MARINE NO TAKE AREAS AS A TOOL TO RECOVER ICONIC MEDITERRANEAN FISHERIES IN DECLINE: THE CASE OF Nephrops norvegicus

(RESNEP)

The aims of the project are:

- Assessing the effect of implementing marine reserve areas to preserve and improve Norwey lobster stocks.

- Acoustic monitoring of diel patterns of the species.

- Proposal of an overall management plan for the fishery.

- The project started in 2018 and will finish in 2021.

PI. J. Navarro.

 

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POPULATION CONECTIVITY OF THE RED SHRIMP, Aristeus antennatus, IN THE NW MEDITERRANEAN BETWEEN THE GULF OF LIONS AND THE GULF OF VALENCIA

(CONECTA)

CONECTA represents a cooperative research effort between two research teams the Renewable Marine Resources team at Instituto de Ciencias del Mar (ICM - CSIC), and the Ichthyology-Genetics Laboratory at the Girona University. These two groups are specialized, respectively, in the study of fishery biology and the population genetics of marine organisms. The Marine Observatory (OOCS) at Centro de Estudios Avanzados (CEAB-CSIC), is associated to the project.

Within the demersal fisheries the red shrimp, Aristeus antennatus is the most important exploited species contributING to wealth in the ports of the Spanish Mediterranean coastline, due to its worth in fish-markets and for its costbenefits yield. The red shrimp fishery requires the most specialized and bigger trawlers in the area, resulting in a potential scenario of overexploitation of this important resource.

Since the late 80s, the two groups involved in the CONECTA project targeted their research to the red shrimp as a model of exploited marine resource to promote self sustained fishery management of marine species. This expertise has been used by the Spanish Government as the scientific support for the implementation of the first regulation of the red shrimp fishery, focused in sea area next to Palamós (Girona county; BOE 126, 27/05/13). In addition, due to these previous studies and achievements, the applicants have been able to detect gaps in current knowledge and to define scientific priorities to advance in an integrated and sustainable management of the species.

The CONECTA project aims at investigating the connectivity between populations of the red shrimp from the Gulf of Lions to the Gulf of Valencia, in order to design regional management plans rather than local ones, as currently established, for instance, in the Palamós area. The implementation of the Ministerial Order cited above concerning fishery regulations in Palamós was certainly the result of a social consensus, despite a lack of sufficient and solid scientific evidences to demonstrate whether these measures will generate revenues to Palamós or, because of the potential connectivity among shrimp populations, to neighboring locations (source-sink population dynamics).

The project started in 2016 and will end in 2019.

PI. JB Company.

 

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OPERATIONAL OBSERVATORY OF THE CATALAN SEA

(OOCS)

The OOCS is a coastal observing system at CEAB which started activities in March 2009. The activities consist on on-board and remote collection of data in fixed stations at the Blanes canyon head and at the Blanes bay. Moreover, time series analyses of data collected at the fixed station and of satellite data are carried out. Numerical modelling of the pelagic ecosystem at the continental shelf edge and of the shelp-slope area is also carried out within the framework of the OOCS activities. This project has been funded by a number of research projects and the CEAB's infrastructure (2009 to present).

This project fished on March 2018.

PI. Nixon Bahamon.

Read more at www2.ceab.csic.es/oceans/

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AEROSOL DEPOSITION AND OCEAN PLANKTON DYNAMICS

(ADEPT)

The research project ADEPT aims at studying the effect of atmospheric aerosol deposition on the dynamics of a marine LNLC (low nutrient low chlorophyll) system, namely the Mediterranean. To achieve its goal, ADEPT uses a multiscale and complementary approach. Relationships between atmospheric deposition and ocean nutrient and plankton dynamics are studied at a coastal scale and at the Mediterranean basin scale. Laboratory experiments focus to understand some of the underlying mechanisms (2012-2015).

PI. Francesc Peters (ICM-CSIC).

Read more at www.icm.csic.es/bio/adept/

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OCEANOGRAPHIC ANALYSIS AND MODELING OF THE MEDITERRANEAN SEA

(OAMMS)

The research project aims at integrating a biogeochemical model in a circulation model of the northwestern Mediterranean Sea, as well as the development of an ecological model of the marine plankton, based on the functional variability of the marine plankton and its adapting capability to diverse environmental and population conditions.

The ultimate goal is to obtain a physical/biogeochemical framework capable of covering various space scales and time scales ranging from seasonal up to decennial in order to investigate the impact of climatic scenarios.

The research project also aims at consolidating an observational system based on the CEAB multiparametric buoy, equipped with meteorological and oceanographic sensors for real time measurement and transmission to shore of the atmospheric and marine conditions.

The buoy was moored from the R/V García del Cid on the upper slope at the head of the Blanes canyon in the Catalan Sea. Automatic observations are complemented by a series of cruises on board a CEAB's boat to the station where the buoy is moored in order to collect discrete water samples.

The present procedure is being improved for the acquisition of water color data (chlorophyll, yellow substance, suspended particles) obtained by the MERIS sensor on board ESA’s ENVISAT satellite.

These data offer two levels of information: 1) real time high spacial resolution files for the western Mediterranean Sea (Levels 1 and 2); and 2) global low to medium spacial resolution (Level 3).

The data, together with other historical data also available, will constitute the project database with public access installed in the CEAB server.

Limited access will be granted to users in general and, under request, to those with justified scientific or educational interests.

A protocol for quality control of the data will be soon available. The protocol establishes the normal procedures within the observational system in order to provide the models with a sound observational base for their calibration and validation (2009-2011).

PI. Antonio Cruzado (CEAB-CSIC).

Read more at http://www2.ceab.csic.es/oceans

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SMOS (SOIL MOISTURE AND OCEAN SALINITY) VALIDATION IN THE MEDITERRANEAN SEA

(SMOS)

Taking advantage of the observations provided by an oceanographic buoy moored in coastal waters of the Catalan Sea, continuous data of sea surface temperature and salinity, and profiles of current velocity and direction of the upper water layers will be compared to remote sensing observations from airborne campaigns and satellite.

Additionally, the meteorological conditions at the mooring site (wind velocity and direction, photosynthetic available radiation, temperature, and relative humidity) measured by the buoy instrumentation provide additional information of the sea surface conditions.

Underwater measurements performed at 25 and 50 m depth by two packs of sensors attached to the buoy (temperature, salinity, photosynthetic available radiation, dissolved oxygen, and fluorescence) will also contribute to understand remote observations of the sea surface (2009-2011).

PI. Nixon Bahamon (CEAB-CSIC)

Read more at http://www.smos-bec.icm.csic.es/

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SOUTHERN EUROPEAN SEAS: ASSESSING AND MODELLING ECOSYSTEM CHANGES

(SESAME)

Two relevant goals of this project are:

- Implementation of a 1DV physical-biogeochemical model to simulate the conditions on the continental shelf in different locations of NW Mediterranean Sea.

- Statistical analysis of historical phytoplankton and nutrients data sets in order to identify potential signficant trends taking place at regional scales (2009-2011).

PI. Antonio Cruzado (CEAB-CSIC)

Read about this project at http://sesame-ip.eu/index.php

 

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