ICES Journal of Marine Science

Ríos, Noelia; Pereira, Jodanne; Muñoz-Duque, Sebastian; Silva, Gonçalo; Pais, Miguel Pessanha; Fonseca, Paulo J; Vieira, Manuel; Amorim, Maria Clara P

doi: 10.1093/icesjms/fsaf027pmid: N/A

Fish sounds are a significant component of marine soundscapes. Recently, passive acoustic monitoring (PAM) arose as a promising tool for ecological monitoring, but a good characterization of fish acoustic communities is still needed. This study is the first to characterize the fish acoustic community at a biogeographic transition zone in the Northeast Atlantic. The research was conducted in a marine protected area (MPA) along the Portuguese mainland coast. Based on a literature review, we identified 29 (19.3%) sound-producing fish species present at this MPA, while 70 species (46.7%) were considered potentially soniferous. Using in situ acoustic recordings to detect potential fish sounds, we found 33 putative fish sounds that were categorized using a simple dichotomous classification. The temporal and spectral features of the 13 most prevalent sound types were characterized and compared among them and with available recordings to identify similarities. Finally, hydrophone recordings coupled with baited remote underwater video systems were tested as a method to identify sound sources. This study provides the first fish sound catalogue from the Portuguese mainland coast, laying the foundations to survey fish communities in coastal habitats with PAM.

Hintzen, Niels T; Brigden, Katie; Kaastra, Hendrik-Jan; Mackinson, Steven; Pastoors, Martin A; van de Pol, Lennert

doi: 10.1093/icesjms/fsaf033pmid: N/A

The ability to pinpoint fishing activity in the world’s oceans has greatly improved over the past decades, a period in which both satellite-based vessel monitoring systems (VMS) and automatic identification systems (AIS) were introduced for fisheries control and maritime safety purposes, respectively. These data have been used extensively for fisheries research and have brought new insights into the spatial and temporal activities of many different fishing fleets. More recently, data products from Global Fishing Watch (GFW), derived from AIS data analyses, have boosted research. This is because GFW data resulting in identified fishing events is reported globally at high spatial and temporal resolution. However, working with pre-processed data comes with a risk because data scientists who may rely on GFW data products are unable to change the underlying assumptions used by GFW to define fishing events. In this study, we compare the fishing events identified by GFW with fishing events defined from self-sampling programmes on board two large pelagic fleets in the Northeast Atlantic. Within these self-sampling programmes, the exact position and time of hauls are meticulously reported, allowing for a comparison in both the number of hauls identified and the haul duration. Results reveal that the assumptions made by GFW to define fishing events lead to an overestimated duration of gear deployment within a range of 30%–380%, depending on the target species and vessel type. In addition, by comparing the self-sampling data with unprocessed VMS data, we demonstrate that it is likely that the activity in which vessels search for fish using sonar and echosounder equipment is mistaken for gear deployment. We recommend that authorities and GFW allow scientists free access to the unprocessed AIS data or that organizations such as GFW work closer with the fishing sector and scientific community to improve their data products.

McKellar, Lorna; McQuatters-Gollop, Abigail; Chaigneau, Tomas; Vina-Herbon, Cristina; Valanko, Sebastian; Hiddink, Jan Geert

doi: 10.1093/icesjms/fsaf019pmid: N/A

Estimating thresholds to distinguish between good and degraded ecosystem states is key for assessing and managing marine environments. Numerous methods are used to estimate thresholds; however, there is no standardized framework to evaluate their accuracy and reliability, which reduces the consistency and transparency of thresholds estimated for ‘good’ status. Statistical robustness of four methods was evaluated by varying stochastic noise, sample size, and shape of the pressure-state relationship of simulated indicator data. Range of natural variation and statistically detectable change methods, which quantify natural variation in undisturbed reference conditions, reliably estimated status thresholds for noisy, small datasets, but thresholds were lower than what would have been estimated without noise present or with a greater sample size. Tipping points and distance to degradation methods, which estimate the point at which a system is about to reach, or has reached, a degraded state, failed to estimate thresholds or fit models that were consistent with the underlying relationship as noise increased and sample size decreased. Therefore, for small or noisy datasets, range of natural variation is most suitable to estimate ecologically meaningful, reliable, and transparent thresholds for good status, while for larger datasets with low noise levels, all four methods are likely to be useful.

Verschuur, Xanthe; Bleijenberg, Jasper; Jurrius, Lobke H; Steins, Nathalie A

doi: 10.1093/icesjms/fsaf016pmid: N/A

Incorporating fishers’ experiential knowledge (FEXK) into fisheries management and scientific advisory systems is increasingly advocated, yet practical challenges persist. Science-industry research collaboration offers a way to address these challenges by enabling the co-creation of knowledge between scientists and non-scientific stakeholders. Practical examples of how to effectively integrate experiential knowledge in such collaborative processes remain scarce. This paper presents an evaluative framework designed to assess how FEXK was integrated into collaborative research between scientists and lobster fishers in the Eastern Scheldt, the Netherlands. Based on four best practices identified in the literature, this framework not only highlights the benefits of incorporating fishers’ knowledge—such as increased trust, transparency, industry support, and enhanced data availability—but also serves as a guideline for setting up future science-industry collaborations. The case results show that qualitative insights from fishers complement and validate quantitative data, leading to a more comprehensive understanding of fish stock status and creating industry-supported co-management. Our framework provides a structured tool to critically evaluate existing collaborations and the inclusion of experiential knowledge. It also guides the development of new science-industry research collaborations using FEXK. By fostering mutual learning, establishing circular communication processes, and recognizing fishers as expert data providers, this novel framework supports more inclusive and effective fisheries management.

Marohn, Lasse; Wysujack, Klaus; Freese, Marko; Pohlmann, Jan-Dag; Blancke, Tina; Hanel, Reinhold

doi: 10.1093/icesjms/fsaf020pmid: N/A

Between 1971 and 1991, a series of ichthyoplankton surveys were conducted along the European continental slope to assess the abundance of late-stage European eel larvae (Anguilla anguilla). The information from these surveys provides a valuable baseline for assessing the situation prior and during the recruitment collapse as well as for comparisons with the present-day status. The resulting information can supplement existing eel recruitment data, particularly in regions that are currently not sufficiently covered by glass eel recruitment time series (e.g. eastern and southern Mediterranean Sea). In addition, comparing trends in late-stage larval eel abundance with trends at other life stages may facilitate the identification of life phases and areas with increased mortality, helping to understand the importance of oceanic mortalities for the recruitment decline. In November 2022, a survey was conducted from the northern Bay of Biscay to the Strait of Gibraltar to investigate the current abundance of eel larvae along the continental slope and to test whether current data support the hypothesis of correlated changes between late-stage larval eel abundance and glass eel recruitment. Although this study represents a snapshot of the current situation, the results demonstrate that larval eel densities around the Iberian Peninsula have continued to decrease since the 1980s and that this is in line with the trend observed in glass eel recruitment. The consistency of glass eel and late-stage larval data further indicates that no disproportionately increased mortalities occur during the final larval phase.

Sbrana, Alice; Galli, Simone; Casini, Michele; Carlucci, Roberto; Dassenakis, Manos; Fiorentino, Fabio; Follesa, Maria Cristina; Garofalo, Germana; Georges, Vincent; Isajlovic, Igor; Klancnik, Katja; Lauria, Valentina; Maiorano, Porzia; Manfredi, Chiara; Mavric, Borut; Pagou, Kalliopi; Papadopoulou, Nadia; Paramana, Theodora; Paraskevopoulou, Vasiliki;

Glithero, Diz; Bridge, Nicola; Paul, Ken; McRuer, Jen

doi: 10.1093/icesjms/fsaf030pmid: N/A

The United Nations Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development (2021–2030) seeks to deliver “transformative ocean science solutions for sustainable development, connecting people and the ocean.” Yet, traditional scientific methods and data collection alone are insufficient to catalyze the societal change needed for ocean sustainability and equity. This article focuses on the vital role and significance of ocean literacy as central to operationalizing one of the foundational challenge areas within the Ocean Decade framework—Restoring society's relationship with the ocean (Challenge 10). It draws attention to the key insights in the recently published Challenge 10 White Paper and the broader Vision 2030 ambition-setting process. First, it highlights the need to shift beyond sustainable ocean management to include managing human behaviors that impact ocean health. Second, it reframes ocean literacy as a “societal outcome,” offering a unifying lens to capture contextualized human–ocean relationships, science-policy-society connections, and insights to bridge the knowledge-action gap. The authors present a novel figure integrating four key drivers and operational activities offering tangible pathways to strengthen and restore ocean-society relations.

Methratta, Elizabeth T

doi: 10.1093/icesjms/fsaf022pmid: N/A

There is an urgent need to translate the outcomes of offshore-wind-fisheries research and monitoring into information that is useful to decision-makers. Papers published in peer-reviewed journals typically report whether or not results are significant based on a statistical test and an associated P-value which is compared to a threshold (e.g. P < 0.05). However, statistical significance cannot tell us whether or not the observed results hold any biological relevance. The lack of a clear connection to biological relevance makes it difficult for decision-makers to interpret research findings and understand how a given study fits into the larger picture of offshore wind interactions with the ecosystem. Toward addressing this challenge, this paper makes the following recommendations to translate the outcomes of research and monitoring studies into information that is useful to scientists, fisheries managers, and other stakeholders: (i) report effect size(s) and associated confidence intervals associated with outcomes for research and monitoring studies alongside the results of conventional statistical tests of significance; (ii) consider the biological relevance of research and monitoring outcomes using scientific reasoning to assess the magnitude and direction of the effect size, the width of the confidence intervals, and the factors that may have affected them; (iii) advance cumulative science by reporting the components used to calculate effect sizes, namely the mean, standard deviation, and sample sizes for individual studies; (iv) publish raw data to new or existing open access data repositories following the FAIR guiding principles of data stewardship and management, i.e. data should be Findable, Accessible, Interoperable, and Reusable; and (v) conduct periodic meta-analyses of existing research to evaluate the mean, magnitude, and direction of the effect size to evaluate the overall mean effect of offshore wind development across studies.

Cecapolli, Enrico; Romagnoni, Giovanni; Blöcker, Alexandra M; Möllmann, Christian; Sguotti, Camilla

doi: 10.1093/icesjms/fsaf021pmid: N/A

The Atlantic cod (Gadus morhua) in the North Sea has experienced a regime shift and is now considered to be in a persistent depleted state. Recent scientific evidence confirmed the presence of multiple populations of Atlantic cod in the North Sea through genetic evidence. Here, we investigated if the regime shift detected for North Sea cod manifested differently across areas [Southern, Northwestern-, and Viking (North–East)], revealing different dynamics and recovery potential for the corresponding populations. Methods from driver–state plots to stochastic cusp models were applied to detect the regime shifts. We found that cod in the Southern North Sea has undergone a regime shift and is now in a persistent depleted state. The Viking population is in a high resilience state, and it is recovering. Finally, the Northwestern North Sea population did not show signs of a regime shift and is showing a rising biomass level. Several abiotic and biotic drivers (e.g. fishing and warming) contribute to these differences. Our study provides useful information for the restructuring of management units of cod in the North Sea and highlights the importance of looking at regime shifts spatially.

Jones, Andrew W; Mercer, Anna J; Duarte, Debra G; Curti, Kiersten L

doi: 10.1093/icesjms/fsaf032pmid: N/A

Fishery-dependent data, despite being a valuable resource, is often underutilized in addressing scientific inquiries comprehensively. Similar to citizen science data, it possesses significant potential to enhance our comprehension of changing species abundances and distributions. In this study, we present an illustrative example of harnessing available fishery-dependent data from the northeast United States to generate a valuable scientific output. Our approach involves combining data sets from two high-resolution fishery-dependent research and monitoring programs: (1) the Northeast Fisheries Science Center’s Study Fleet Program and (2) the Northeast Fisheries Observer Programs. By focusing on data collected from vessels employing bottom trawl gear, we construct a novel data set and establish a nominal catch per unit effort index specific to black sea bass (Centropristis striata), a commonly targeted species. To augment this data set, we incorporate additional variables pertaining to ecological and economic factors that could influence catch rates. The expanded data set is then used to develop a catch rate standardization using a generalized additive model. This study not only exemplifies how these unique, high-resolution data sets can be effectively leveraged for scientific purposes but also provides a detailed account of the methodology employed to compile these extensive data sets. We suggest that similar techniques could be applied to other species within the region or to analogous data sets from different regions. Advancing methodologies for utilizing fishery-dependent data in scientific research is a cost effective means for improving our understanding of species abundance and ecosystem dynamics. Moreover, it presents an opportunity to demonstrate the value of incorporating the knowledge and experiences of fishers and other stakeholders quantitatively into the scientific process. By tapping into the wealth of information provided by fishery-dependent data, we can make significant strides in expanding our scientific knowledge and informing sustainable management practices.