defined the boundaries of benthic and fish communities. The abundance of epibenthos of the southern North Sea was dominated by free-living species, whilst north of the 50 m contour sessile species prevailed. A hybrid area, with sessile species typical of the north and free-living species characteristic of the south, was found off the Norfolk and Flamborough coast stretching towards the Dogger Bank. Large-scale hydrodynamic phenomena were most likely to be responsible for the main divisions between communities, especially the boundary between mixed and stratified water masses. However, bottom temperature, sediment parameters and beam trawling were closely correlated with species richness and diversity, as well as community patterns, and may modify regional species composition. Our study shows that effective large-scale sampling of benthic communities can be conducted during existing fisheries surveys. Since annual fisheries surveys are conducted throughout the northeast Atlantic shelf seas, concurrent benthic surveys would allow benthic sampling on unprecedented spatial and temporal scales. The samples would help to monitor the environmental impacts of trawling disturbance, climate change, pollution ... |
format |
Article in Journal/Newspaper |
author |
Callaway, R. Alsvag, J. de Boois, I.J. Cotter, J. Ford, A. Hinz, H. Jennings, S. Kroncke, I. Lancaster, J. Piet, G.J. Prince, P. Ehrich, S. |
author_facet |
Callaway, R. Alsvag, J. de Boois, I.J. Cotter, J. Ford, A. Hinz, H. Jennings, S. Kroncke, I. Lancaster, J. Piet, G.J. Prince, P. Ehrich, S. |
author_sort |
Callaway, R. |
title |
Diversity and community structure of epibenthic invertebrates and fish in the North Sea |
title_short |
Diversity and community structure of epibenthic invertebrates and fish in the North Sea |
title_full |
Diversity and community structure of epibenthic invertebrates and fish in the North Sea |
title_fullStr |
Diversity and community structure of epibenthic invertebrates and fish in the North Sea |
title_full_unstemmed |
Diversity and community structure of epibenthic invertebrates and fish in the North Sea |
title_sort |
diversity and community structure of epibenthic invertebrates and fish in the north sea |
publishDate |
2002 |
url |
https://research.wur.nl/en/publications/diversity-and-community-structure-of-epibenthic-invertebrates-and https://doi.org/10.1006/jmsc.2002.1288 |
long_lat |
ENVELOPE(2.333,2.333,54.833,54.833) |
geographic |
Dogger Bank |
geographic_facet |
Dogger Bank |
genre |
Northeast Atlantic |
genre_facet |
Northeast Atlantic |
op_source |
ICES Journal of Marine Science 59 (2002) 6 ISSN: 1054-3139 |
op_relation |
https://edepot.wur.nl/30907 https://research.wur.nl/en/publications/diversity-and-community-structure-of-epibenthic-invertebrates-and doi:10.1006/jmsc.2002.1288 |
op_rights |
info:eu-repo/semantics/restrictedAccess Wageningen University & Research |
op_doi |
https://doi.org/10.1006/jmsc.2002.1288 |
container_title |
ICES Journal of Marine Science |
container_volume |
59 |
container_issue |
6 |
container_start_page |
1199 |
op_container_end_page |
1214 |
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1788063877553979392 |