Spatial, temporal, and habitat-related variation in abundance of pelagic fishes in the Gulf of Mexico: potential implications of the deepwater horizon oil spill.

Time-series data collected over a four-year period were used to characterize patterns of abundance for pelagic fishes in the northern Gulf of Mexico (GoM) before (2007-2009) and after (2010) the Deepwater Horizon oil spill. Four numerically dominant pelagic species (blackfin tuna, blue marlin, dolph...

Full description

Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Jay R Rooker, Larissa L Kitchens, Michael A Dance, R J David Wells, Brett Falterman, Maëlle Cornic
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Public Library of Science (PLoS) 2013-01-01
Series:PLoS ONE
Online Access:https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/pmid/24130759/?tool=EBI
_version_ 1818459175373504512
author Jay R Rooker
Larissa L Kitchens
Michael A Dance
R J David Wells
Brett Falterman
Maëlle Cornic
author_facet Jay R Rooker
Larissa L Kitchens
Michael A Dance
R J David Wells
Brett Falterman
Maëlle Cornic
author_sort Jay R Rooker
collection DOAJ
description Time-series data collected over a four-year period were used to characterize patterns of abundance for pelagic fishes in the northern Gulf of Mexico (GoM) before (2007-2009) and after (2010) the Deepwater Horizon oil spill. Four numerically dominant pelagic species (blackfin tuna, blue marlin, dolphinfish, and sailfish) were included in our assessment, and larval density of each species was lower in 2010 than any of the three years prior to the oil spill, although larval abundance in 2010 was often statistically similar to other years surveyed. To assess potential overlap between suitable habitat of pelagic fish larvae and surface oil, generalized additive models (GAMs) were developed to evaluate the influence of ocean conditions on the abundance of larvae from 2007-2009. Explanatory variables from GAMs were then linked to environmental data from 2010 to predict the probability of occurrence for each species. The spatial extent of surface oil overlapped with early life habitat of each species, possibly indicating that the availability of high quality habitat was affected by the DH oil spill. Shifts in the distribution of spawning adults is another factor known to influence the abundance of larvae, and the spatial occurrence of a model pelagic predator (blue marlin) was characterized over the same four-year period using electronic tags. The spatial extent of oil coincided with areas used by adult blue marlin from 2007-2009, and the occurrence of blue marlin in areas impacted by the DH oil spill was lower in 2010 relative to pre-spill years.
first_indexed 2024-12-14T23:10:10Z
format Article
id doaj.art-5ce7e27145ac4d8ba3a63967943c5737
institution Directory Open Access Journal
issn 1932-6203
language English
last_indexed 2024-12-14T23:10:10Z
publishDate 2013-01-01
publisher Public Library of Science (PLoS)
record_format Article
series PLoS ONE
spelling doaj.art-5ce7e27145ac4d8ba3a63967943c57372022-12-21T22:44:12ZengPublic Library of Science (PLoS)PLoS ONE1932-62032013-01-01810e7608010.1371/journal.pone.0076080Spatial, temporal, and habitat-related variation in abundance of pelagic fishes in the Gulf of Mexico: potential implications of the deepwater horizon oil spill.Jay R RookerLarissa L KitchensMichael A DanceR J David WellsBrett FaltermanMaëlle CornicTime-series data collected over a four-year period were used to characterize patterns of abundance for pelagic fishes in the northern Gulf of Mexico (GoM) before (2007-2009) and after (2010) the Deepwater Horizon oil spill. Four numerically dominant pelagic species (blackfin tuna, blue marlin, dolphinfish, and sailfish) were included in our assessment, and larval density of each species was lower in 2010 than any of the three years prior to the oil spill, although larval abundance in 2010 was often statistically similar to other years surveyed. To assess potential overlap between suitable habitat of pelagic fish larvae and surface oil, generalized additive models (GAMs) were developed to evaluate the influence of ocean conditions on the abundance of larvae from 2007-2009. Explanatory variables from GAMs were then linked to environmental data from 2010 to predict the probability of occurrence for each species. The spatial extent of surface oil overlapped with early life habitat of each species, possibly indicating that the availability of high quality habitat was affected by the DH oil spill. Shifts in the distribution of spawning adults is another factor known to influence the abundance of larvae, and the spatial occurrence of a model pelagic predator (blue marlin) was characterized over the same four-year period using electronic tags. The spatial extent of oil coincided with areas used by adult blue marlin from 2007-2009, and the occurrence of blue marlin in areas impacted by the DH oil spill was lower in 2010 relative to pre-spill years.https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/pmid/24130759/?tool=EBI
spellingShingle Jay R Rooker
Larissa L Kitchens
Michael A Dance
R J David Wells
Brett Falterman
Maëlle Cornic
Spatial, temporal, and habitat-related variation in abundance of pelagic fishes in the Gulf of Mexico: potential implications of the deepwater horizon oil spill.
PLoS ONE
title Spatial, temporal, and habitat-related variation in abundance of pelagic fishes in the Gulf of Mexico: potential implications of the deepwater horizon oil spill.
title_full Spatial, temporal, and habitat-related variation in abundance of pelagic fishes in the Gulf of Mexico: potential implications of the deepwater horizon oil spill.
title_fullStr Spatial, temporal, and habitat-related variation in abundance of pelagic fishes in the Gulf of Mexico: potential implications of the deepwater horizon oil spill.
title_full_unstemmed Spatial, temporal, and habitat-related variation in abundance of pelagic fishes in the Gulf of Mexico: potential implications of the deepwater horizon oil spill.
title_short Spatial, temporal, and habitat-related variation in abundance of pelagic fishes in the Gulf of Mexico: potential implications of the deepwater horizon oil spill.
title_sort spatial temporal and habitat related variation in abundance of pelagic fishes in the gulf of mexico potential implications of the deepwater horizon oil spill
url https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/pmid/24130759/?tool=EBI
work_keys_str_mv AT jayrrooker spatialtemporalandhabitatrelatedvariationinabundanceofpelagicfishesinthegulfofmexicopotentialimplicationsofthedeepwaterhorizonoilspill
AT larissalkitchens spatialtemporalandhabitatrelatedvariationinabundanceofpelagicfishesinthegulfofmexicopotentialimplicationsofthedeepwaterhorizonoilspill
AT michaeladance spatialtemporalandhabitatrelatedvariationinabundanceofpelagicfishesinthegulfofmexicopotentialimplicationsofthedeepwaterhorizonoilspill
AT rjdavidwells spatialtemporalandhabitatrelatedvariationinabundanceofpelagicfishesinthegulfofmexicopotentialimplicationsofthedeepwaterhorizonoilspill
AT brettfalterman spatialtemporalandhabitatrelatedvariationinabundanceofpelagicfishesinthegulfofmexicopotentialimplicationsofthedeepwaterhorizonoilspill
AT maellecornic spatialtemporalandhabitatrelatedvariationinabundanceofpelagicfishesinthegulfofmexicopotentialimplicationsofthedeepwaterhorizonoilspill