Distribution patterns of deep-sea fish and benthic invertebrates from trawlable grounds of the Hatton Bank, north-east Atlantic: effects of deep-sea bottom trawling | Journal of the Marine Biological Association of the United Kingdom | Cambridge Core (original) (raw)

Abstract

Distributions of deep-sea fish, benthic invertebrates and the effects of deep-sea bottom trawling were studied based on data collected in 2005 from a joint collaboration survey undertaken between the Spanish Institute of Oceanography and a deep-sea trawler on the Hatton Bank (north-east Atlantic). A total of 163 valid bottom trawl hauls (600–1600 m) were analysed. The main trawlable grounds were located on the sedimentary seabed of the western flank of the bank (Hatton Drift). Grenadiers and smoothheads were predominant in the trawl catches (67% and 11.8% by weight respectively). Both species were abundant along the western flank. Deep-water sharks accounted for 7.4% of weight, and were abundant along the south-eastern slopes. Chimerids, lotids, morids and other deep-sea species were also taken as by-catch. Grenadiers and deep-water sharks dominated the discards. By-catches of cold-water corals were generally associated with the rocky outcrop and were more abundant at the top of the bank. Abundant by-catches of large sponges, characteristic of sponge-dominated biotopes, were taken from the eastern flank.

References

Allain, V. (1999) Fecundity of deep-sea fish in the north-east Atlantic Alepocephalus bairdii (Pisces: Alepocephalidae). Journal of the Marine Biological Association of the United Kingdom 79, 765–767.Google Scholar

Allain, V. (2001) Reproductive strategies of three deep-water benthopelagic fishes from the northeast Atlantic Ocean. Fisheries Research 51, 165–176.Google Scholar

Allain, V. and Kergoat, B. (1997) Biodiversity and demographic strategies of exploited deep-sea fish populations from north-east Atlantic. Vie et Milieu 47, 285–294.Google Scholar

Allain, V., Biseau, A. and Kergoat, B. (2003) Preliminary estimates of French deepwater fishery discards in the northeast Atlantic Ocean. Fisheries Research 60, 185–192.CrossRefGoogle Scholar

Barthel, D., Tendal, O.S. and Tiel, H. (1996) A wandering population of the hexactinellid sponge Pheronema carpenteri on the continental slope off Morocco, northwest Africa. Marine Ecology 17, 603–616.Google Scholar

Benn, A.R., Weaver, P.P., Billet, D.S.M., van den Hove, S., Murdock, A.P., Doneghan, G.B. and Le Bas, T. (2010) Human activities on the deep seafloor in the northeast Atlantic: an assessment of spatial extent. PLoS ONE 5, e12730. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0012730.Google Scholar

Bensch, A., Gianni, M., Gréboval, D., Sanders, J.S. and Hjort, A. (2009) Worldwide review of bottom fisheries in the high seas. FAO Fisheries and Aquaculture Technical Paper No. 522 Revision 1, 145 pp.Google Scholar

Clarke, M.W., Connolly, P.L. and Bracken, J.J. (2001) Biology of exploited deep-water sharks west of Ireland and Scotland. Northwest Atlantic Fisheries Organization Scientific Council Report Document 01/108, Serial No. N4496 (NAFO SCR Papers and Documents).Google Scholar

Clarke, M.W., Borges, L. and Officer, R.A. (2005) Comparisons of trawl and longline catches of deepwater elasmobranchs west and north of Ireland. Journal of Northwest Atlantic Fishery Science 35, 429–442.Google Scholar

Connolly, P.L. and Kelly, C. (1996) Catch and discards from experimental trawl and longline fishing in the deep water of the Rockall Trough. Journal of Fish Biology 49, 132–144.Google Scholar

Dagit, D.D., Compagno, L.J.V. and Clarke, M.W. (2007) Hydrolagus mirabilis. In IUCN (2010) IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Version 2010.3. Available at: http://www.iucnredlist.org (accessed 20 October 2010).Google Scholar

Durán Muñoz, P., Sayago-Gil, M., Cristobo, J., Parra, S., Serrano, A., Díaz del Rio, V., Patrocinio, T., Sacau, M., Murillo, F.J., Palomino, D. and Fernández-Salas, L.M. (2009) Seabed mapping for selecting cold-water coral protection areas on Hatton Bank, northeast Atlantic. ICES Journal of Marine Science 66, 2013–2025.Google Scholar

Durán Muñoz, P., Murillo, F.J., Sayago-Gil, M., Serrano, A., Laporta, M., Otero, I. and Gómez, C. (2011) Effects of deep-sea bottom longlining on the Hatton Bank fish communities and benthic ecosystem, north-east Atlantic. Journal of the Marine Biological Association of the United Kingdom 91, 939–952. Google Scholar

Durán Muñoz, P., Sayago-Gil, M., Murillo, F.J., Del Rio, J.L., López-Abellán, L.J., Sacau, M., and Sarralde, R. (2012). Actions taken by fishing Nations towards identification and protection of vulnerable marine ecosystems in the high seas: the Spanish case (Atlantic Ocean). Marine Policy 36, 536–543.Google Scholar

Durán Muñoz, P. and Sayago-Gil, M. (2011) An overview of cold-water coral protection on the High seas: the Hatton Bank (NE Atlantic)—a case study. Marine Policy 35, 615–622.CrossRefGoogle Scholar

EC (2009) Council Regulation (EC) No 1288/2009 of 27 November 2009 establishing transitional technical measures from 1 January 2010 to 30 June 2011. Official Journal of the European Union L 347, 24 December 2009, 3 pp.Google Scholar

EC (2010) Council Regulation (EC) No 1225/2010 of 13 December 2010 fixing for 2011 and 2012 the fishing opportunities for Community fishing vessels for certain deep-sea fish stocks. Official Journal of the European Union L 336, 21 December 2010, 12 pp.Google Scholar

EU (2011) Regulation (EU) No 579/2011 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 8 June 2011 amending Council Regulation (EC) No 850/98 for the conservation of fishery resources through technical measures for the protection of juveniles of marine organisms and Council Regulation (EC) No 1288/2009 establishing transitional technical measures from 1 January 2010 to 30 June 2011. Official Journal of the European Union L 165, 8 June 2011, 2 pp.Google Scholar

FAO (2009) International guidelines for the management of deep-sea fisheries in the high seas. Rome: Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, 73 pp.Google Scholar

Gage, J.D., Roberts, J.M., Hartley, J.P. and Humphery, J.D. (2005) Potential impacts of deep-sea trawling on the benthic ecosystem along the northern European continental margin: a review. In Barnes, P.W. and Thomas, J.P. (eds) Benthic habitats and the effects of fishing, American Fisheries Society Symposium 41, Bethesda, MD: American Fisheries Society, pp. 503–517.Google Scholar

Gordon, J.D.M. (2001) Deep-water fisheries at the Atlantic frontier. Continental Shelf Research 21, 987–1003.CrossRefGoogle Scholar

Howell, K.L., Davies, J.S. and Narayanaswamy, B.E. (2010) Identifying deep-sea megafaunal epibenthic assemblages for use in habitat mapping and marine protected area network design. Journal of the Marine Biological Association of the United Kingdom 90, 33–68.Google Scholar

ICES (2008) ICES Advice 2008. Book 9. 9.4.11. Blue ling (Molva dypterygia) in all areas. Copenhagen: International Council for the Exploration of the Sea (CM Papers and Reports), 3 pp.Google Scholar

Klitgaard, A.B. and Tendal, O.S. (2004) Distribution and species composition of mass occurrences of large-sized sponges in the northeast Atlantic. Progress in Oceanography 61, 57–98.Google Scholar

Large, P.A., Diez, G., Drewery, J., Laurans, M., Pilling, G.M., Reid, D.G., Reinert, J., South, A. B. and Vinnichenko, V.I. (2010) Spatial and temporal distribution of spawning aggregations of blue ling (Molva dypterygia) west and northwest of the British Isles. ICES Journal of Marine Science 67, 494–501.Google Scholar

Lorance, P., Large, P.A., Bergstad, O.A. and Gordon, J.D.M. (2008) Grenadiers of the northeast Atlantic—distribution, biology, fisheries, and their impacts, and developments in stock assessment and management. In Orlov, O. and Iwamoto, T. (eds) Grenadiers of the world oceans: biology, stock assessment, and fisheries, American Fisheries Society Symposium 63, Bethesda, MD: American Fisheries Society, pp. 365–397.Google Scholar

Mortensen, P.B., Hovland, M.T., Fossa, J.H. and Furevik, D.M. (2001) Distribution, abundance and size of Lophelia pertusa in mid-Norway in relation to seabed characteristics. Journal of the Marine Biological Association of the United Kingdom 81, 581–597.Google Scholar

Murillo, F.J., Durán Muñoz, P., Altuna, A. and Serrano, A. (2011) Distribution of deep-water corals of the Flemish Cap, Flemish Pass and the Grand Banks of Newfoundland (northwest Atlantic Ocean): interaction with fishing activities. ICES Journal of Marine Science 68, 319–332.Google Scholar

NEAFC (2010) Recommendation VIII: 2010. Recommendation by the North-East Atlantic Fisheries Commission in accordance with article 5 of the convention on future multilateral cooperation in North-East Atlantic fisheries at its annual meeting in November 2009 to adopt conservation and management measures by closing certain areas on the Hatton Bank, Rockall Bank, Logachev mounds and west Rockall mounds in the regulatory area in order to protect vulnerable marine ecosystems from significant adverse impacts in 2010. London: North-East Atlantic Fisheries Commission.Google Scholar

NEAFC (2011) Recommendation 14: 2011. Recommendation by the North-East Atlantic Fisheries Commission in accordance with article 5 of the convention on future multilateral cooperation in North-East Atlantic fisheries at its annual meeting in November 2010 to adopt conservation and management measures by closing certain areas on the Hatton Bank, Rockall Bank, Logachev mounds and west Rockall mounds in the regulatory area in order to protect vulnerable marine ecosystems from significant adverse impacts in 2011. London: North-East Atlantic Fisheries Commission.Google Scholar

OSPAR (2008) OSPAR List of Threatened and/or Declining Species and Habitats. OSPAR Convention for the protection of the marine environment of the Northeast Atlantic. Reference number 2008–06. London: OSPAR.Google Scholar

Rice, A.L., Thurston, M.H. and New, A.L. (1990) Dense aggregations of a hexactinellid sponge, Pheronema carpenteri, in the Porcupine Seabight (northeast Atlantic Ocean), and possible causes. Progress in Oceanography 24, 179–196.Google Scholar

Roberts, J.M., Henry, L.A., Long, D. and Hartley, J.P. (2008) Cold-water coral reef frameworks, megafaunal communities and evidence for coral carbonate mounds on the Hatton Bank, north east Atlantic. Facies 54, 297–316.Google Scholar

Ruddiman, W.F. (1972) Sediment redistribution on the Reykjanes Ridge: seismic evidence. Geological Society of America Bulletin 83, 2039–2062.Google Scholar

Sayago-Gil, M., Long, D., Hitchen, K., Díaz-Del-Río, V., Fernández-Salas, L.M. and Durán-Muñoz, P. (2010) Evidence for current-controlled morphology along the western slope of Hatton Bank (Rockall Plateau, NE Atlantic Ocean). Geo-Marine Letters 30, 99–111.Google Scholar

Shibanov, V.N. and Vinninchenko, V. (2008) Russian investigations and the fishery of roundnose grenadier in the North Atlantic. In Orlov, O. and Iwamoto, T. (eds) Grenadiers of the world oceans: biology, stock assessment, and fisheries, American Fisheries Society Symposium 63, Bethesda, MD: American Fisheries Society, pp. 399–412.Google Scholar

Smith, L.K., White, R.S. and Kusznir, N.J. (2005) Structure of the Hatton Basin and adjacent continental margin. In Doré, A.G. and Vining, B.S. (eds) Petroleum geology: north-west Europe and global perspectives. Proceedings of 6th Petroleum Geology Conference, 6–9 October 2003. London. Geological Society of London, pp. 947–956.Google Scholar

Stevens, J. and Correia, J.P.S. (2003) Centroscymnus coelolepis, In IUCN (2010) IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Version 2010.4. Available at: http://www.iucnredlist.org (accessed 21 February 2011).Google Scholar