Hard-bottom habitats support commercially important fish species: a systematic review for the North Atlantic Ocean and Baltic Sea
Hard-bottom habitats span a range of natural substrates (e.g., boulders, cobble) and artificial habitats (e.g., the base of wind turbines, oil platforms). These hard-bottom habitats can provide a variety of ecosystem services, ranging from the enhancement of fish biomass and production to providing...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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PeerJ Inc.
2023-01-01
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| Series: | PeerJ |
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| Online Access: | https://peerj.com/articles/14681.pdf |
| _version_ | 1827610946165538816 |
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| author | Hugo Flávio Rochelle Seitz David Eggleston Jon C. Svendsen Josianne Støttrup |
| author_facet | Hugo Flávio Rochelle Seitz David Eggleston Jon C. Svendsen Josianne Støttrup |
| author_sort | Hugo Flávio |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Hard-bottom habitats span a range of natural substrates (e.g., boulders, cobble) and artificial habitats (e.g., the base of wind turbines, oil platforms). These hard-bottom habitats can provide a variety of ecosystem services, ranging from the enhancement of fish biomass and production to providing erosion control. Management decisions regarding the construction or fate of hard-bottom habitats require information on the ecological functions of these habitats, particularly for species targeted in ecosystem-based fisheries management. This study provides a systematic review of the relationships of various hard-bottom habitats to individual commercially harvested species that are managed jointly across the Atlantic by the International Council for the Exploration of the Sea (ICES). We systemically reviewed peer-reviewed publications on hard-bottom habitats including both natural and artificial reefs, after applying various exclusion criteria. Most studies were conducted on near-shore hard-bottom habitats, and habitat importance varied according to fish species and region. We quantified the frequency with which studies demonstrate that natural and artificial hard-bottom habitats function as spawning grounds, settlement and nursery areas, and foraging grounds, as well as provide stepping-stones during migration, or new home ranges. Hard-bottom habitats generally support higher fish densities than surrounding habitat types, although not all fish species benefit from hard-bottom habitats. Of the commercially important species, cod (Gadus morhua) was the most frequently studied species, with enhanced biomass, density, feeding, and spawning on hard-bottom habitats compared to unstructured habitats. Moreover, hard-bottom habitats appear to be of particular importance for spawning of herring (Clupea harengus). Collectively, data indicate that loss of hard-bottom habitats may translate into less-favourable conditions for spawning and biomass of diverse commercial species, including cod and herring. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-09T07:58:04Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-e0ce267aa8784554811fa9389ae38a83 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2167-8359 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-09T07:58:04Z |
| publishDate | 2023-01-01 |
| publisher | PeerJ Inc. |
| record_format | Article |
| series | PeerJ |
| spelling | doaj.art-e0ce267aa8784554811fa9389ae38a832023-12-03T00:52:41ZengPeerJ Inc.PeerJ2167-83592023-01-0111e1468110.7717/peerj.14681Hard-bottom habitats support commercially important fish species: a systematic review for the North Atlantic Ocean and Baltic SeaHugo Flávio0Rochelle Seitz1David Eggleston2Jon C. Svendsen3Josianne Støttrup4Wilfrid Laurier University, Waterloo, Ontario, CanadaVirginia Institute of Marine Science, William & Mary, Gloucester Point, VA, USADepartment of Marine, Earth & Atmospheric Sciences, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC, USANational Institute of Aquatic Resources, Technical University of Denmark, Lyngby, DenmarkNational Institute of Aquatic Resources, Technical University of Denmark, Lyngby, DenmarkHard-bottom habitats span a range of natural substrates (e.g., boulders, cobble) and artificial habitats (e.g., the base of wind turbines, oil platforms). These hard-bottom habitats can provide a variety of ecosystem services, ranging from the enhancement of fish biomass and production to providing erosion control. Management decisions regarding the construction or fate of hard-bottom habitats require information on the ecological functions of these habitats, particularly for species targeted in ecosystem-based fisheries management. This study provides a systematic review of the relationships of various hard-bottom habitats to individual commercially harvested species that are managed jointly across the Atlantic by the International Council for the Exploration of the Sea (ICES). We systemically reviewed peer-reviewed publications on hard-bottom habitats including both natural and artificial reefs, after applying various exclusion criteria. Most studies were conducted on near-shore hard-bottom habitats, and habitat importance varied according to fish species and region. We quantified the frequency with which studies demonstrate that natural and artificial hard-bottom habitats function as spawning grounds, settlement and nursery areas, and foraging grounds, as well as provide stepping-stones during migration, or new home ranges. Hard-bottom habitats generally support higher fish densities than surrounding habitat types, although not all fish species benefit from hard-bottom habitats. Of the commercially important species, cod (Gadus morhua) was the most frequently studied species, with enhanced biomass, density, feeding, and spawning on hard-bottom habitats compared to unstructured habitats. Moreover, hard-bottom habitats appear to be of particular importance for spawning of herring (Clupea harengus). Collectively, data indicate that loss of hard-bottom habitats may translate into less-favourable conditions for spawning and biomass of diverse commercial species, including cod and herring.https://peerj.com/articles/14681.pdfReefsFish abundanceSpawning groundsEssential fish habitat |
| spellingShingle | Hugo Flávio Rochelle Seitz David Eggleston Jon C. Svendsen Josianne Støttrup Hard-bottom habitats support commercially important fish species: a systematic review for the North Atlantic Ocean and Baltic Sea PeerJ Reefs Fish abundance Spawning grounds Essential fish habitat |
| title | Hard-bottom habitats support commercially important fish species: a systematic review for the North Atlantic Ocean and Baltic Sea |
| title_full | Hard-bottom habitats support commercially important fish species: a systematic review for the North Atlantic Ocean and Baltic Sea |
| title_fullStr | Hard-bottom habitats support commercially important fish species: a systematic review for the North Atlantic Ocean and Baltic Sea |
| title_full_unstemmed | Hard-bottom habitats support commercially important fish species: a systematic review for the North Atlantic Ocean and Baltic Sea |
| title_short | Hard-bottom habitats support commercially important fish species: a systematic review for the North Atlantic Ocean and Baltic Sea |
| title_sort | hard bottom habitats support commercially important fish species a systematic review for the north atlantic ocean and baltic sea |
| topic | Reefs Fish abundance Spawning grounds Essential fish habitat |
| url | https://peerj.com/articles/14681.pdf |
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