Mapping silver eel migration routes in the North Sea
Abstract Recent developments in tracking technology resulted in the mapping of various marine spawning migration routes of the European eel (Anguilla anguilla). However, migration routes in the North Sea have rarely been studied, despite many large European rivers and hence potential eel growing hab...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Nature Portfolio
2022-01-01
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| Series: | Scientific Reports |
| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-021-04052-7 |
| _version_ | 1819007227124514816 |
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| author | Pieterjan Verhelst Jan Reubens Johan Coeck Tom Moens Janek Simon Jeroen Van Wichelen Håkan Westerberg Klaus Wysujack David Righton |
| author_facet | Pieterjan Verhelst Jan Reubens Johan Coeck Tom Moens Janek Simon Jeroen Van Wichelen Håkan Westerberg Klaus Wysujack David Righton |
| author_sort | Pieterjan Verhelst |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Abstract Recent developments in tracking technology resulted in the mapping of various marine spawning migration routes of the European eel (Anguilla anguilla). However, migration routes in the North Sea have rarely been studied, despite many large European rivers and hence potential eel growing habitat discharge into the North Sea. In this study, we present the most comprehensive map to date with migration routes by silver European eels in the North Sea and document for the first time successful eel migration through the English Channel. Migration tracks were reconstructed for 42 eels tagged in Belgium and 12 in Germany. Additionally, some eels moved up north to exit the North Sea over the British Isles, confirming the existence of two different routes, even for eels exiting from a single river catchment. Furthermore, we observed a wide range in migration speeds (6.8–45.2 km day−1). We hypothesize that these are likely attributed to water currents, with eels migrating through the English Channel being significantly faster than eels migrating northward. |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-21T00:21:13Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-10a7a697804d45dd919139c4e987b399 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2045-2322 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-21T00:21:13Z |
| publishDate | 2022-01-01 |
| publisher | Nature Portfolio |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Scientific Reports |
| spelling | doaj.art-10a7a697804d45dd919139c4e987b3992022-12-21T19:22:06ZengNature PortfolioScientific Reports2045-23222022-01-0112111010.1038/s41598-021-04052-7Mapping silver eel migration routes in the North SeaPieterjan Verhelst0Jan Reubens1Johan Coeck2Tom Moens3Janek Simon4Jeroen Van Wichelen5Håkan Westerberg6Klaus Wysujack7David Righton8Marine Biology Research Group, Ghent UniversityFlanders Marine Institute (VLIZ)Research Institute for Nature and Forest (INBO), Aquatic ManagementMarine Biology Research Group, Ghent UniversityInstitute of Inland Fisheries E.V. Potsdam SacrowResearch Institute for Nature and Forest (INBO), Aquatic ManagementInstitute of Freshwater Research, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences (SLU)Thünen Institute of Fisheries EcologyCentre for Environment, Fisheries, and Aquaculture Science (Cefas)Abstract Recent developments in tracking technology resulted in the mapping of various marine spawning migration routes of the European eel (Anguilla anguilla). However, migration routes in the North Sea have rarely been studied, despite many large European rivers and hence potential eel growing habitat discharge into the North Sea. In this study, we present the most comprehensive map to date with migration routes by silver European eels in the North Sea and document for the first time successful eel migration through the English Channel. Migration tracks were reconstructed for 42 eels tagged in Belgium and 12 in Germany. Additionally, some eels moved up north to exit the North Sea over the British Isles, confirming the existence of two different routes, even for eels exiting from a single river catchment. Furthermore, we observed a wide range in migration speeds (6.8–45.2 km day−1). We hypothesize that these are likely attributed to water currents, with eels migrating through the English Channel being significantly faster than eels migrating northward.https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-021-04052-7 |
| spellingShingle | Pieterjan Verhelst Jan Reubens Johan Coeck Tom Moens Janek Simon Jeroen Van Wichelen Håkan Westerberg Klaus Wysujack David Righton Mapping silver eel migration routes in the North Sea Scientific Reports |
| title | Mapping silver eel migration routes in the North Sea |
| title_full | Mapping silver eel migration routes in the North Sea |
| title_fullStr | Mapping silver eel migration routes in the North Sea |
| title_full_unstemmed | Mapping silver eel migration routes in the North Sea |
| title_short | Mapping silver eel migration routes in the North Sea |
| title_sort | mapping silver eel migration routes in the north sea |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-021-04052-7 |
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