Article
Fisheries
A. D. Rijnsdorp, J. Depestele, P. Molenaar, O. R. Eigaard, A. Ivanovic, F. G. O'Neill
Summary: Bottom trawls have a significant impact on the seafloor and benthic ecosystem, with gear components mobilizing sediment as they drag along the seabed. Through estimating sediment mobilization from hydrodynamic drag, it was found that netting contributes most to the drag of pulse trawls.
ICES JOURNAL OF MARINE SCIENCE
(2021)
Article
Fisheries
Alex Souza Lira, Flavia Lucena-Fredou, Francois Le Loc'h
Summary: The study suggests that maintaining the level of shrimp catches can be achieved by controlling bottom trawling activities without compromising ecosystem structure. Closing the fishing season may lead to significant losses in catches of high market-value shrimp species, while decreasing primary production can have negative impacts on biomass, catch, and biodiversity indicators.
FISHERIES RESEARCH
(2021)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Andrea Petetta, Bent Herrmann, Massimo Virgili, Daniel Li Veli, Jesse Brinkhof, Alessandro Lucchetti
Summary: The study found that design changes that work for the codend of bottom trawls do not necessarily work for other parts of the trawl, and may even have negative effects.
FRONTIERS IN MARINE SCIENCE
(2022)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Francesca Ferragut-Perello, Claudio Vasapollo, Maria Valls, Maria Teresa Farriols, Enric Massuti, Beatriz Guijarro, Sergi Joher, Marina Bibiloni-Socias, Francesc Ordines
Summary: The Spanish bottom trawl fleet in the Mediterranean uses 40 mm square mesh codends, which have low selectivity and result in high proportions of immature fish in the catches. This study evaluated the selectivity of different net configurations in the hake fishery off the northwest Iberian Peninsula. The results showed that a 52 mm square meshed codend reduced discards and improved selectivity for most commercial species, but would lead to economic losses for target species.
FRONTIERS IN MARINE SCIENCE
(2023)
Article
Environmental Studies
Ulla Fernandez-Arcaya, Augusto Rodriguez-Basalo, Patricia Verisimo, Jose Rodriguez, Elvira Ceballos, Jose Manuel Gonzalez-Irusta, Ana Garcia-Alegre, Maider Plaza-Morlote, Alberto Serrano, Antonio Punzon
Summary: This study analyzes the spatio-temporal trends of fishing pressure of bottom-contact gear and assesses its relative importance within each benthic habitat. The findings are important for the conservation of marine biodiversity and the development of spatial protection measures.
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Nicole B. Morgan, Amy R. Baco
Summary: The study revealed fishing activities, primarily trawling, on high-seas seamounts of the Northwestern Hawaiian Ridge and Emperor Seamounts, with Japanese and Korean vessels predominately involved. Scientific surveys showed visible scars from bottom contact gear and provided data on areas with abundant megafauna, which could aid in VME management and further closures.
ECOLOGICAL INDICATORS
(2021)
Article
Fisheries
Tannaz Alizadeh Ashrafi, Keita Abe
Summary: Bottom trawlers engage in multi-species fisheries for profit. In quota-regulated fisheries, the allocation of fishing effort is influenced by fish availability, fuel costs, sea ice extent, and spatial heterogeneity among fishing areas. The aim is to maximize fishing profit within quota constraints by identifying key drivers of effort allocation and reallocating effort based on changes in the relative attractiveness of fishing areas.
ICES JOURNAL OF MARINE SCIENCE
(2021)
Article
Fisheries
E. Gonzalez-Garcia, A. Mateo-Ramirez, M. P. Maroto Castano, G. Bruque, C. Farias, N. Lopez-Gonzalez, A. Punzon, J. L. Rueda
Summary: This study provides estimates of the bottom trawling activity, catches and landings in a mud volcano field in the Spanish margin of the Gulf of C ' adiz from 2007 to 2012. The results show a high bottom trawling activity and catches in sandy and muddy bottoms, while deeper areas and areas with hard and detritic bottoms have low activity. The study emphasizes the importance of implementing bottom trawling regulations in sectors with vulnerable and/or threatened habitats to achieve a sustainable balance between fishing activities and habitat conservation.
FISHERIES RESEARCH
(2022)
Article
Ecology
Justin C. Tiano, Emil De Borger, Sarah O'Flynn, Chiu H. Cheng, Dick van Oevelen, Karline Soetaert
Summary: This study evaluates the impacts of physical and electrical disturbances on North Sea fisheries activities and their consequences on marine ecological functioning, particularly in benthic pelagic coupling. The experiments conducted demonstrate that mechanical disturbances have a greater effect on benthic pelagic coupling, while electrical stimulation may have implications for phosphorus cycling in the marine environment. Management strategies addressing both physical and electrical impacts are crucial for protecting marine ecosystems.
JOURNAL OF EXPERIMENTAL MARINE BIOLOGY AND ECOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Oceanography
Irida Maina, Stefanos Kavadas, Vassiliki Vassilopoulou, Francois Bastardie
Summary: This study found that a 10% reduction in fishing effort for all fishery sectors in the eastern Ionian Sea benefited both stocks and fisheries economics, but was not enough to fully support an EU regulatory framework focusing on promoting more selective fishing practices and reducing unwanted catches. Improving trawl selectivity or implementing space-time closures on trawlers could slightly reduce unwanted catches. The establishment of new aquaculture units may lead to a slight re-allocation of fishing effort without substantially affecting the profit of small-scale fisheries.
OCEAN & COASTAL MANAGEMENT
(2021)
Article
Marine & Freshwater Biology
Aldo Hernandez, Fabian J. Tapia
Summary: The study analyzed subtidal benthic surveys data from six sites along the upwelling coast of central Chile, finding that high-frequency temperature variability, 95th percentile of bottom temperatures, and the duration of hypoxia events explained a significant proportion of the total variance in community structure. These factors, combined with substrate type, accounted for 84% of the total variance in benthic communities across the study region. The findings suggest that benthic species' physiological tolerance to extreme conditions, such as intense warming and hypoxia events, play a key role in structuring subtidal communities.
ESTUARINE COASTAL AND SHELF SCIENCE
(2021)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Ute Daewel, Naveed Akhtar, Nils Christiansen, Corinna Schrum
Summary: A numerical modeling study suggests that atmospheric wakes caused by offshore wind farms in the North Sea can have significant impacts on marine ecosystems, affecting both surface ocean and seafloor. The study shows that wind wakes from offshore wind farms can lead to large-scale changes in annual primary production and alter sediment carbon and oxygen concentration in the southern North Sea.
COMMUNICATIONS EARTH & ENVIRONMENT
(2022)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Robert B. Thorpe, Nina L. Arroyo, Georges Safi, Nathalie Niquil, Izaskun Preciado, Michael Heath, Matthew C. Pace, Christopher P. Lynam
Summary: Achieving Good Environmental Status (GES) requires managing ecosystems subject to a variety of pressures such as climate change, eutrophication, and fishing. This study uses an end-to-end ecosystem model for the North Sea to evaluate the impacts of warming and fishing on the foodweb structure and function, highlighting the importance of an ecosystem approach for management of human activities and the need to improve understanding of bottom-up processes.
FRONTIERS IN MARINE SCIENCE
(2022)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Magda Nenciu, Victor Nita, Adrian Teaca, Adrian Popa, Tatiana Begun
Summary: The North-Western Black Sea shelf is highly susceptible to disruptions in its habitats and ecosystems, particularly from beam trawl fisheries targeting the invasive gastropod Rapana venosa. Previous studies have primarily focused on gear selectivity and by-catch rates, with limited research conducted in the region. In this study, we aimed to assess the impact of beam trawling and propose effective management measures for sustainable zoning of the North-Western Black Sea shelf. Our findings indicate that beam trawling activities can significantly alter benthic habitat structure and call for further investigations to support ecosystem-based management in this marine protected area.
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Alex Souza Lira, Flavia Lucena-Fredou, Frederic Menard, Thierry Fredou, Julio Guazzelli Gonzalez, Valdimere Ferreira, Jose Souto Rosa Filho, Jean-Marie Munaron, Francois Le Loc'h
Summary: The study utilized SIA and SCA analyses to investigate feeding relationships and ecological effects of bottom trawling in a coastal ecosystem in northeastern Brazil. The results indicated a preference for benthic invertebrates as prey for the fish fauna, highlighting their importance in the food web. Differences between SCA and SIA approaches were observed, with trophic pathways associated mostly with benthic sources.
Article
Fisheries
Tessa Mazor, C. Roland Pitcher, Wayne Rochester, Michel J. Kaiser, Jan G. Hiddink, Simon Jennings, Ricardo Amoroso, Robert A. McConnaughey, Adriaan D. Rijnsdorp, Ana M. Parma, Petri Suuronen, Jeremy Collie, Marija Sciberras, Lara Atkinson, Deon Durholtz, Jim R. Ellis, Stefan G. Bolam, Michaela Schratzberger, Elena Couce, Jacqueline Eggleton, Clement Garcia, Paulus Kainge, Sarah Paulus, Johannes N. Kathena, Mayya Gogina, P. Daniel van Denderen, Aimee A. Keller, Beth H. Horness, Ray Hilborn
Summary: Bottom trawl fishing is a controversial activity that yields a significant amount of wild seafood but also has impacts on the marine environment. Recent research has assessed the large-scale impacts of trawling on the seabed and the status of benthic invertebrate populations under current trawling regimes. Results show that while spatial overlap studies can provide insights into potential risks, an assessment model incorporating trawl impact and recovery metrics is essential for evaluating actual risks and ensuring sustainable use of the marine environment.
FISH AND FISHERIES
(2021)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Floor H. Soudijn, P. Daniel van Denderen, Mikko Heino, Ulf Dieckmann, Andre M. de Roos
Summary: The study shows that the impact of fishing for forage fish on piscivores depends on the fishing mortality of the piscivores. When the fishing mortality of piscivores is high, fishing for forage fish benefits the piscivores, but when fishing mortality of piscivores is low, overfishing of forage fish can lead to declines in piscivore biomass.
PROCEEDINGS OF THE NATIONAL ACADEMY OF SCIENCES OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
(2021)
Article
Ecology
P. Daniel van Denderen, Colleen M. Petrik, Charles A. Stock, Ken H. Andersen
Summary: Understanding the emergence of fish food webs from different energy pathways is crucial for predicting fisheries production and understanding the role of fish in carbon and nutrient cycling under climate change. A trait-based fish community model using maximum body weight and vertical habitat strategy successfully represents global fish food web diversity. The model results demonstrate spatial variations in food web structure, with energy pathways shaped by ocean productivity and seabed depth across ocean biomes.
GLOBAL ECOLOGY AND BIOGEOGRAPHY
(2021)
Article
Ecology
Remy Denechere, P. Daniel van Denderen, Ken H. Andersen
Summary: Individual metabolism generally scales with body mass, while maximum population growth rate scales inversely with mass. This relationship is influenced by offspring size. We investigated four different life history patterns and found that some species groups do not follow the traditional metabolic scaling pattern.
AMERICAN NATURALIST
(2022)
Article
Fisheries
Anna Rindorf, Mikael van Deurs, Daniel Howell, Eider Andonegi, Aaron Berger, Bjarte Bogstad, Noel Cadigan, Bjarki Thor Elvarsson, Niels Hintzen, Marie Savina Roland, Marc Taylor, Vanessa Trijoulet, Tobias van Kooten, Fan Zhang, Jeremy Collie
Summary: Accurate prediction of density dependence in productivity is crucial for effective fisheries management. This study examines the relationship between somatic growth, recruitment, and density in 80 stocks in the Northeast Atlantic, revealing significant density-dependent recruitment in the majority of stocks.
FISH AND FISHERIES
(2022)
Article
Fisheries
P. Daniel van Denderen, Helen Holah, Laura M. Robson, Jan Geert Hiddink, Lenaick Menot, Debbi Pedreschi, Georgios Kazanidis, Marcos Llope, Phillip J. Turner, David Stirling, F. Javier Murillo, Andrew Kenny, Neil Campbell, A. Louise Allcock, Andreia Braga-Henriques, Jose M. Gonzalez-Irusta, Graham Johnston, Covadonga Orejas, Alberto Serrano, Joana R. Xavier, Peter Hopkins, Ellen Kenchington, Eugene Nixon, Sebastian Valanko
Summary: A data-driven approach has been developed to protect vulnerable marine ecosystems (VMEs) under the European Union deep-sea access regulations. Multiple protection options and closures have been proposed based on different scenarios and fishing activities.
ICES JOURNAL OF MARINE SCIENCE
(2022)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
C. Roland Pitcher, Jan G. Hiddink, Simon Jennings, Jeremy Collie, Ana M. Parma, Ricardo Amoroso, Tessa Mazor, Marija Sciberras, Robert A. McConnaughey, Adriaan D. Rijnsdorp, Michel J. Kaiser, Petri Suuronen, Ray Hilborn
Summary: Bottom trawling is widely used and impacts seabed habitats. However, the risks from trawling have not been quantified in most regions. This research synthesized evidence from 24 regions worldwide and developed a quantitative indicator of biotic status for sedimentary habitats. The findings highlight the need for more effective management to reduce exploitation and improve stock sustainability and seabed environmental status. The study also found that the area swept by trawling is related to the seabed status, allowing for preliminary predictions of regional status based on the total amount of trawling.
PROCEEDINGS OF THE NATIONAL ACADEMY OF SCIENCES OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
(2022)
Article
Fisheries
Edward Schram, Pieke Molenaar, Maarten Soetaert, Dirk Burggraaf, Pim G. Boute, Martin J. Lankheet, Adriaan D. Rijnsdorp
Summary: The experiment showed that sandeels exposed to electric fields below 600 V m(-1) did not display spinal injuries or hemorrhages, with equal numbers of minor spinal abnormalities found in both the exposed and control groups. Therefore, it is unlikely that pulse trawl fishery will have a significant adverse effect on the population abundance of sandeels.
ICES JOURNAL OF MARINE SCIENCE
(2022)
Article
Fisheries
A. D. Rijnsdorp, G. Aarts, N. T. Hintzen, J. C. van Rijssel, A. M. Winter, J. J. Poos
Summary: This study investigated the exploitation patterns of pulse trawl (PUL) and tickler chain beam trawl (TBT) fishers in harvesting flatfish populations. The results showed that both types of fishers concentrated their efforts in the core of the flatfish patches, using systematic fishing tactics. The catch rates in the core were higher than the background catch rates, but decreased over time due to resource depletion and interference, with interference having a larger impact on TBT fishers.
ICES JOURNAL OF MARINE SCIENCE
(2022)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Edward Schram, Pieke Molenaar, Susan de Koning, Adriaan D. Rijnsdorp
Summary: This study used field experiments to investigate the impact of pulse trawling on marine organisms and found that the direct mortality rate was low and did not differ from untrawled control areas. The results indicate that pulse trawling does not result in mass mortality among marine organisms in the trawl track.
FRONTIERS IN MARINE SCIENCE
(2022)
Article
Fisheries
Pim G. Boute, Adriaan D. Rijnsdorp, Johan L. van Leeuwen, W. Sarina M. Versteeg, Remco P. M. Pieters, Martin J. Lankheet
Summary: By studying the injuries in whiting catches on commercial vessels, we found that pulse trawling causes rare injuries in whiting, primarily due to mechanical impact, and is unlikely to result in increased mortality in whiting populations compared to tickler-chain trawling.
FISHERIES RESEARCH
(2022)
Article
Ecology
Fabian M. Mollet, Katja Enberg, David S. Boukal, Adriaan D. Rijnsdorp, Ulf Dieckmann
Summary: Sexual size dimorphism is caused by differences in selection pressures and life-history trade-offs faced by males and females. Two mechanisms, namely male reproductive behavior and diminishing returns on male reproductive investments, can account for female-biased sexual size dimorphism in North Sea plaice. Observations suggest that higher investments in male reproductive behavior require increased energy acquisition, leading to a delay in maturation and contradicting male-biased sexual size dimorphism. However, diminishing returns on male reproductive investments alone can qualitatively explain the observed sexual size dimorphism, although the quantitative match is imperfect.
ECOLOGY AND EVOLUTION
(2023)
Article
Fisheries
J. G. Hiddink, S. Valanko, A. J. Delargy, P. D. van Denderen
Summary: One aim of environmental management is achieving a good ecosystem state, but assessing this state has often been subjective and haphazard. This review evaluates different approaches for setting thresholds to define a good state for marine seabed ecosystems. Only two approaches quantitatively estimate current ecologically meaningful good states, while others are subjective or based on detectable thresholds rather than distinguishing between good and degraded states. The most objective method suggests maintaining the state within the range of natural variation in undisturbed systems, with a preliminary analysis suggesting a threshold of 54-79% of the undisturbed state for marine seabed community biomass.
ICES JOURNAL OF MARINE SCIENCE
(2023)
Article
Ecology
Daniel van Denderen, Aurore A. Maureaud, Ken H. Andersen, Sarah Gaichas, Martin Lindegren, Colleen M. Petrik, Charles A. Stock, Jeremy Collie
Summary: Theory predicts that fish community biomass will decline with increasing temperature due to higher metabolic losses. However, whether these predictions explain observed macroecological patterns in fish community biomass is unknown. This study tests these predictions and finds that temperature is the main driver of cross-regional variation in fish community biomass.
GLOBAL ECOLOGY AND BIOGEOGRAPHY
(2023)
