2024-03-29T13:27:56Zhttp://digital.csic.es/dspace-oai/requestoai:digital.csic.es:10261/1413202022-05-13T12:10:31Zcom_10261_88com_10261_8col_10261_341
Spatial variability of soft-bottom macrobenthic communities in northern Sicily (Western Mediterranean): Contrasting trawled vs. untrawled areas
Romano, Chiara
Fanelli, Emanuela
D'Anna, Giovanni
Pipitone, C.
Vizzini, Salvatrice
Mazzola, A.
Badalamenti, F.
Benthic communities
Continental shelf
Trawling impact
Fishery exclusion zones
Spatial closures
Stable isotope analysis
13 páginas, 9 tablas, 5 figuras
This study examines the impact of bottom trawl fishing on the macrobenthic communities inhabiting the
coastal terrigenous mud off the northern coast of Sicily (Western Mediterranean). Two intensely trawled
gulfs were compared with two gulfs from which trawling has been excluded for 15 years. The results
show a significant effect of trawling on the faunal assemblage and when comparing the mean biomass
and the whole isotopic composition of the benthic communities. A similar pattern, although not significant,
was found for total abundance, biomass, production/biomass ratio and diversity. Higher abundance
and lower biomass were found in the untrawled areas, attributable to the presence of more
numerous yet smaller individuals, possibly a consequence of more abundant larger predators that are not
removed by trawling, and consequent higher predatory pressure on the benthic macrofauna. The SIMPER
analysis evidenced a dominance of burrowing deposit feeding worms (Paraonidae and Cossuridae) in
trawled areas, as a result of increased mechanical alteration and hence more organic matter available as
food. In contrast, the response to trawling as drawn by the use of trophic markers (i.e., stable isotopes)
was less clear. While d15N of benthic taxa did not vary significantly between untrawled and trawled
areas, d13C was higher in trawled areas possibly due to high sediment resuspension and consequent
intense microbial activity. Mixing models confirmed higher reliance to a detritus-based food web for
benthic organisms in the trawled areas. Standard Ellipse Areas (SEAc) as a measure of community niche
width were slightly larger in trawled areas, likely due to higher generalism triggered by alteration/
removal of the original benthic community.
This studywas funded by the Italian Ministry of Agriculture,
Food and Forestry (n. 6A84). C. Romano was partially funded by the
People Program (Marie Curie Action) of the European Union's
Seventh Framework Program (FP7/2007-2013) under REA grant
agreement N. PIOF-GA-2013-628146.
Peer reviewed
2016-12-12T12:46:30Z
2016-12-12T12:46:30Z
2016
artículo
http://purl.org/coar/resource_type/c_6501
Marine Environmental Research 112: 113-125 (2016)
0141-1136
http://hdl.handle.net/10261/141320
10.1016/j.marenvres.2016.10.002
1879-0291
en
http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.marenvres.2016.10.002
Sí
none
Elsevier