258 research outputs found
Hydrographic features and dynamics of blue whiting, mackerel and horse mackerel in the bay of biscay, 1994-1996. A multidisciplinary study on sefos
Hydrographic and climatic conditions have been found to be one of the most important factors that
can influence the distnbution and behaviour of adults, juveniles and early stages of fish. This
relationship, which has been pointed out by several authors, is also the main objective ofthe SEFOS
project, which studies the relationship between the distnbutions and migrations of commercially
important fish species and the oceanography of the European shelf edge. Within this framework, the
Bay of Biscay presents special oceanographic and climatic conditions that could intluence the
aggregations of food and larvae in retention areas throughout this zone, which is one of the most
important nursery areas for several fish species and seasonal migrations of blue whiting, horse
mackerel and mackerel
This paper presents the results of a multidisciplinary study of the relationship between the
oceanographic conditions ofthe Bay ofBiscay and the distribution ofboth early stages - eggs and
larvae - and adult fish ofhorse mackerel, mackerel and blue whiting for the period 1994-1996
Recent changes in the pelagic ecosystem of the Iberian Atlantic in the context of multidecadal variability
Trends in ecosystem variables of the Eastern North Atlantic shelf near the Iberian Peninsula
were analysed in relation to regional climate and oceanographic variability. In addition,
detailed changes in oceanographic properties (surface temperature, upwelling and poleward
current activity) and biological components (plankton and pelagic consumers) in the period
1989-2005 were compared with the main trends and multidecadal periods observed in time
series dating back to 1950. In contrast to previous studies, the North Atlantic Oscillation did
not appear as the main influence in the climate of the North Iberian region, while East-West
and subtropical gradients were the dominant modes. Climatic oscillations at decadal scales
were paralleled by similar oscillations in oceanographic and biological variables, but the latter
appeared weakly related to climate. Time- lags of up to 5 years in the biological response may
partly explain these relationships. The main planktivorous fish species (sardine and anchovy)
alternate in periods of 10-15 years of relative dominance, in synchrony with equivalent
species around the world. In contrast, plankton cycles appear greatly modified after 1990 in
coincidence with shifts in climatic and oceanographic variables. Subregional variability
indicated divergent trends in biological variables, particularly the zooplankton increase off A
Coruña and the decrease in the Bay of Biscay since 1990. Such divergences are related to
direct and indirect effects of global changes in this transitional upwelling region
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