Abstract
Data with high spatial resolution on the structure and diversity of marine assemblages are valuable for fisheries management and conservation planning but are seldom available. This study provides fisheries-independent, baseline information on the structure and diversity of the demersal fish assemblages of the continental shelf and upper slope off the island of Psara (Central Aegean Sea). Experimental bottom trawl hauls were conducted during 2009–2010, using identically designed trawls. All the fish in the catches were identified onboard, enumerated, and weighted to the nearest g. Species abundance and biomass were transformed to CPUE. Forty-seven taxa were identified in the catches. For 18 of the species caught no other fisheries-independent information on their abundances and distributions is available for the wider area. Among the Elasmobranchii species collected, Squalus acanthias, Dipturus oxyrinchus, and Raja clavata are species of conservation concern. Species composition was generally more similar to that reported for assemblages of the Cretan Sea and the South Aegean Sea than for assemblages of the North Aegean. The assemblages were structured with depth, a pattern that may be driven in part by the differences in benthic habitat between depth zones. No trends by depth in total numerical abundance and species diversity were identified, whereas the bathymetric change in taxonomic diversity was attributed to the depth distributions of certain species-rich orders and families. The frequency distribution of the trophic level of the species followed the broad-scale pattern that applies in the Mediterranean Sea.
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We thank the anonymous reviewers for their careful reading of our manuscript and their many insightful comments and suggestions. We would also like to thank Vasilis Gerovasiliou and Maria Sini for their keen participation in the field work.
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The bottom trawl surveys were carried out in the framework of the Research Project “Assessment of the oceanographic and fisheries attributes of the marine area around Psara Island – Preliminary Management Plan for the establishment of a Marine Park” that was funded by the Prefecture of Chios.
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All authors contributed to the study conception and design. Field work was coordinated by Drosos Koutsoubas. Data analysis was performed by Athanasios Evagelopoulos. The first draft of the manuscript was written by Athanasios Evagelopoulos and all authors commented on previous versions of the manuscript. All authors read and approved the final manuscript.
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Evagelopoulos, A., Batjakas, I.E. & Koutsoubas, D. Structure and Diversity of the Demersal Fish Assemblages off Psara Island (Central Aegean Sea) Caught by Experimental Bottom Trawling. Thalassas 37, 379–391 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s41208-020-00277-x
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s41208-020-00277-x