Showing papers in "Ices Journal of Marine Science in 2013"
TL;DR: The general strategy in support to the implementation of MSFD for marine litter includes various aspects such as scientific background, monitoring strategies and protocols, definition of good environmental status and targets and support to management policies.
Abstract: One of the most evident changes in the last half-century is the ubiquity and abundance of litter in the marine environment. The EU Marine Strategy Framework Directive (MSFD, 2008/56/EC) established a framework within which EU Member States shall take action to achieve the good environmental status (GES) of their marine waters by 2020. Amongst the 11 MSFD qualitative descriptors, Descriptor 10 (D 10) concerns marine litter. Here we report the general strategy in support to the implementation of MSFD for marine litter. It includes various aspects such as scientific background, monitoring strategies and protocols, definition of good environmental status and targets and support to management policies.
477 citations
TL;DR: A review of current literature on the projected effects of climate change on marine fish and shellfish, their fisheries, and fishery-dependent communities throughout the northern hemisphere can be found in this paper.
Abstract: This paper reviews current literature on the projected effects of climate change on marine fish and shellfish, their fisheries, and fishery-dependent communities throughout the northern hemisphere. The review addresses the following issues: (i) expected impacts on ecosystem productivity and habitat quantity and quality; (ii) impacts of changes in production and habitat on marine fish and shellfish species including effects on the community species composition, spatial distributions, interactions, and vital rates of fish and shellfish; (iii) impacts on fisheries and their associated communities; (iv) implications for food security and associated changes; and (v) uncertainty and modelling skill assessment. Climate change will impact fish and shellfish, their fisheries, and fishery-dependent communities through a complex suite of linked processes. Integrated interdisciplinary research teams are forming in many regions to project these complex responses. National and international marine research organizations serve a key role in the coordination and integration of research to accelerate the production of projections of the effects of climate change on marine ecosystems and to move towards a future where relative impacts by region could be compared on a hemispheric or global level. Eight research foci were identified that will improve the projections of climate impacts on fish, fisheries, and fishery-dependent communities.
234 citations
TL;DR: Ik Kyo Chung and Kwang-Seok Park as mentioned in this paper studied the effects of climate change on marine research at the Pusan National University of Science and Technology in South Korea.
Abstract: Ik Kyo Chung1*, Jung Hyun Oak2, Jin Ae Lee3, Jong Ahm Shin4, Jong Gyu Kim5, and Kwang-Seok Park6 Department of Oceanography, Pusan National University, 30, Jangjeon-dong, Geumjeong-gu, Busan 609-735, Republic of Korea Marine Research Institute, Pusan National University, Busan 609-735, Republic of Korea School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Inje University, Gimhae 621-749, Republic of Korea College of Fisheries and Ocean Sciences, Chonnam National University, Yeosu 550-749, Republic of Korea Response to Climate Change Co., Ltd., Pohang 790-390, Republic of Korea Material Research Division, Research Institute of Industrial Science and Technology, Pohang 790-330, Republic of Korea *Corresponding author: tel: +82 51 51
146 citations
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors reviewed the literature on fish reactions to vessels appearing, focusing on acoustic surveys, and compared how fish react to noise-reduced and conventional vessels, and demonstrated that the sound pressure level, on which the noise reduction criterion is based, is insufficient to explain how fish reacts to survey vessels.
Abstract: Received 25 April 2012; accepted 18 August 2012. It has long been recognized that fish can avoid approaching vessels and that these behaviours can bias fishery surveys. Underwater noise is considered the primary stimulus, and standards for research vessel noise have been established to minimize fish reactions. We review the literature on fish reactions to vessels appearing since these recommendations were made, focusing on acoustic surveys, and compare how fish react to noise-reduced and conventional vessels. Reactions to approaching vessels are variable and difficult to predict. However, the behaviour can bias acoustic abundance measurements, and should be considered when performing acoustic surveys. The few comparisons of acoustic abundance measurements from noise-reduced and conventional vessels are contradictory, but demonstrate that the sound pressure level, on which the noise-reduction criterion is based, is insufficient to explain how fish react to survey vessels. Further research is needed to identify the stimuli fish perceive from approaching vessels and the factors affecting whether fish perceiving these stimuli will react before further recommendations to reduce vessel-avoidance reactions can be made. In the interim, measurement of the biases introduced by fish avoidance reactions during surveys, and timing of surveys when fish are in a less reactive state, may reduce errors introduced by vessel avoidance.
114 citations
International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis1, University of Bergen2, Agrocampus Ouest3, Sewanee: The University of the South4, IFREMER5, Leibniz Association6, University of Iceland7, Technical University of Denmark8, University of Turku9, Swedish Board of Fisheries10, University of Eastern Finland11, Humboldt University of Berlin12, Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources13, University of Oslo14, Centre for Environment, Fisheries and Aquaculture Science15, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences16, Gifu University17, University of Lausanne18, University of Bern19, Dartmouth College20, Stanford University21, Wageningen University and Research Centre22
TL;DR: In this paper, a qualitative analysis suggests that all commonly used reference points are susceptible to shifting through fisheries-induced evolution, including the limit and "precautionary" reference points for spawning stock biomass, B_lim and B_pa, and the target reference point for fishing mortality, F_0.1.
Abstract: Biological reference points are important tools for fisheries management. Reference points are not static, but may change when a population's environment or the population itself changes. Fisheries-induced evolution is one mechanism that can alter population characteristics, leading to "shifting" reference points by modifying the underlying biological processes or by changing the perception of a fishery system. The former causes changes in "true" reference points, whereas the latter is caused by changes in the yardsticks used to quantify a system's status. Unaccounted shifts of either kind imply that reference points gradually lose their intended meaning. This can lead to increased precaution, which is safe, but potentially costly. Shifts can also occur in more perilous directions, such that actual risks are greater than anticipated. Our qualitative analysis suggests that all commonly used reference points are susceptible to shifting through fisheries-induced evolution, including the limit and "precautionary" reference points for spawning-stock biomass, B_lim and B_pa, and the target reference point for fishing mortality, F_0.1. Our findings call for increased awareness of fisheries-induced changes and highlight the value of always basing reference points on adequately updated information, to capture all changes in the biological processes that drive fish population dynamics.
111 citations
TL;DR: This work has shown clear trends in the decline in the total biomass of tropical tuna recorded in the wild over the past 50 years, and these trends are likely to be driven by warming oceans and declining productivity inducers.
Abstract: Andre E. Punt1,2*, TzuChuan Huang1, and Mark N. Maunder3,4 School of Aquatic and Fishery Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195-5020, USA CSIRO Wealth from Oceans Flagship, GPO Box 1538, Hobart, TAS 7001, Australia Quantitative Resource Assessment LLC, San Diego, CA 92129, USA Alternative address: Inter-American Tropical Tuna Commission, 8604 La Jolla Shores Drive, La Jolla, CA 92037-1508, USA *Corresponding Author: tel: +1 206 221 6319; fax: +1 206 685 7471; e-mail: aepunt@uw.edu
108 citations
TL;DR: The presence of structure-forming sponges was associated with a higher biodiversity and abundance of associated megafauna compared with non-sponge habitat, and surface chlorophyll a and near-bottom salinity were important environmental determinants in generalized linear models of megafaunal species richness and abundance.
Abstract: The influence of structure-forming deep-water sponge grounds on the composition, diversity, and abundance of the local epibenthic megafaunal community of the Flemish Pass area, Northwest Atlantic was statistically assessed. These habitats are considered vulnerable marine ecosystems and, therefore, warrant conservation measures to protect them from bottom fishing activities. The epibenthic megafauna were quantified from four photographic transects, three of which were located on the western slope of the Flemish Cap with an overall depth range of 444 –940 m, and the fourth in the southern Flemish Pass between 1328 and 1411 m. We observed a diverse megafaunal community dominated by large numbers of ophiuroids and sponges. On the slope of the Flemish Cap, sponge grounds were dominated by axinellid and polymastid sponges, while the deeper sponge ground in the southern Flemish Pass was formed mainly by geodiids and Asconema sp. The presence of structure-forming sponges was associated with a higher biodiversity and abundance of associated megafauna compared with non-sponge habitat. The composition of megafauna significantly differed between sponge grounds and non-sponge grounds and also between different sponge morphologies. Surface chlorophyll a and near-bottom salinity were important environmental determinants in generalized linear models of megafaunal species richness and abundance.
101 citations
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors used a dataset from the Great Barrier Reef (GBR) to show that only about 39% of available seabed on submerged banks is capped by NSS coral reefs (16 110 km); the other 61% of bank area (25 600 km²) is submerged at a mean depth of around 27 m and represents potential deep reef habitat that is spatially distributed along the GBR continental shelf in the same latitudinal distribution as NSS reefs.
Abstract: Anthropogenic global ocean warming is predicted to cause bleaching of many near-sea-surface (NSS) coral reefs, placing increased importance on deeper reef habitats to maintain coral reef biodiversity and ecosystem function. However, the location and spatial extent of many deep reef habitats is poorly known. The question arises: how common are deep reef habitats in comparison with NSS reefs? We used a dataset from the Great Barrier Reef (GBR) to show that only about 39% of available seabed on submerged banks is capped by NSS coral reefs (16 110 km²); the other 61% of bank area (25 600 km²) is submerged at a mean depth of around 27 m and represents potential deep reef habitat that is spatially distributed along the GBR continental shelf in the same latitudinal distribution as NSS reefs. Out of 25 600 km² of submerged bank area, predictive habitat modelling indicates that more than half (around 14 000 km²) is suitable habitat for coral communities.
93 citations
TL;DR: Hurst et al. as discussed by the authors studied the behavior of the walleye pollock (Theragra chalcogramma) and found that the pollock was more migratory than other species of fish.
Abstract: of walleye pollock (Theragra chalcogramma) Thomas P. Hurst1*, Elena R. Fernandez2, and Jeremy T. Mathis2 Fisheries Behavioral Ecology Program, Resource Assessment and Conservation Engineering Division, Alaska Fisheries Science Center, National Marine Fisheries Service, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Hatfield Marine Science Center, Newport, OR 97365, USA School of Fisheries and Ocean Sciences, University of Alaska, Fairbanks, AK 99775, USA
90 citations
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors identify reference levels where environmental forces and fishing pressure result in ecosystem change by collectively examining the responses of multiple ecological indicators and identify thresholds where fishing and environmental pressures significantly influence ecological indicators.
Abstract: Both fishing and environmental forces can influence the structure of marine ecosystems. To further understand marine ecosystems and to implement ecosystem-based fisheries management (EBFM), an evaluation of ecosystem indicators is warranted. In this context, it is particularly important to identify thresholds where fishing and environmental pressures significantly influence ecological indicators. We empirically determined numerical values of environmental forces and fishing pressure that significantly altered the response of ecological indicators for the Northeast Shelf Large Marine Ecosystem. Generalized additive models predicted a non-linear relationship for each pressure– response pairing. With this smoother, 95% confidence intervals (CI) for estimated first and second derivatives for each relationship were determined via parametric bootstrap. A significant trend or threshold was noted when the CI for the first or second derivative was greater or less than zero, delineating the level at which pressure variables influence the rate and direction of ecosystem indicator responses. We identify reference levels where environmental forces and fishing pressure result in ecosystem change by collectively examining the responses of multiple ecological indicators. Individual indicators showed unique responses to pressures, however, similar values for the pressures were associated with significant changes for multiple indicators. These reference levels establish a foundation for implementation of EBFM.
88 citations
TL;DR: Pregnancy rate and pregnancy rate of North Atlantic fin whales over four decades of varying environmental conditions are studied.
Abstract: and pregnancy rate of North Atlantic fin whales over four decades of varying environmental conditions Rob Williams1*, Gisli A. Vikingsson2, Astthor Gislason2, Christina Lockyer3, Leslie New4, Len Thomas5, and Philip S. Hammond1 Sea Mammal Research Unit, Scottish Oceans Institute, University of St Andrews, KY16 8LB, Scotland, UK Marine Research Institute, PO Box 1390, 121 Reykjavik, Iceland The North Atlantic Marine Mammal Commission, N-9294 Tromso, Norway US Marine Mammal Commission, 4340 East-West Highway, Suite 700, Bethesda, MD 20814, USA Centre for Research into Ecological and Environmental Modelling and School of Mathematics and Statistics, University of St. Andrews, St Andrews, Scotland KY16 9LZ UK
TL;DR: In this paper, a pre-copy-editing, author-produced PDF of an article accepted for publication in ICES Journal of Marine Science following peer review is provided, along with a review of the paper.
Abstract: Peer- reviewed This is a pre-copy-editing, author-produced PDF of an article accepted for publication in ICES Journal of Marine Science following peer review. The definitive publisher-authenticated version is available online at: doi: 10.1093/icesjms/fst017
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors analyzed the observed time-series of physics, nutrients, chlorophyll, zooplankton abundance and phenology, and productivity, biomass, and catch of commercially important species to assess the impacts of Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change's global change scenarios on KOE.
Abstract: The Kuroshio and Oyashio, western boundary currents in the North Pacific, greatly influence climate, ecosystems, and fisheries in the western North Pacific and its adjacent waters. The Kuroshio/Oyashio ecosystem (KOE) shows interannual and decadal variability including regime shifts. Under a collaboration of the Climate Forcing and Marine Ecosystem Response (CFAME) Task Team and Working Group 20 (Evaluations of Climate Change Projections) of PICES, we analysed the observed time-series of physics, nutrients, chlorophyll, zooplankton abundance and phenology, and productivity, biomass, and catch of commercially important species to assess the impacts of Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change’s global change scenarios on KOE. Mechanistic linkages from climate forcing to fish population dynamics were explored for the Japanese common squid (Todarodes pacificus), Japanese sardine (Sardinops melanostictus), walleye pollock (Theragra chalcogramma), and chum salmon (Oncorhynchus keta). Future scenarios of zooplankton, commercial species, and ecosystem changes were presented based on the empirical mechanistic linkages and results of projections for physical conditions and primary production in KOE derived from both empirical knowledge and three-dimensional ecosystem-biogeochemical models. Associated data gaps, uncertainties, and implications for managers were also discussed.
University of Bergen1, Spanish National Research Council2, Leibniz Association3, Humboldt University of Berlin4, Centre for Environment, Fisheries and Aquaculture Science5, Wageningen University and Research Centre6, IFREMER7, University of Western Brittany8, Technical University of Denmark9, University of the Algarve10
TL;DR: The catch-and-release (C&R) is a well-known practice in several European freshwater recreational fisheries, but studies on the magnitude and impact of this practice in European marine recreational fisheries are limited as discussed by the authors.
Abstract: While catch-and-release (C&R) is a well-known practice in several European freshwater recreational fisheries, studies on the magnitude and impact of this practice in European marine recreational fisheries are limited. To provide an overview of the practice and magnitude of C&R among marine recreational anglers in Europe, the existing knowledge of C&R and its potential associated release mortality was collected and summarized. The present study revealed that in several European countries over half of the total recreational catch is released by marine anglers. High release proportions of >60% were found for Atlantic cod (Gadus morhua), European sea bass (Dicentrarchus labrax), pollack (Pollachius pollachius), and sea trout (Salmo trutta) in at least one of the studied European countries. In the case of the German recreational Baltic Sea cod fishery, release proportions varied considerably between years, presumably tracking a strong year class of undersized fish. Reasons for release varied between countries and species, and included legal restrictions (e.g. minimum landing sizes and daily bag limits) and voluntary C&R. Considering the magnitude of C&R practice among European marine recreational anglers, post-release mortalities of released fish may need to be accounted for in estimated fishing mortalities. However, as the survival rates of European marine species are mostly unknown, there is a need to conduct post-release survival studies and to identify factors affecting post-release survival. Such studies could also assist in developing species-specific, best-practice guidelines to minimize the impacts of C&R on released marine fish in Europe.
TL;DR: In this article, the relationship between benthic macrofauna and natural abiotic factors was studied along the coastal fringe of South Brittany, situated north of the Gulf of Biscay on the French Atlantic continental shelf.
Abstract: Relationships between benthic macrofauna and natural abiotic factors were studied along the coastal fringe of South Brittany, situated north of the Gulf of Biscay on the French Atlantic continental shelf. Within the framework of the REBENT network, sediment characteristics, depth, and macrofaunal abundance were determined for 95 stations spread over five subtidal sectors, using a combination of seabed acoustic remote sensing systems and grab sampling. The physico-chemical properties of the water column and the hydrodynamic conditions were generated by validated three-dimensional environmental models which take into account variations over shorter temporal scales. Multivariate analyses ranked 16 natural abiotic variables according to the significance of their influence on the macrofauna. Together these variables explained 51% of spatial variation in the macrofauna, with morpho-sedimentological and hydrological factors contributing 22% and 26%, respectively. The outputs from validated three-dimensional environmental models appear to be useful interpretational tools for benthic ecology studies, especially in estuarine and coastal ecosystems with high environmental variability due to regular freshwater inputs. Ten major species assemblages were identified using biological and physical characteristics. The results provide important baseline knowledge for future ecosystem and resource management.
TL;DR: This data indicates that discharge from three floating platforms in the Gulf of Mexico is high enough to pose a threat to marine life, and the presence of these platforms and their discharge times is a major cause for concern.
Abstract: Hugues P. Benoit1,2*, Sebastien Plante3,4, Molly Kroiz1, and Thomas Hurlbut1 Fisheries and Oceans Canada. Gulf Fisheries Centre. Moncton, NB E1C 9B6, Canada Department of Biology. Dalhousie University. Halifax, NS B3H 4J1, Canada Institut de recherche sur les zones cotieres, Shippagan, NB E8S 1J2, Canada Present address : Universite de Moncton, Campus de Shippagan. Shippagan, NB E8S 1P6, Canada *Corresponding Author: tel: +1 506 851 3146; fax: +1 506 851 2620; e-mail: hugues.benoit@dfo-mpo.gc.ca
TL;DR: In this article, a management strategy evaluation for the snow crab fishery in the eastern Bering Sea, an ecosystem influenced by regime shifts, is conducted for the Chionoecetes opilio.
Abstract: Regime shifts are a prominent feature of the physical environment of some ecosystems and have the potential to influence stock productivity. However, few management strategies or harvest control rules (HCRs) consider the possibility of changes in stock productivity. A management strategy evaluation is conducted for the snow crab (Chionoecetes opilio) fishery in the eastern Bering Sea, an ecosystem influenced by regime shifts. Operating models that project recruitment as a single average (i.e. the current basis for management advice), regime-based with no relationship between recruitment and spawning biomass, and regime-based with control of recruitment oscillating between environmental conditions and spawning biomass are considered. An HCR that accounts for shifts in recruitment regime is compared with the status quo HCR for each operating model. The regime-based HCR increases yield and decreases variability in yield at the cost of a higher probability of overfishing in regime-based systems. However, the regime-based HCR slightly decreases yield (no change in variability) and increases the probability of overfishing in non-regimebased systems. Identifying changes in productivity that are definitely driven by environmental regime rather than fishing pressure is the largest difficulty in implementing these rules.
TL;DR: In this article, the authors developed models to test different hypotheses on the optimal towing speed at which fuel savings are traded off against the reduction in catch due to the decrease in swept area.
Abstract: In this paper, we develop models to test different hypotheses on the optimal towing speed at which fuel savings are traded off against the reduction in catch due to the decrease in swept area. The model predicts that optimal towing speed is a decreasing function of fuel price and an increasing function of fish abundance and price. The model was fitted to vessel monitoring system (VMS) data. By means of mixture analysis, these VMS data were attributed to one of three behavioural modes: floating, towing, or navigating. Data attributed to the towing mode were used to determine the model that best fit the data. The preferred model includes a maximum towing speed and a component describing the decline in catch efficiency with decreasing towing speed. Towing speed is reduced by up to 14%. The savings obtained by reducing towing speed were estimated for each month and showed that vessels reduced their fuel consumption by between 0 and 40%.
TL;DR: In this paper, illegal, unreported, and unregulated (IUU) catch in the context of a small-scale fishery (the Azores) and provide an improved compilation of official catches, including whaling.
Abstract: Official fishery statistics often fail to report what has been truly extracted from the marine environment. Therefore, in this study, we estimated illegal, unreported, and unregulated (IUU) catch in the context of a small-scale fishery (the Azores) and provide an improved compilation of official catches, including whaling. Reconstructed removals during 1950 – 2010 total 1.10 million t (95% CI, 1.06 – 1.16 million t), a factor of 1.17 higher than the amount reported in Azorean official statistics. Unreported catches were attributed to foreign fishing activities (27%), recreational fishing (25%), discards from the demersal fishing fleet (21%), baitfish for the poleand-line tuna fishery (11%), discards from pelagic longlining (7%), local pelagic fleet landing outside the Azores (3%), coastal invertebrate harvesting (6%), and big-game fishing (0.1%). The overall low level of unreported catches compared to other locations might reflect the small-scale nature of the fisheries, the geographic isolation of the islands, and the small size of its community.
TL;DR: In this article, the authors explored the ecosystem impacts of ocean acidification by imposing scenarios designed to mimic OA on a food web model of Puget Sound, a large estuary in northwestern USA.
Abstract: Ecosystem impacts of ocean acidification (OA) were explored by imposing scenarios designed to mimic OA on a food web model of Puget Sound, a large estuary in northwestern USA. The productivity of functional groups containing mostly calcifiers was decreased while still allowing other species groups to respond to the scenarios in a dynamic way through indirect effects. Results focus on changes in ecosystem services and structure. Sometimes the direct and indirect effects of OA countered each other due to interactions between predators and prey within the food web, leading to little change in the food web. In other cases, direct and indirect effects caused greater change in the food web than anticipated from direct effects alone. Results were strongly affected by the group on which OA was directly imposed, with changes in copepod productivity being the most influential. While there is much uncertainty in our predictions, focusing on the complex interactions among species, and between species and their environment, will yield better understanding of how ecosystems may respond to OA.
TL;DR: The results show that the age structure is highly dependent on the selection pattern, as well as on the level of fishing mortality, which determines the ability of fish stocks to withstand, and recover from, external perturbation.
Abstract: The age and size structure of exploited fish stocks is one of the criteria for Good Environmental Status of commercial fish. However, two underlying assumptions to this criterion remain to be tested: first, that a well-balanced age structure is indeed indicative of a “healthier” stock, and second, that managers can exert a control on the age structure, independently from the regulation of stock abundance. This study investigates these questions using simulations from a population model in which recruitment is based on egg production, which is more sensitive to age structure variations than the traditionally used spawning stock biomass (SSB) and that was parameterized to represent the population dynamics of North Sea cod, plaice, and herring. Our results show that (i) the age structure is highly dependent on the selection pattern, as well as on the level of fishing mortality; (ii) the selection pattern determines the ability of fish stocks to withstand, and recover from, external perturbation; and (iii) the selection pattern determines the output of the fishery providing the management option to balance stable but relatively low yields vs strongly fluctuating high yields. Therefore, we propose to make the selection pattern, for which clear management targets can be set, a policy goal instead of the age structure that is currently in place
TL;DR: Temperature was the most highly correlated explanatory variable for the benthic species and interannual variations in the phosphorus and nitrogen concentrations, and a step-like increase in phosphorus concentration at the beginning of the 21st century were observed.
Abstract: We investigated site-specific changes in a coastal zoobenthic community during 1964 – 2007 in the northern Baltic Sea. Multivariate analysis indicated that the community structure had changed. The amphipods Monoporeia affinis and Pontoporeia femorata decreased drastically in the late 1970s – early 1980s, and by the early 1990s P. femorata vanished and M. affinis abundance was low. The decline of M. affinis and P. femorata was followed by an increase of the bivalve Macoma balthica and the arrival of the polychaete genus Marenzelleria in the 1990s. Trend analyses showed a rising trend for near-bottom temperature from the late 1960s. There was a significant decline in salinity during the early 1980s, which stabilized during the early 1990s. A negative trend was observed for oxygen concentration during the entire study period. There were interannual variations in the phosphorus and nitrogen concentrations, and a step-like increase in phosphorus concentration at the beginning of the 21st century. The correlations of temperature, salinity, oxygen, total phosphorus and nitrogen with zoobenthic communities were examined using Constrained Correspondence Analysis. Temperature was the most highly correlated explanatory variable for the benthic species. The study highlights the importance of long-term data sets in assessing the state and ecological processes of zoobenthic systems.
TL;DR: For example, Finley et al. as discussed by the authors pointed out that during the Cold War, the US State Department used fisheries science and especially the concept of maximum sustained yield (MSY) as a political tool to achieve its foreign policy objectives.
Abstract: 1 Oregon State University, Corvalis, Oregon, USA 2 University of California, San Diego, USA * Corresponding author: finleyc@peak.org Overfishing is most commonly explained as an example of the tragedy of the commons, where individuals are unable to control their activities, leading to the destruction of the resource they are dependent on. The historical record suggests otherwise. Between 1949 and 1958, the US State Department used fisheries science, and especially the concept of maximum sustained yield (MSY) as a political tool to achieve its foreign policy objectives. During the Cold War, the Department thought that if countries were allowed to restrict fishing in their waters, it might lead to restrictions on passage of military vessels. While there has been much criticism of MSY and its failure to conserve fish stocks, there has been little attention paid to the political context in which MSY was adopted.
TL;DR: In this paper, Brander et al. presented an analysis of the effects of ocean acidification on ocean ecology and its role in global climate change, using data from the National Institute of Aquatic Resources (DTU-Aqua).
Abstract: Keith Brander1*, Anna Neuheimer2, Ken Haste Andersen1, and Martin Hartvig1,3 Center for Ocean Life, National Institute of Aquatic Resources (DTU-Aqua) Technical University of Denmark Charlottenlund Castle, DK-2920 Charlottenlund, Denmark Department of Oceanography, School of Ocean and Earth Science and Technology, University of Hawai’i at Mānoa, Honolulu, HI 96822, USA Center for Macroecology, Evolution and Climate, University of Copenhagen, Universitetsparken 15, DK-2100 Copenhagen, Denmark *Corresponding Author: tel: +45 23296835; fax: +45 35883333; e-mail: kbr@aqua.dtu.dk
TL;DR: Quetglas et al. as mentioned in this paper presented a paper on oceanography at the Universitat de les Illes Balears (UILB) in Palma, Spain.
Abstract: Antoni Quetglas1*, Francesc Ordines1, Manuel Hidalgo1, Sebastia Monserrat2,3, Susana Ruiz4, Angel Amores3, Joan Moranta1, and Enric Massuti1 Instituto Espanol de Oceanografia, Centre Oceanografic de les Balears, Moll de Ponent s/n, Apdo. 291, 07015 Palma, Spain CSIC/UIB – Institut Mediterrani d’Estudis Avancats, Miquel Marques 21, 07190 Esporles, Spain Universitat de les Illes Balears, Departament de Fisica, 07122 Palma, Spain Instituto Espanol de Oceanografia, Centro Oceanografico de Santander, Promontorio de San Martin s/n, Apdo. 240, 39080 Santander, Spain *Corresponding Author: tel: +34-971-401-561; fax: +34-971-404-945; e-mail: toni.quetglas@ba.ieo.es
TL;DR: The predictive performance of distribution models of common benthic species in the Baltic Sea was compared using four non-linear methods: generalized additive models (GAMs), multivariate adaptive r ...
Abstract: The predictive performance of distribution models of common benthic species in the Baltic Sea was compared using four non-linear methods: generalized additive models (GAMs), multivariate adaptive r ...
TL;DR: Diesing et al. as mentioned in this paper proposed a method for assessing the extent of the seabed significantly affected by demersal fishing in the Greater North Sea, which was shown to be significantly more accurate than the traditional methods.
Abstract: Markus Diesing*, David Stephens and John Aldridge *Corresponding Author: tel: +44 1502 524266; fax: +44 1502 513865; e-mail: markus.diesing@cefas.co.ukDiesing, M., Stephens, D., and Aldridge, J. 2013. A proposed method for assessing the extent of the seabed significantly affected by demersal fishing in the Greater North Sea. – ICES Journal of Marine Science, 70: 1085–1096.
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors estimate measures of the migration based on existing tagging data from Icelandic, Faroese and Continental (Scotland, North Sea and Norway) waters, and demonstrate significant, but variable, migration rates of adult saithe in the Northeast Atlantic.
Abstract: Saithe (Pollachius virens) stocks in the Northeast Atlantic intermingle as a result of migration among stock areas. The extent of migration has been poorly quantified. Here, we estimate measures of the migration based on existing tagging data from Icelandic, Faroese and Continental (Scotland, North Sea and Norway) waters. Saithe tagged in Icelandic waters were seldom caught outside Icelandic waters (,1% of tag returns), whereas 42% of adult saithe tagged in Faroese waters were recaptured outside Faroese waters. Of adult saithe tagged in Norwegian waters 6.6% were recaptured outside Continental waters. In broad terms, there was a net migration of saithe towards Icelandic waters. The distance between tagging and recapture increased with increasing size and age, with saithe tagged in Norwegian waters moving the longest distances. The results demonstrate significant, but variable, migration rates of adult saithe in the Northeast Atlantic. More detailed studies are needed to clarify the mechanisms behind the migration and what causes the differences among the areas.
TL;DR: Chen-Te Tseng et al. as discussed by the authors proposed a new method to improve the efficiency of oceanographic data collection and used it in the development of a new underwater sensor network.
Abstract: Chen-Te Tseng1,2, Nan-Jay Su2, Chi-Lu Sun2*, Andre E. Punt3, Su-Zan Yeh2, Don-Chung Liu1, and Wei-Cheng Su1 Fisheries Research Institute, Council of Agriculture, Keelung 20246, Taiwan Institute of Oceanography, National Taiwan University, Taipei 10617, Taiwan School of Aquatic and Fishery Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195, USA *Corresponding author: tel: +886 2 2362 9842; fax: +886 2 2362 9842; e-mail: chilu@ntu.edu.tw
TL;DR: In this article, the sharing of the Northeast Atlantic mackerel (Scomber scombrus) stock is analyzed as a game between four parties: the European Union, Norway, the Faroe Islands, and Iceland.
Abstract: The sharing of the Northeast Atlantic mackerel (Scomber scombrus) stock is analysed as a game between four parties: the European Union, Norway, the Faroe Islands, and Iceland. Consideration is given to how the outcome depends on the nature of the stock’s migrations. Two types of migrations are considered: (i) density-dependent, where the mackerel migrates into the Icelandic economic zone only if it exceeds 3.5 million t, and (ii) stochastic migrations, where the said migrations are stochastic. It is determined that the Faroe Islands would never accept a cooperative solution wherein they can only fish with the globally optimal fishing mortality within their own zone. This is also true for Iceland when the migrations into her zone are stochastic, but not if they are density-dependent. In the latter case, the other players have incentives to retaliate to Icelandic overfishing by fishing harder, which greatly reduces the number of years when mackerel are available in the Icelandic zone. It is assumed that the objective is maximization of the catch volume over a time-horizon of 50 years.