Comparative seasonal dynamics of Centropages typicus at seven coastal monitoring stations in the North Sea,English Channel and Bay of Biscay

We review current knowledge and understanding of the biology and ecology of Centropages typicus in the European shelf-seas (e.g. North Sea, English Channel and Bay of Biscay). Our study is based on observations at seven coastal time-series stations as well as on the Continuous Plankton Recorder dataset. This paper focuses on the influence of the environmental parameters (e.g. temperature and Chla) on the life cycle and distribution of C. typicus and provides a comparison with its congeneric species C. hamatus and C. chierchiae in the study area. Data on abundance, seasonality and egg production have been used to define the temperature and chlorophyll optima for occurrence and reproduction of Centropages spp. within this region of the European shelf-seas.     

Why do fishermen discard? Distribution and quantification of the causes of discards in the Southern Bay of Biscay passive gear fisheries

In the context of the Common Fisheries Policy reform, the need for decreasing discards has been highlighted in discussions on the implementation of a discard ban. While most of the research has focused on the quantification of discards by species and métier, identification and quantification of the causes of discards have received little attention. This study presents the results of on-board surveys conducted in the Southern Bay of Biscay fleets of netters and longliners. A large variability of discards was observed. It is also shown that in these passive gear fisheries the main reasons for discarding put forward by fishermen are, firstly, market-related and, secondly, quality-related; discards related to the application of regulations are minor. The results therefore illustrate that decisions to discard can also occur in highly selective fisheries because of economic constraint and the results also show that a part is discarded alive.     

Reduction of flatfish habitat as a consequence of the proliferation of an invasive mollusc

Coastal bays provide habitats for juveniles and adults of many marine species. Mont Saint-Michel Bay (MSMB, France) hosts a highly diversified fish community and constitutes one of the most important nursery grounds for many commercially exploited marine species, such as sea bass, flatfish, clupeids and rays in the English Channel. Besides, MSMB also suffers from the massive invasion of an exotic mollusc, the American slipper-limpet (Crepidula fornicata, L.). This species arrived four decades ago and now represents the main filter-feeder biomass in the bay (150 Mt), an order of magnitude larger than local farmed and natural shellfishes. Recent analyses underlined the impact of this small gastropod on the trophic structure of this bay and its negative influence on juvenile sole densities in the nursery grounds. The present study uses a geostatistical approach to explore the effect of the extension of the slipper-limpet on flatfish (common sole Solea solea, L.; plaice Pleuronectes platessa, L.; brill Scophthalmus rhombus, L. and flounder Platichthys flesus, L.) spatial distribution. Data collected during survey of the MSMB at the end of the 1970s and three decades later have been used to build interpolated maps of (1) slipper-limpet and (2) flatfish spatial distributions. Slipper-limpets were concentrated in a small area, in the western part of the MSMB, in the 1970s while today they occupy half of the bay. This rapid proliferation led to the decrease of available surface for flatfishes, which previously occupied the whole bay and are now restricted to its eastern part. The present study highlighted that the negative influence on fish habitat in MSMB is apparently more related to changes in the substratum than to trophic interactions. This invasion has possible consequences on flatfish population renewal at a large scale and may also damage other benthic or demersal species, such as rays.     

Trophic ecology of European sardine Sardina pilchardus and European anchovy Engraulis encrasicolus in the Bay of Biscay (north-east Atlantic) inferred from δ13C and δ15N values of fish and identified mesozooplanktonic organisms

European sardine (Sardina pilchardus) and European anchovy (Engraulis encrasicolus) are two species of economical and ecological significance in the Bay of Biscay (north-east Atlantic). However, the trophic ecology of both species is still poorly known in the area, and more generally, few studies have considered the potential trophic overlap between sardines and anchovies worldwide. This study aims to highlight the trophic links between the mesozooplankton and adults of these two pelagic fish in the Bay of Biscay, through carbon and nitrogen stable isotope analysis (SIA). Mesozooplankton and individuals of sardines and anchovies were collected during one season (spring 2010), over spatially contrasted stations within the study area. First, the potential effect of preservation (ethanol vs. freezing) and of delipidation (by cyclohexane) on mesozooplankton δ¹³C and δ¹⁵N values was assessed. Results demonstrated the necessity to correct for the preservation effect and for lipid contents in mesozooplankton for further analyses of sardines' and anchovies' diet through SIA. Next, this study highlighted the interest of working on identified mesozooplanktonic organisms instead of undetermined assemblages when unravelling food sources of planktivorous fish using stable isotopes. The inter-specific variability of isotope values within a planktonic assemblage was effectively high, probably depending on the various feeding behaviours that can occur among mesozooplankton species. Intra-specific variability was also significant and related to the spatial variations of baseline signatures in the area. To investigate the foraging areas and potential diet overlap of S. pilchardus and E. encrasicolus, mixing models (SIAR) were applied. Both fish species appeared to feed mainly in the neritic waters of the Bay of Biscay in spring and to select mainly small- to medium-sized copepods (e.g. Acartia sp., Temora sp.). However, E. encrasicolus showed a greater trophic plasticity by foraging more offshore and on a wider range of prey sizes, while S. pilchardus seemed more limited to coastal areas and the mesozooplanktonic species of these waters for feeding.     

A comparative analysis of recruitment variability in North Atlantic flatfishes — testing the species range hypothesis

The hypothesis that recruitment variation in flatfishes should be most variable at the northern edge of the species range, least near the centre of the range, and intermediate near the southern limit was tested using stock and recruitment data generated from sequential population analysis for several different flatfish stocks involving four species (plaice Pleuronectes platessa, sole Solea vulgaris from the eastern Atlantic, American plaice Hippoglossoides platessoides, and yellowtail flounder Limanda ferruginae from the western Atlantic). Several groundfish species have been found to conform to this so-called species range hypothesis with the suggestion that density-independent processes predominate at the edges of the distributional range and density-dependent processes dominate in the centre of the range. Our results were generally inconsistent with the hypothesis: the coefficient of variation (CV) of recruitment for plaice in the eastern Atlantic was independent of latitude, the CV of recruitment for sole exhibited a dome-shaped relationship with latitude with the highest CVs occurring at the mid-point of the range, and the CV of recruitment for the western Atlantic stocks exhibited a monotonic decrease with latitude. We extended our latitudinal analyses by assessing both the degree of dependency of recruitment on spawning stock biomass and the spatial and temporal scales of variability in recruitment and pre-recruit survival for the eastern Atlantic stocks. In general our analysis revealed no evidence of a strong stock and recruitment relationship for any of the stocks examined, and previously published analyses revealed no such patterns with latitude. Analysis of both de-trended recruitment and pre-recruit survival time series over the species ranges of sole and plaice revealed strong positive correlations among adjacent stocks and inverse correlations among stocks at the extremes of the range. Recruitment variation in the flatfish stocks examined appears to be dominated by density-independent factors, operating at a local scale, on the egg and larval stages.     

The food and growth of 0-group flatfish on nursery grounds in the Clyde Sea Area

In early summer plaice (Pleuronectes platessa L.) in the Clyde Sea Area eat Tellina siphons and spionid palps. As they grow, they take progressively larger siphons, fragments of spionids and some crustaceans. In late summer they eat entire spionids and other sedentary polychaetes. There is no significant predation on fish. The common dab [Limanda limanda (L.)] took a wider range of prey species than the plaice, but also depended mainly on polychaetes, crustaceans and bivalves. Depth distribution may limit both intra- and interspecific competition between these fish and also influence the choice of prey. The results from the main nursery areas of Irvine and Ayr Bays were similar to those from the other bays throughout the Clyde Sea Area and support earlier work at Firemore Bay in north-west Scotland and in the Dutch Wadden Sea.The growth rate of the fish increases during the early summer and may be related to increasing food availability, feeding experience of the fish and longer day length. Growth rate between areas appeared to be correlated with benthic productivity. 0-group plaice in Irvine, Ayr and Firemore Bays grew to different mean lengths by the end of the summer growth season, being 82 mm, 73 mm and 61 mm, respectively, for the period 1972–1974. This agrees with the known differences in standing stocks of intertidal macrobenthos in these bays (17·0, 11·1 and 1·3 g m^?2 dry weight, respectively). The significance of this in relation to survival is discussed. Offshore migration of the larger fish in the autumn may result in apparent slowing of growth rates prematurely in inshore areas. The year-class strength depends more on the food availability in the nursery areas than on the number of plaice that settle on the bottom.     

Estimating spatial and temporal variability of juvenile North Sea plaice from opportunistic data

Surveys are often insufficient to accurately capture the distribution of a species in both space and time. Complementary to the use of research vessel data, platforms of opportunity can be a powerful strategy to monitor species distributions at high temporal and spatial resolution.In this study we use data from commercial fishing vessels, collecting – under the European Union data collection framework – biological data on all species that are caught and subsequently discarded. Using such discard data in combination with a systematic trawl survey, we model the spatial and temporal distribution of juvenile plaice (Pleuronectes platessa) in the central North Sea. There is a clear age-dependent difference between the commercial fishing vessel data and the research vessel data, with age 1 being the dominating age in the survey catches, while age 2 is the dominating age in the discards. The results show how immature plaice, slowly migrate from the nursery areas, westwards into the deeper regions of the North Sea. Also, the results show that during the study period, juvenile plaice gradually moved to deeper waters at an earlier age. Finally we discuss how the framework can be applied to similar opportunistic data to monitor seasonal and inter-annual migration of marine organisms, and to quantify how they may be influenced by biotic and abiotic gradients, such as temperature.     

Spatial patterns in suprabenthic communities in the English Channel

The purpose of this paper was to establish the main characteristics of the suprabenthic communities of the English Channel including those found in a potential aggregate extraction zone located in the central part. Sampling was carried out with a Macer-GIROQ sledge during four periods in 2007. In this offshore site, the suprabenthic faunal composition and abundance were close to those observed in other similar sites in coarse sand to pebbles in the western and eastern parts of the English Channel. But, the species richness was low (65 species). Amphipods were the dominant group in terms of diversity and abundance. Only a few species, mostly amphipods and decapods, showed significant daily migration. Seasonal variations were moderate. Due to the similar suprabenthic fauna having good swimming ability, the aggregate extraction zone in the central part of the Channel could be rapidly colonized after exploitation and thus could rapidly insure a feeding resource for fish, which are attracted by abundant prey.     

Les flotilles de pêche de l'Union Européenne dans le golfe de Gascogne vues du ciel

Regular flights over the Bay of Biscay by the French Customs Air Service, have enabled us to record more precisely, from 1989 to 1995, the geographical locations of French and other European Community (EU) fishing boats. Data showed three main ‘métiers’ within the Bay of Biscay fishing fleet: French and Spanish bottom trawlers (61 %), French gill-netters and Spanish longliners. More than 80 % of gill-netters worked inside the territorial sea (12 nautical miles) and 60 % of them worked south of Noirmoutier (47°N). Longliners moved according to the seasons, from the edge of the continental shelf to the 50–100 m sounding lines. Since they work at night, only few pelagic trawlers have been recorded (records being made in daylight). The potters, liners and other small ‘métier’ boats of the bay were only located along the coast. The position of the French boats' positions according to their registration district showed that most boats worked close to their landing ports and that the overlap is small between the areas of two neighbouring fleets. Further analysis of the spatial distribution of boats in the French EEZ showed that Spanish boats were mainly recorded in the southern part of the Bay of Biscay, and that most were Basque. Belgian and Dutch beam trawlers fished their quota of sole off the ‘Pertuis Charentais’, the Gironde estuary and the ‘bassin d'Arcachon’. The 100 m sounding line appeared to constitute a demarcation line between the major fraction of the French fleet and other EU fishing boats. Although some fishing areas were only visited by boats practising a particular ‘métier’, others were coveted by everybody and, consequently, were areas with the most serious risk of conflicts.     

Les observations de poissons tropicaux et le réchauffement des eaux dans l'Atlantique européen

A recapitulation of the records of tropical fishes from European Atlantic waters shows that 67.6% were fishes caught from the upper slope, between approximately 200 and 600 m; 19.8% were fishes caught from the continental shelf; and 13.5% were specimens caught from the middle slope, between 700 and 1 300 m. Since 1963, the upper slope species have made regular northward range extensions off of south Portugal to north-western Ireland (about 55° 30′N), more and less rapidly, about 30 years for Cyttopsis roseus and only 6 years for Sphoeroides pachygaster. The continental shelf species, observed from 1969 but mostly from 1981, have a northward range to south-eastern Ireland (about 52° N), but 65.2% of them have been caught off the south of the Bay of Biscay. The middle slope species, recorded only from 1991 according to the development of the deep fishery, were caught between 48° N and 60° N. The northward range extension of upper slope species and the higher frequency of records of continental shelf species from the southern part of the Bay of Biscay coincide with the investigations on the warming of the south-north current in the upper slope of northern Spain and of the south French Atlantic continental shelf.     

Quality of coastal and estuarine essential fish habitats: estimations based on the size of juvenile common sole (Solea solea L.)

Survival and growth of early fish stages are maximal in coastal and estuarine habitats where natural shallow areas serve as nurseries for a variety of widely distributed species on the continental shelf. Processes occurring in these nursery grounds during the juvenile stage affect growth and may be important in regulating the year-class strength of fishes and population size. The need, therefore, exists to protect these essential fish habitats hence to develop indicators to estimate their quality.The purpose of the present study was to use the growth of juvenile sole as a means of comparing the quality of coastal and estuarine nursery habitats in the Bay of Biscay (France). These sole nurseries were clearly identified from studies based on trawl surveys carried out during the last two decades. The size of 1-group juveniles at the end of their second summer, as estimated from these surveys, is an indicator of growth in these habitats during the juvenile phase and can be used to compare habitat quality. A model taking into account the role of seawater temperature in spatial and interannual variations of juvenile size was developed to compare growth performance in the different nursery sectors.This study shows that the size of juvenile sole after two summers of life is not density-dependent, probably because the size of the population adapts to habitat capacity after high mortality during early-juvenile stages. Size is on one hand positively related to temperature and on the other hand higher in estuarine than in non-estuarine habitats. This high growth potential of juvenile fish in estuarine areas confirms the very important role played by estuaries as nursery grounds and the essential ecological interest of these limited areas in spite of their low water quality. If a general conclusion on habitat quality is to be reached about studies based on the growth of juvenile fish, it is necessary to use not only an integrative indicator of growth, like size, representative of the intrinsic habitat quality, but also more sensitive and less integrative means, such as otolith increments or caging experiments, which better respond to anthropogenic disturbance. Moreover, it is necessary to take juvenile densities into account.     

Changes in the spatial distribution of North Sea plaice (Pleuronectes platessa) and implications for fisheries management

To protect the main nursery area of plaice, an area called the ‘Plaice Box’ was closed to trawl fisheries with large vessels in 1989, with the expectation that recruitment, yield and spawning stock biomass would increase. However, since then the plaice population has declined and the rate of discarding outside the Plaice Box has increased, suggesting an offshore shift in spatial distribution of juvenile plaice. Using research vessel survey data collected since 1970, the change in distribution of juvenile age groups was analysed in relation to the distance to the coast. Further, a comparison of the distribution of different length classes of plaice between three historic periods was made (1902–1909; 1983–1987; 1999–2003). A shift towards deeper water of larger-sized plaice (20–39 cm) is apparent already before the 1980s and may be related to the decrease in the number of competitors or predators. An offshore shift in the distribution of young plaice occurred in the 1990s most likely in response to higher water temperatures that may have exceeded the maximum tolerance range or increased the food requirements above the available food resources. A decrease in competition with larger plaice offshore, possibly in combination with increased inshore predation by cormorants and seals, may also have played a role. The offshore shift in distribution has reduced the effectiveness of the Plaice Box as a technical measure to protect the under-sized plaice from discarding, since an increased proportion of the population of undersized plaice is moving to the more heavily exploited offshore areas.     

A century later: Long-term change of an inshore temperate marine fish assemblage

There is compelling evidence that European marine fish assemblages have undergone extensive changes in composition over the last century. However, our knowledge of which species have changed in abundance and body size distributions, and the reasons for these changes, is limited due to a paucity of historical data. Here we report a study of long-term change in a marine fish assemblage from the inshore waters of the Western English Channel, near Plymouth. We compiled data from historic trawls undertaken between 1913 and 1922, and resurveyed those sites in 2008 and 2009. Our results revealed highly significant temporal differences in assemblage composition, but the scale of change was not consistent among taxonomic groups. Dramatic changes were recorded within the elasmobranchs, characterised by a reduction in abundance of all skate (Rajiidae) species, apparent extirpation of the angel shark (Squatina squatina), and large increases in the abundance of lesser-spotted catshark (Scyliorhinus canicula). By contrast we observed less evidence of change among ‘flatfishes’ (Pleuronectiformes) or ‘roundfishes’ (other teleosts). Changes were also observed in length–frequency distributions, with a significant decline in the size distribution of elasmobranchs (excluding S. canicula), but no significant change in size distributions of either group of teleosts. These data provide further evidence that larger, slow-maturing species have undergone declines in UK waters over the last century, and form useful benchmarks for assessment of future changes in this coastal faunal assemblage.     

Molecular evidence for multiple UDP-glucuronosyltransferase gene familes in fish

The presence of multiple distinct UGT genes in fish was derived by analysis of DNA sequence data derived the zebrafish EST project, confirming indications from previous protein purification studies in another fish species, the plaice, for a diversity of isoforms in lower vertebrates. At least 10 different UGTs can be identified from nucleotide sequence data in zebrafish. Phylogenetic analysis of exon 1 sequences of the zebrafish, plaice and human UGTs indicates that six of these genes are related to the 1A, 1B and 2 families and that a further four genes were of more ancient lineage. Importantly data for the 3' sequences of the zebrafish clones, both from the database and our own sequences of the publicly available clones did not provide any evidence for elaboration of family 1A genes by alternative splicing in this lower vertebrate.     

The impact of the last European deglaciation on the deep-sea turbidite systems of the Celtic-Armorican margin (Bay of Biscay)

The compilation of results obtained on three giant piston cores from the Whittard, Shamrock and Guilcher turbidite levees reveals a high-resolution stratigraphic record for the Bay of Biscay. Due to the abundance of reworked sediments in these sedimentary environments, a specific methodological approach, based on an X-ray-assisted subsampling phase associated with sedimentological, geochemical and micropalaeontological analyses, was implemented. With an accurate chronological framework, this multi-proxy investigation provides observations on the ‘Fleuve Manche’ palaeoriver and the British-Irish Ice Sheet (BIS) histories over the last 20,000 years. The results obtained highlight the direct influence of the decay of the BIS on the Bay of Biscay deep-sea clastic sedimentation during the last European deglacial phase. During this period, the annual BIS cycle of meltwater seems enough to generate seasonal turbidity currents associated with exceptional sedimentation rates in all the Celtic and Armorican turbidite systems. With very high sedimentation rates, the turbidite levees represent the main deep-sea clastic depositional area. Long coring combined with a very careful subsampling method can provide continuous high-resolution palaeoenvironmental signals.