Results on main elasmobranch species captured during the 2001-2009 Porcupine Bank (NE Atlantic) bottom trawl surveys

This paper presents the results on nine of the most important elasmobranch fish species of the nine years (2001-2009) of the Porcupine bank Spanish surveys. The main species in biomass terms in Porcupine bank bottom trawl survey, in decreasing biomass abundance order, are: blackmouth catshark, birdbeak dogfish, velvet belly, Knifetooth dogfish, lesser spotted dogfish, bluntnose sixgill shark, sandy ray, cuckoo ray and common skate. Many of these species occupy mainly the deep areas covered in the survey, especially birdbeak dogfish, knifetooth dogfish and velvet belly. Less confined to deeper grounds are blackmouth catshark and sandy ray, while lesser spotted dogfish and cuckoo ray inhabit mainly the shallower grounds close to the Irish shelf or the central mound in the bank. Length distributions of these species along the survey series are also presented and discussed. The few available data on siki sharks from the Porcupine bank survey are also summarized.Versión del edito

Results on Argentine (Argentina spp.), Bluemouth (Helicolenus dactylopterus), Greater forkbeard (Phycis blennoides) and Spanish ling (Molva macrophthalma) from 2011 Porcupine Bank (NE Atlantic) survey

This paper presents the results on four of the mostimportant deep fish species of the last Porcupine Spanish survey carried in 2011, and updates the document presented in previous years with the information on the first ten years (2001-2010) of the PorcupineSpanish surveys. The document presents total abundances in weight, length frequencies and geographical distributions for Argentina spp. (mostly A. silus, results on A. silus/A. sphiraena distribution in last surveys are provided), bluemouth, greater fork-beard and Spanish ling. Also information on records of Blue ling during the survey series is shown.Versión de edito

Results on Argentine (Argentina spp.), Bluemouth (Helicolenus dactylopterus), Greater forkbeard (Phycis blennoides) and Spanish ling (Molva macrophthalma) from 2010 Porcupine Bank (NE Atlantic) survey

This paper presents the results on four of the mostimportant deep fish species in the Porcupine bottom trawl survey organized by the Spanish Institute of Oceanography in 2010, and updates the documents presented in previous years with the information on the first nine years (2001-2009) of the Porcupine Spanish surveys. The document presents total abundances in weight, length frequencies and geographical distributions for Argentina spp. (mostly A. silus, results on A. silus/A. sphiraena distribution in last survey is presented), bluemouth, greater fork-beard and Spanish ling and information on records of blue ling during the survey series.Versión de edito

Results on Argentine (Argentina spp.), Bluemouth (Helicolenus dactylopterus), Greater forkbeard (Phycis blennoides) and Spanish ling (Molva macrophthalma) from 2008 Porcupine Bank (NE Atlantic) survey

This paper presents the results on four of the most important deep fish species of the last Porcupine Spanish survey carried in 2008, and updates the document presented in the previous year with the information on the first seven years (2001-2007) of the Porcupine Spanish surveys. The document presents total abundances in weight, length frequencies and geographical distributions for Argentina spp. (mostly A. silus), bluemouth, greater fork-beard and Spanish ling.Versión de edito

Results on Argentine (Argentina spp.), Bluemouth (Helicolenus dactylopterus), Greater forkbeard (Phycis blennoides) and Spanish ling (Molva macrophthalma) from 2012 Porcupine Bank (NE Atlantic) survey

This paper presents the results on four of the mostimportant deep fish species of the last Porcupine Spanish survey carried in 2012, and updates the documents presented in previous years with the information on the eleven years (2001-2011) of the Porcupine Spanish bottom trawl surveys on the Porcupine Bank. The document presents total abundances in weight, length frequencies and geographical distributions for Argentina spp. (mostly A. silus, results on proportions by Argentina species distribution in last surveys are provided),bluemouth, greater fork-beard and Spanish ling. All species considered present increases in their abundances, that are especially remarkable in the case of greater forkbeard and Spanish ling, confirming the good recruitments detected in 2011 survey. Besides both species have shown new recruitment peaks in 2012 survey.Versión de edito

First record of Neoscopelus macrolepidotus Johnson, 1863 (Actinopterygii: Myctophiformes: Neoscopelidae) from Irish waters (Porcupine Bank, north-eastern Atlantic)

The blackchin, Neoscopelus macrolepidotus Johnson, 1863 (known also as large-scaled lanternfish), originally discovered at Madeira, is a globally distributed benthopelagic fish species that inhabits depths between 300 and 1100 m in the tropical and subtropical regions. Despite the sampling site of the original description, the species seems to be very rare in the eastern Atlantic, particularly at northern latitudes. The worldwide distribution of the species seems to be restricted to latitudes lower than 45º either in the Southern and Northern Hemisphere. During the Porcupine 2016 bottom trawl survey a specimen of N. macrolepidotus was collected at a depth of 628 m and latitude 51ºN in the Porcupine Bank, situated in the north-eastern Atlantic, approximately 204 km off the west coast of Ireland. This is the first record of the species in the Porcupine Bank. It significantly extends the distribution range of N. macrolepidotus and represents the highest latitude reported for this species either in the Northern or Southern Hemisphere. This extended distribution may have been facilitated by the course of the Mediterranean Outflow Water, which on its way to the north-eastern Atlantic reaches the slope of the Bank at depths where N. macrolepidotus is usually distributedVersión del editor0,54

Living together, feeding apart. Trophic ecology of three demersal sharks in the north-east Atlantic

Feeding habits, diets and trophic relationships among three demersal sharks (Galeus melastomus Rafinesque, 1810; Etmopterus spinax (Linnaeus, 1758); and Scyliorhinus canicula (Linnaeus, 1758)) from the Porcupine Bank, Northeast Atlantic were studied. The stomach content analysis revealed differences between the diet of the three species, with a clear preference for benthonic preys in the case of S. canicula, and benthopelagic preys in the case of E. spinax and G. melastomus. The results of this study provide new knowledge about the ecological role of these species in the Porcupine Bank and will be of vital importance for their management and conservation of these species

Discrimination between disturbed coastal ecosystems by using macrobenthos at different taxonomic levels

The taxonomic level required to detect changes in the macrobenthic communities of disturbed coastal ecosystems was assessed by applying multivariate statistical methods to macrobenthic data. Community data sets were analysed from three estuarine salt marshes on the Gulf of Cadiz (southwest of Iberian Peninsula), affected mainly by agricultural sewage (Barbate River estuary), urban effluents (Cadiz Bay) and mining/industrial sewage (Odiel salt marsh). For both abundance and biomass data, aggregation of macrobenthic densities to Families or Orders did not cause any substantial loss of information, and statistically identical inferences from the macrobenthic community structure could be made, with an obvious saving of time and taxonomic expertise. Aggregating data to Classes or Phyla had some effects on consequent analyses: the more similar communities began to be confounded.Mediante el uso de técnicas multivariantes de análisis de datos se investiga el nivel taxonómico necesario para detectar cambios en la estructura de la comunidad macrobentónica en ecosistemas costeros alterados. Se analizan los datos correspondientes a las comunidades de tres zonas de marismas estuáricas del golfo de Cádiz (suroeste de la península Ibérica) que están sometidas a contaminación principalmente procedente de los cultivos agrícolas (estuario del río Barbate), vertidos urbanos (bahía de Cádiz) y desechos mineros y vertidos industriales (marisma del Odiel). Tanto para la abundancia numérica como para la biomasa, la agregación de las densidades del macrobentos a los niveles de familia u orden no significa una pérdida sustancial de información y se pueden hacer las mismas inferencias estadísticas sobre la estructura de la comunidad, lo que significa un ahorro en tiempo y en la destreza taxonómica requerida. Por el contrario, agregar los datos a los niveles de clase y phylum supone un efecto en los consiguientes análisis: se empiezan a confundir las comunidades con mayor semejanza.Instituto Español de Oceanografí

Results on Argentine (Argentinaspp.), Bluemouth (Helicolenus dactylopterus), Greater forkbeard (Phycis blennoides), Spanish ling (Molva macrophthalma) and ling (Molva molva) from 2014 Porcupine Bank (NE Atlantic) survey

This working document presents the results on four of the most significant deep fish species of the last Porcupine Spanish survey carried in 2014, as well as it updates previous documents presented with the information on the fourteen years (2001-2014) of the Spanish bottom trawl survey on the Porcupine Bank. The document presents total abundances in weight, length frequencies and geographical distributions for Argentinaspp. (mostly A. silus, results on proportions by Argentine species distribution in last surveys are provided), Bluemouth (Helicolenus dactylopterus), Greater fork-beard (Phycis blennoides) and Spanish ling (Molva macrophthalma). Argentinaspp. and Spanish ling presented a decrease in their abundances, whereas Bluemouth remained stable and Greater forkbeard increased slightly. In terms of recruitment 2014 showed larger values than previous years for A. sphyraena, Helicolenus dactylopterusand Molva macrophtalmabut weaker for Phycis blennoides, and A silus. Furthermore results for ling (Molva molva) on the Spanish Porcupine Bank survey are summarizedpresenting the results to the WG so their utility for the assessment could be considered.Versión de edito