A biogeographical analysis using artisanal dredging fisheries discards of the northern Alboran Sea

Event Abstract Back to Event A biogeographical analysis using artisanal dredging fisheries discards of the northern Alboran Sea Javier Urra Recuero1*, Pablo Marina Ureña1, Alba Rojas García2, Estefanía León Duarte2, Helena Gallardo Roldán3, Blanca Orue Montaner4, Matias Lozano1, José Miguel Serna1, Ana Garrido Diaz5, Alejandro J. Ibañez Yuste6, Alejandro Terrón Sigler6, Jorge Baro Domíngez1, José L. Rueda Ruiz1 and Teresa García1 1 Oceanographic Center of Málaga, Spanish Institute of Oceanography (IEO), Spain 2 Research Planning and Development SA, Spain 3 Upper Andalusian Center for Marine Studies, University of Cádiz, Spain 4 Centro tecnológico experto en innovación marina y alimentaria (AZTI), Spain 5 Agency of Agrarian and Fishing Management of Andalusia, Junta de Andalucía, Spain 6 Agency of Agrarian and Fishing Management of Andalusia, Spain Discards are defined as the portion of the total catch brought on board and then returned to the sea for whatever reason (e.g. unmarketable species, individuals below minimum legal size, etc.). Its analysis is considered of importance for fisheries management, allowing to improve the knowledge on the composition of benthic communities harboring living resources that are included in several European Directives (Marine Strategy Framework Directive, EU Directive 2008/56; Common Fishery Policy, EU Reg. 1380/2013). Besides, it provides a baseline for biodiversity conservation purposes, with the monitoring of rare and singular species. This is of interest in the Alboran Sea as it represents a biodiversity hotspot in an Atlantic-Mediterranean marine transition area, where some marine protected areas have been recently declared for the benthic biodiversity conservation. In this context, a biogeographical analysis has been done using information of a monitoring program on discards of artisanal shellfish fisheries in the northern Alboran basin. A total of 278 discard samples (standardized weight of 5 kg) were collected between March 2013 and March 2014 from the catches obtained with nine artisanal fishing vessels with similar characteristics operating from La Línea de la Concepción to Caleta de Vélez (90 nautical miles apart) (Figure 1), and targeting the most demanded commercial bivalves in the area (the wedge clam Donax trunculus, the striped venus clam Chamelea gallina and the smooth clam Callista chione). In the laboratory, every specimen from each sample was separated, identified to species level (when possible), quantified (abundance and biomass [±0.1 g wet weight]), and characterized according to their biogeographical distribution considering several geographical sectors that included the Alboran Sea; the Mediterranean Sea (except the Alboran Sea); the Gulf of Cádiz; western Europe; northern Europe; and western Africa. The discards generated by shellfish fisheries in the northern Alboran Sea showed a high biodiversity (134 spp., of which 5 are of commercial interest), with the dominant species corresponding to components of the “Sables Fins Bien Calibrés” biocoenosis (well-sorted fine sands) defined for the Mediterranean Sea. The analysis has showed that most species, including the top abundant ones, have a wide biogeographical distribution along the north and western European and Mediterranean coasts, whereas strictly Mediterranean species represent a minority group. Interestingly, a total of eight species with tropical West African affinity (at least south to Senegal) were detected and included the gastropod molluscs Mesalia varia, Bivetiella cancellata, Cymbium olla, Tectonatica sagraiana, Sinum bifasciatum and Natica vittata, as well as the decapod crustacean Albunea carabus and the starfish Luidia atlantidea (Figure 2). All of them are considered native as persistent populations have been observed during the last decades in the Alboran Sea. These species seem to be self-introduced by active dispersal (planktonic larval development) promoted by the flux of Atlantic surficial waters through the Strait of Gibraltar. The analysis of discards represents a useful complementary tool for improving the distribution range of benthic species and for monitoring benthic biodiversity components in a hotspot as the Alboran Sea, including exotic range-expanding species in the area that could be collected and assessed with the help of these coastal monitoring programs. Figure 1. Map of the study area in the northern Alboran Sea (western Mediterranean Sea), showing the location of the artisanal shellfish hauls analyzed (black circles). Figure 2. Subtropical species found in the analyzed discard samples. (A) Albunea carabus; (B) Luidia atlantidea; (C) Sinum bifasciatum; (D) Natica vittata; (E) Tectonatica sagraiana; (F) Cymbium olla; (G) Mesalia mesal; (H) Bivetiella cancellata. Scale: 1 cm. Figure 1 Figure 2 Acknowledgements We really thank the captains and crew of all commercial vessels who have collaborated with the REMARAN team. This study was developed under the collaboration agreement between the Junta de Andalucía (Spain) and Instituto Español de Oceanografía (IEO) (Contract 126/2012-SEN), within the framework of the research project REMAN-REMARAN. This project was funded by the European Fisheries Fund. Keywords: Discards, Artisanal fisheries, Biodiversity, Alboran Sea, Shellfish Conference: XX Iberian Symposium on Marine Biology Studies (SIEBM XX) , Braga, Portugal, 9 Sep - 12 Sep, 2019. Presentation Type: Poster Presentation Topic: Ecology, Biodiversity and Vulnerable Ecosystems Citation: Urra Recuero J, Marina Ureña P, Rojas García A, León Duarte E, Gallardo Roldán H, Orue Montaner B, Lozano M, Serna J, Garrido Diaz A, Ibañez Yuste AJ, Terrón Sigler A, Baro Domíngez J, Rueda Ruiz JL and García T (2019). A biogeographical analysis using artisanal dredging fisheries discards of the northern Alboran Sea. Front. Mar. Sci. Conference Abstract: XX Iberian Symposium on Marine Biology Studies (SIEBM XX) . doi: 10.3389/conf.fmars.2019.08.00135 Copyright: The abstracts in this collection have not been subject to any Frontiers peer review or checks, and are not endorsed by Frontiers. They are made available through the Frontiers publishing platform as a service to conference organizers and presenters. The copyright in the individual abstracts is owned by the author of each abstract or his/her employer unless otherwise stated. Each abstract, as well as the collection of abstracts, are published under a Creative Commons CC-BY 4.0 (attribution) licence (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/) and may thus be reproduced, translated, adapted and be the subject of derivative works provided the authors and Frontiers are attributed. For Frontiers’ terms and conditions please see https://www.frontiersin.org/legal/terms-and-conditions. Received: 10 May 2019; Published Online: 27 Sep 2019. * Correspondence: Dr. Javier Urra Recuero, Oceanographic Center of Málaga, Spanish Institute of Oceanography (IEO), Málaga, Andalusia, 29016, Spain, javier.urra.recuero@gmail.com Login Required This action requires you to be registered with Frontiers and logged in. To register or login click here. Abstract Info Abstract The Authors in Frontiers Javier Urra Recuero Pablo Marina Ureña Alba Rojas García Estefanía León Duarte Helena Gallardo Roldán Blanca Orue Montaner Matias Lozano José Miguel Serna Ana Garrido Diaz Alejandro J Ibañez Yuste Alejandro Terrón Sigler Jorge Baro Domíngez José L Rueda Ruiz Teresa García Google Javier Urra Recuero Pablo Marina Ureña Alba Rojas García Estefanía León Duarte Helena Gallardo Roldán Blanca Orue Montaner Matias Lozano José Miguel Serna Ana Garrido Diaz Alejandro J Ibañez Yuste Alejandro Terrón Sigler Jorge Baro Domíngez José L Rueda Ruiz Teresa García Google Scholar Javier Urra Recuero Pablo Marina Ureña Alba Rojas García Estefanía León Duarte Helena Gallardo Roldán Blanca Orue Montaner Matias Lozano José Miguel Serna Ana Garrido Diaz Alejandro J Ibañez Yuste Alejandro Terrón Sigler Jorge Baro Domíngez José L Rueda Ruiz Teresa García PubMed Javier Urra Recuero Pablo Marina Ureña Alba Rojas García Estefanía León Duarte Helena Gallardo Roldán Blanca Orue Montaner Matias Lozano José Miguel Serna Ana Garrido Diaz Alejandro J Ibañez Yuste Alejandro Terrón Sigler Jorge Baro Domíngez José L Rueda Ruiz Teresa García Related Article in Frontiers Google Scholar PubMed Abstract Close Back to top Javascript is disabled. 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