Article
Fisheries
Mette Skern-Mauritzen, Ulf Lindstrom, Martin Biuw, Bjarki Elvarsson, Thorvaldur Gunnlaugsson, Tore Haug, Kit M. Kovacs, Christian Lydersen, Margaret M. McBride, Bjarni Mikkelsen, Nils Oien, Gisli Vikingsson
Summary: This study evaluates prey consumption by the marine mammal community in the northeast Atlantic and compares it with fisheries removals. Results show that marine mammals consume slightly more prey than fisheries. Additionally, significant changes in mammal consumption over the last decades are likely related to historic whaling and rapid changes in high-latitude systems.
ICES JOURNAL OF MARINE SCIENCE
(2022)
Review
Environmental Sciences
Ketki Jog, Dipani Sutaria, Amy Diedrich, Alana Grech, Helene Marsh
Summary: Interactions between marine mammals and fisheries, such as bycatch and depredation, are common in commercial and small-scale fisheries. This systematic review examines the management responses to these interactions. The study finds that bycatch of marine mammals is a major conservation concern, followed by depredation of fishing gear. The research also observes a concentration of studies on commercial fisheries in high-income countries, with an increase in studies on small-scale fisheries in low to middle-income countries. Social dimensions and uncertainties in animal and human behaviors pose challenges to effective management. The study suggests integrating social dimensions into fisheries to prioritize conservation efforts based on critical knowledge gaps, and using area-specific adaptive management frameworks to reduce risks to marine mammals.
FRONTIERS IN MARINE SCIENCE
(2022)
Article
Biology
J. Darby, M. Clairbaux, A. Bennison, J. L. Quinn, M. J. Jessopp
Summary: Understanding the sensory ecology of species is crucial for predicting their function in a changing environment. Visual cues play a vital role in prey detection and capture for many predators. However, climate-induced turbidity in marine areas can potentially affect the ability of marine predators to detect prey. This study examines the relationship between a pelagic seabird species's foraging behavior and oceanic turbidity, finding that underwater visibility strongly influences foraging dives and prey detection, suggesting climate change could negatively impact seabird populations.
PROCEEDINGS OF THE ROYAL SOCIETY B-BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES
(2022)
Article
Fisheries
Tammy L. Silva, Tabitha Breault, Travis M. Lowery, Nicholas M. Calabrese, Kevin D. E. Stokesbury, David N. Wiley, Gavin Fay
Summary: Insufficient sampling has led to scarce data on abundance and distribution of forage fish. This study used video trawl survey data to document the abundance and distribution of northern sand lance in Stellwagen Bank National Marine Sanctuary, as well as the spatial overlap with Atlantic cod. The findings highlight the potential of video trawl data in monitoring and understanding fluctuations in forage species and supporting ecosystem-based management.
FISHERIES RESEARCH
(2023)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Gabriela S. Blanco, Mariano H. Tonini, Luciana Gallo, Giacomo Dell'Omo, Flavio Quintana
Summary: This study aims to investigate the circulation and accumulation of debris from coastal cities and fisheries along the Argentine continental shelf and its impact on southern giant petrels. The results showed that giant petrels were exposed to a high risk of plastic consumption, especially during chick provisioning trips. Measures to reduce debris from fisheries and proper management of garbage bins can effectively decrease plastic ingestion by giant petrels.
MARINE POLLUTION BULLETIN
(2022)
Article
Fisheries
Eric Gilman, Milani Chaloupka, Asuka Ishizaki, Mathew Carnes, Hollyann Naholowaa, Colby Brady, Sarah Ellgen, Eric Kingma
Summary: The study found that using tori lines significantly reduced the likelihood of albatross attempting to contact or actually contacting baited hooks. While albatross captures were also less likely in sets with tori lines, there were not enough captures to draw strong conclusions. Offal discharge during setting was associated with higher seabird interactions, but further investigation is needed to determine the efficacy of this mitigation measure.
REVIEWS IN FISH BIOLOGY AND FISHERIES
(2021)
Article
Fisheries
Isabel Garcia-Baron, Igor Granado, Amaia Astarloa, Guillermo Boyra, Anna Rubio, Jose A. Fernandes-Salvador, Lucia Zarauz, Inigo Onandia, Estanis Mugerza, Maite Louzao, Kylie Scales
Summary: Fishery bycatch poses a serious threat to protected, endangered, and threatened species. A study on the artisanal tuna fishing fleet in the Bay of Biscay shows a moderate risk to great shearwaters, with baitboats being less risky than trollers.
ICES JOURNAL OF MARINE SCIENCE
(2022)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Sam B. Weber, Andrew J. Richardson, Judith Brown, Mark Bolton, Bethany L. Clark, Brendan J. Godley, Eliza Leat, Steffen Oppel, Laura Shearer, Karline E. R. Soetaert, Nicola Weber, Annette C. Broderick
Summary: Research shows that pelagic seabirds breeding on tropical islands can deplete their primary prey species over a considerable area, a phenomenon known as "Ashmole's halo". The study results suggest that the gradient of prey depletion by seabirds is mirrored by an opposing trend in their foraging effort, which is not influenced by environmental factors and can be approximated by a model.
PROCEEDINGS OF THE NATIONAL ACADEMY OF SCIENCES OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
(2021)
Article
Ecology
Laura E. Koehn, Margaret C. Siple, Timothy E. Essington
Summary: The impacts of forage fish fisheries on seabirds depend on seabird life history and population dynamics. Using adaptive fishing rules can lead to higher seabird abundance with minimal trade-offs to the fishery.
ECOLOGICAL APPLICATIONS
(2021)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
C. Skinner, A. C. Mill, M. D. Fox, S. P. Newman, Y. Zhu, A. Kuhl, N. V. C. Polunin
Summary: Coral reef food webs are heavily subsidized by planktonic production, with offshore pelagic sources playing a significant role in sustaining reef predators. This highlights the importance of allochthonous energetic subsidies throughout the reef ecosystem.
Article
Environmental Sciences
Alejandro Ariza, Matthieu Lengaigne, Christophe Menkes, Anne Lebourges-Dhaussy, Aurore Receveur, Thomas Gorgues, Jeremie Habasque, Mariano Gutierrez, Olivier Maury, Arnaud Bertrand
Summary: The study found that global marine organisms will be seriously compromised by the end of the 21st century if the current greenhouse gas emission scenario continues. Low and mid latitudes are expected to lose animal biomass, while higher latitudes will have existing temperate fauna, consistent with results from ecosystem simulations.
NATURE CLIMATE CHANGE
(2022)
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Rachel P. Hickcox, Thomas Mattern, Melanie J. Young, Mariano Rodriguez-Recio, Yolanda van Heezik, Philip J. Seddon
Summary: Conservation of the endangered yellow-eyed penguin in New Zealand has focused mainly on terrestrial threats, with little attention given to marine threats. This study assessed the overlap between the penguin's marine distribution and resources, risks, and areas of refugia. It found that the suitable penguin habitat overlaps with gillnet and trawl fisheries, while only a small percentage of the penguin range is covered by current MPAs.
BIOLOGICAL CONSERVATION
(2023)
Review
Food Science & Technology
Upali Samarajeewa
Summary: Marine finfish and crustaceans are vital for human nutrition, but the diminished fishery areas and increased contamination pose challenges to meeting global demand. Factors such as rising sea temperatures, transport of microorganisms, anthropogenic activities, and the entry of toxic chemicals and antibiotic residues contribute to low fish availability and contaminations. This review highlights the importance of addressing unhealthy changes in the oceans and understanding the origins of microbial and chemical contaminations to ensure food-fish safety.
COMPREHENSIVE REVIEWS IN FOOD SCIENCE AND FOOD SAFETY
(2023)
Article
Ecology
Eneko Bachiller, Joan Gimenez, Marta Albo-Puigserver, Maria Grazia Pennino, Neus Mari-Mena, Antonio Esteban, Elena Lloret-Lloret, Jose Maria Bellido, Marta Coll
Summary: The study suggests that potential competition for food resources exists between round sardinella and European sardine and anchovy, but they exhibit similar predation capabilities on large krill in spring, and their overlapping utilization of nitrogen and carbon stable isotopes in food sources.
ECOLOGY AND EVOLUTION
(2021)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Zeshu Yu, Marty Kwok-Shing Wong, Jun Inoue, Sk Istiaque Ahmed, Tomihiko Higuchi, Susumu Hyodo, Sachihiko Itoh, Kosei Komatsu, Hiroaki Saito, Shin-ichi Ito
Summary: Using environmental DNA monitoring, we were able to reveal the spatial distribution patterns of small pelagic fishes in the Kuroshio Current system and hypothesize that predator-prey relationships influence their distribution in these fish communities.
FRONTIERS IN MARINE SCIENCE
(2023)
Article
Marine & Freshwater Biology
D. Szalaj, M. A. Torres, T. Veiga-Malta, M. M. Angelico, L. Sobrinho-Goncalves, C. Chaves, B. Alcoforado, S. Garrido, P. Re, H. Cabral, A. Silva
Summary: This study utilized the Ecopath food web model to describe the Portuguese continental shelf ecosystem and investigated the decline of the Portuguese sardine stock through available time series. The results highlighted trophic interactions, fishing, and environmental forcing as the main factors driving ecosystem dynamics and sardine decline.
ESTUARINE COASTAL AND SHELF SCIENCE
(2021)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Ines C. Dias, Ana Marcalo, Diana Feijo, Isabel Domingos, Alexandra A. Silva
Summary: Interactions between cetaceans and the purse seine fishery in coastal waters of mainland Portugal were examined. Common dolphins were the most frequently observed species with interactions, and the occurrence of interactions varied annually and geographically. Fishing effort and catch per unit effort of sardine were found to have a significant influence on the interactions. The study suggests the importance of monitoring the fishery to implement management plans and support global efforts for sustainable fisheries and marine mammal conservation.
AQUATIC CONSERVATION-MARINE AND FRESHWATER ECOSYSTEMS
(2022)
Article
Ornithology
Helder Araujo, Pedro Correia Rodrigues, Jorge Bastos-Santos, Marisa Ferreira, Andreia Pereira, Jose Martinez-Cedeira, Jose Vingada, Catarina Eira
Summary: This study conducted aerial surveys to estimate the Northern Gannet's population and distribution in the Western Iberian Waters during the non-breeding period. The results showed that the Gannets were most abundant in the North and Centre sectors of the study area, with chlorophyll concentrations being a key factor influencing their occurrence probabilities. The Western Iberian waters were found to be an important hotspot for almost 10% of the global Northern Gannet population.
ARDEOLA-INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ORNITHOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Helder Araujo, Pedro Correia-Rodrigues, Philippe Debru, Marisa Ferreira, Jose Vingada, Catarina Eira
Summary: This study evaluates the impact of incidental captures in fisheries on two endangered seabird species in wintering areas of continental Portugal and identifies potential areas and types of fishing gear where captures are likely to occur.
BIOLOGICAL CONSERVATION
(2022)
Article
Fisheries
Francisco Izquierdo, Raquel Menezes, Laura Wise, Ana Teles-Machado, Susana Garrido
Summary: This study standardized the fishery-dependent catch-per-unit-effort (CPUE) data of sardines from the west coast of Portugal using Bayesian hierarchical spatio-temporal models. The results showed that factors such as vessel length, vessel ID, month, year, and location influenced sardine CPUE. The spatio-temporal distribution of sardine biomass exhibited a constant pattern that changed every quarter of the year, with a cyclical trend in CPUE values over time.
FISHERIES MANAGEMENT AND ECOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Environmental Sciences
D. Szalaj, A. Silva, P. Re, H. Cabral
Summary: This study used an ecosystem model to assess the future effects of multiple stressors on sardine and the Portuguese continental shelf ecosystem. The results showed that the greatest impact on sardine stock is caused by projected sea surface temperature rise. Changes in the biomass of sardine competitors and predators also had a significant impact on the ecosystem. These findings can assist in the long-term and strategic management of the Iberian sardine stock.
MARINE POLLUTION BULLETIN
(2022)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Silvia S. Monteiro, Teresa Rocha-Santos, Joana C. Prata, Armando C. Duarte, Ana Violeta Girao, Pedro Lopes, Tiago Cristovao, Joao Pinto da Costa
Summary: The study aimed to develop efficient methods for water volume reduction and organic matter removal in freshwater samples, focusing on reducing economic and environmental costs, maintaining microplastics integrity and avoiding contamination. Centrifugation at appropriate speeds proved to be effective in settling impurities and preserving microplastics. The use of sodium hypochlorite showed high rates of organic matter removal without negatively impacting polymer identification. These methods are significant for microplastic analysis in organic-rich freshwater samples.
SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT
(2022)
Article
Chemistry, Analytical
Silvia S. Monteiro, Joao Pinto da Costa
Summary: This article summarizes and discusses methods for the separation of microplastics from complex samples, analyzing their advantages and drawbacks. High density salt solutions are more effective for density separation, oxidative methods show better performance in organic matter reduction and plastic recovery, and 10% KOH is highly efficient in samples containing animal organic matter.
TRENDS IN ENVIRONMENTAL ANALYTICAL CHEMISTRY
(2022)
Article
Agriculture, Dairy & Animal Science
Andreia Torres-Pereira, Helder Araujo, Fabio L. Matos, Jorge Bastos-Santos, Sara Sa, Marisa Ferreira, Jose Martinez-Cedeira, Alfredo Lopez, Marina Sequeira, Jose Vingada, Catarina Eira
Summary: The study reveals that the population of Iberian harbour porpoise on the coast of Portugal is small and facing potential threats from accidental fisheries capture. Although the highest estimate was recorded in 2013, the population decreased sharply in the following years. The northern area of Portugal is identified as the most suitable habitat for the porpoises. More assessments are needed to fully understand their spatial and temporal habitat use in the Iberian Peninsula, and urgent threat mitigation measures are required.
Article
Fisheries
Sofia Alexandre, Ana Marcalo, Tiago A. Marques, Alexandra Pires, Mafalda Rangel, Adriana Ressurreicao, Pedro Monteiro, Karim Erzini, Jorge M. S. Goncalves
Summary: This study assessed the interactions between marine megafauna (cetaceans, marine birds, and marine turtles) and fisheries through interviews with local fishers in Portugal. The findings showed that bycatch is a concern for all marine megafauna groups, but depredation problems are mostly associated with cetaceans. Purse seine and coastal bottom set-nets were identified as the fishing gears of most concern. Economic loss caused by depredation led to catch and gear damage, which were especially reported by bottom set-net fishers.
FISHERIES RESEARCH
(2022)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Barbara Horta E. Costa, M. Helena Guimaraes, Mafalda Rangel, Adriana Ressurreicao, Pedro Monteiro, Frederico Oliveira, Luis Bentes, Nuno Sales Henriques, Ines Sousa, Sofia Alexandre, Joao Pontes, Carlos M. L. Afonso, Adela Belackova, Ana Marcalo, Mariana Cardoso-Andrade, Antonio Jose Correia, Vanda Lobo, Emanuel J. Goncalves, Tiago Pitta E. Cunha, Jorge M. S. Goncalves
Summary: This study focuses on the co-design of a Marine Protected Area (MPA) in Portugal, which is the first MPA proposal in mainland Portugal to be co-designed using a participatory approach. The study highlights the steps of the zoning process and summarizes eight main lessons learned, which are useful for other cases with small coastal MPAs. The participatory process involved the development and discussion of three zoning proposals, leading to a final proposal that was scientifically sound and socially accepted by most stakeholders.
FRONTIERS IN MARINE SCIENCE
(2022)
Article
Agriculture, Dairy & Animal Science
Andreia Torres-Pereira, Helder Araujo, Silvia Silva Monteiro, Marisa Ferreira, Jorge Bastos-Santos, Sara Sa, Lidia Nicolau, Ana Marcalo, Carina Marques, Ana Sofia Tavares, Myriam De Bonis, Pablo Covelo, Jose Martinez-Cedeira, Alfredo Lopez, Marina Sequeira, Jose Vingada, Catarina Eira
Summary: The Iberian harbour porpoise population is facing the threat of fisheries bycatch, which has recently caused an increase in mortality in the western Iberian coast. Stranding data from Portugal and Galicia indicate that a significant portion of stranded porpoises were affected by fisheries interaction. The number of porpoises removed from Portuguese waters alone exceeds the potential biological removal estimates, highlighting the need for conservation efforts and fishing effort reorganization.
Article
Marine & Freshwater Biology
Helder Araujo, Pedro Correia-Rodrigues, Jorge Bastos-Santos, Marisa Ferreira, Andreia T. Pereira, Jose Martinez-Cedeira, Jose Vingada, Catarina Eira
Summary: Western Iberian waters serve as important habitats for migratory seabird species. Aerial surveys conducted from 2010 to 2015 revealed the composition, distribution, and abundance of various seabird species in the area. The Northern Gannet was found to be the most abundant species.
MARINE ORNITHOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Operations Research & Management Science
Marta Mesquita, Ana Paias, Laura Wise
Summary: This article introduces a Mixed Integer Linear Programming model aiming to minimize the total traveled distance and total completion time. A hybrid metaheuristic approach, combining genetic algorithm and perturbation algorithm, is developed to effectively solve the problem. Computational experiments demonstrate the effectiveness of the hybrid metaheuristic in real and benchmark instances.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF MANAGEMENT SCIENCE AND ENGINEERING MANAGEMENT
(2021)
