MEDITS-based information on the deep water red shrimps Aristaeomorpha foliacea and Aristeus antennatus (Crustacea: Decapoda: Aristeidae)

Special Volume: Mediterranean marine demersal resources: the Medits international trawl survey (1994-1999)The application of statistical models on a time series of data arising from the MEDITS International Trawl Survey, an experimental demersal resources survey carried out during six years (1994-1999) in the same season of the year (late spring - early summer) using the same fishing gear in a large part of the Mediterranean, has allowed for a study to compare, for the first time, the space-time distribution, abundance, and size structure of the two Aristeids Aristaeomorpha foliacea and Aristeus antennatus throughout most of the Mediterranean Sea. This research has shown a large variability among the six reference areas, that were arbitrarily defined within the basin. In particular the two shrimps do not seem to present any correlation or yield continuity in the years. The same lack of homogeneity was also observed in the time trend of the abundances and frequencies of each of the two species. These data seem to confirm the intrinsic variability of the species, the cause of which is still unknown and undocumented. Nevertheless, a longitudinal gradient of catches has been observed where A. antennatus is more abundant in the west and A. foliacea in the east of the basinVersión del editor1,006

STECF Fisheries Dependent Information – FDI (STECF-19-11)

Commission Decision of 25 February 2016 setting up a Scientific, Technical and Economic Committee for Fisheries, C(2016) 1084, OJ C 74, 26.2.2016, p. 4–10. The Commission may consult the group on any matter relating to marine and fisheries biology, fishing gear technology, fisheries economics, fisheries governance, ecosystem effects of fisheries, aquaculture or similar disciplines. The STECF reviewed the report of the EWG on Fisheries-dependent Information during its winter 2019 plenary meeting

Correction: Large-Scale Diversity of Slope Fishes: Pattern Inconsistency between Multiple Diversity Indices.

[This corrects the article DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0066753.]

Systematic conservation planning in the Mediterranean: a flexible tool for the identification of no-take marine protected areas

We propose the use of systematic conservation planning in the Mediterranean context for the identification of no-take marine protected areas (NTMPAs). We suggest a logical framework that should be used for the identification of areas to be targeted for multispecies, spatially explicit conservation actions. Specifically, we propose seven steps: (i) definition of the study area; (ii) selection of the species or habitats to be considered; (iii) definition of the planning units; (iv) measurement of the fishing effort; (v) definition of the conservation targets; (vi) review of the existing conservation areas; (vii) selection of additional NTMPAs. Moreover, we consider the potential impact of different conservation plans on existing fishing vessels. A working example is presented, focusing on a limited number of species and on a limited study area. This framework can be easily expanded to include datasets of different origin and to accommodate larger spatial scales. Such a process involves major data-collection and capacity-building elements, and conservation of productive commercial fisheries must be a priority

Scientific, Technical and Economic Committee for Fisheries. Mediterranean Fisheries Assessments Part 2 (STECF-14-19)

The STECF expert working group "EWG 1419 - Mediterranean assessment part 2", has convened in Rome during 19-23 January 2015 and addressed a series of issues as requested by DG MARE in the correspomnding terms of references. The detailed output of this working group efforts is included in the following report. The report was reviewed by the STECF spring plenary during 13-17 April 201

Bathymetric trends in diversity.

<p>Variation of the selected indices (ordonnate) according to depth (abscissa) without neutralisation of the effects of year and biogeographical zones (Loess curves with confidence interval). (A) log S, (B) 1/<i>d</i>, (C) Δ^* (D) Δ⁺, (E) Λ⁺. Codes of diversity indices are given in <a href="http://www.plosone.org/article/info:doi/10.1371/journal.pone.0066753#pone-0066753-t001" target="_blank">Table 1</a>.</p

General results for GAM models of diversity indices.

<p>Deviance for Null model. ΔDeviance for the General model (including all the three variables/factors) and for each of the separated factors/variables. df: degree of freedom. ns: non significant effect when <i>p</i> (> ΔDeviance) >0.01. Percentage of the deviance of diversity indices explained by the factors/variables studied are given in brackets.</p

Species diversity components and descriptors studied.

<p><i>x_i</i> (<i>i</i> = 1, …, <i>S</i>) denotes the abundance of the <i>i</i>th species, <i>N</i> ( = ) is the total number of individuals in the sample. <i>p_i</i> ( =  <i>x_i/N</i>) is the proportion of all individuals belonging to species <i>i, N</i>_max is the number of individuals of the most abundant species, <i>ω_ij</i> is the “distinctness weight” given to the path length linking species <i>i</i> to the first common node with species <i>j</i> in the hierarchical classification. Double summations are over all pairs of species <i>i</i> and <i>j</i> (note that the distance between 2 individuals of the same species is set to 0). Indices based on presence-absence data are marked by ¹. See detailed properties and original references of the indices in Magurran (2004) and in Mérigot <i>et al.</i> (2007b).</p

Geographical patterns in species richness.

<p>Rarefaction curves for each area at (a) basin scale (1 - western basin; 2 - eastern basin) and (b) biogeographical zone scale (1 - Iberian-Lions zone; 2 - Tyrrhenian; 3 -Ionian; 4– Adriatic; 5 - Aegean). Plotted values in ordinate are means of 50 estimates of the number of species (thick curves) and its confidence interval (thin curves), based on 50 randomizations (with replacement) of the stations sampled in each area, according to the number of hauls sampled (on the abscissa).</p