Discovering where bluefin tuna, Thunnus thynnus, might go: using environmental and fishery data to map potential tuna habitat in the eastern Mediterranean Sea

Authors

  • Dimitrios Damalas Department of Biology, Section of Zoology-Marine Biology, University of Athens
  • Persefoni Megalofonou Maritime Affairs Unit, Institute for the Protection and Security of the Citizen (IPSC), Joint Research Centre (JRC), European Commission

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.3989/scimar.03679.26A

Keywords:

bluefin tuna, GAM, habitat, SST, lunar index, Mediterranean, management

Abstract


Based on a dataset derived from commercial fisheries in the eastern Mediterranean Sea in 1998-2005, we applied generalized additive models (GAMs) to investigate the relative influence of a range of environmental factors on catch rates of Atlantic bluefin tuna (Thunnus thynnus Linnaeus, 1785). GAM analyses were conducted by separately modelling (1) the probability of making a catch (encountering a school), and (2) the positive catch rates (school size). Results suggested intra-annual variations in tuna distribution and revealed interesting associations with some environmental features, lunar periodicity being the most distinctive one. Probability of encountering a school peaked in late spring months, eastwards, at water temperatures above 22°C and around the full moon. Size of school was more likely to be larger in northeasternmost regions and in the vicinity of land in late spring, when the percentage of lunar disc illumination was higher. A moderate but continuous annual decline in the probability of encountering a bluefin tuna school was detected from the models’ outputs. The models were used as an indication of preference or association for the selected environmental variables. Based on these associations, an indirect identification of the bluefin tuna potential habitat was obtained and used to map distributions in the eastern Mediterranean region.

Downloads

Download data is not yet available.

References

Akaike H. 1973. Information theory and an extension of the maximum likelihood principle. In: B.N. Petrov and F. Csaki, (eds.), Second International Symposium of Information Theory. Akademiai Kiado, Budapest, pp. 267-281.

Austin M. 2007. Species distribution models and ecological theory: A critical assessment and some possible new approaches. Ecol. Model. 200: 1-19. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.ecolmodel.2006.07.005

Block B.A., Stevens E.D. 2001. Tuna: Physiology, Ecology, and Evolution. Fish Physiology Series Vol. 19 (Series editors: Hoar W.S., Randall D.J., Farrell A.P.). Academic Press, San Diego and London, 468 pp.

Brill R., Lutcavage M., Metzger G., Bushnell P., Arendt M., Lucy J., Watson C., Foley D. 2002. Horizontal and vertical movements of juvenile bluefin tuna (Thunnus thynnus), in relation to oceanographic, conditions of the western North Atlantic, determined with ultrasonic telemetry. Fish. Bull. 100(2): 155-167.

Burnham K.P., Anderson D.R. 2002. Model selection and multimodel inference: a practical information-theoretic approach, 2nd edition. New York: Springer. 488 pp.

Caddy J.F. 1998. Issues in Mediterranean fisheries management: Geographical units and effort control. Studies and reviews. General Fisheries Council for the Mediterranean. Rome, No. 70, 56 pp.

Collette B.B., Nauen C.E. 1983. FAO species 1983, catalogue. Vol. 2. Scombrids of the world. An annotated and illustrated catalogue of tunas, mackerels, bonitos and related species known to date. FAO Fish. Synop., (125) Vol. 2: 137 pp.

Corriero A., Desantis S., Deflorio M., Acone F., Bridges C.R., De la Serna J.M., Megalofonou P., De Metrio G. 2003. Histological investigation on the ovarian cycle of the bluefin tuna in the western and central Mediterranean. J. Fish. Biol. 63: 108-119. http://dx.doi.org/10.1046/j.1095-8649.2003.00132.x

D'Arcy Wentworth Thompson M.A. (translator). 1910. ARISTOTLE. The History of Animals (Historia Animalium). C.B. 12 v. illus. (1. 4) diagrs. (v. 5-6) 23 cm. Clarendon Press Oxford. Available from: http://etext.virginia.edu/toc/modeng/public/AriHian.html

Damalas D., Megalofonou P. 2009. Environmental effects on blue shark (Prionace glauca) and oilfish (Ruvettus pretiosus) distribution based on fishery-dependent data from the eastern Mediterranean Sea. J. Mar. Biol. Assoc. U.K. 90(3): 467-480. http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/S0025315409991214

De Metrio G., Megalofonou P., Tselas S., Tsimenides N. 1988. Fishery and Biology of the Swordfish, Xiphias gladius, L. 1758 in Greek Waters. FAO Fisheries Report 412, pp. 135-145.

De Metrio G., Deflorio M., Marano G., De Zio V., de la Serna J.M., Macias D., Yannopoulos C., Megalofonou P. 2001. 'Regulatory discard of Swordfish. Effectiveness of the EU Regulation regarding the catch minimum size of swordfish in the Mediterranean'. EU Project 97/074 DG XIV/C1, 2001. Commission of the European Communities.

Desse J., Desse-Berset N. 1994. Strategies de peche au 8ème millenaire: les poisons de Cap Andreas Kastros (Chypre). In: Le Brun A. (ed.), Fouilles recentes a Khirokitia. Editions Recherche sur Civilisations, Paris, pp. 335-360.

Druon J.N. 2010. Habitat mapping of the Atlantic bluefin tuna derived from satellite data: Its potential as a tool for the sustainable management of pelagic fisheries. Mar. Pol. 34: 293-297. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.marpol.2009.07.005

Druon J.N., Fromentin J.M., Aulanier F., Heikkonen J. 2011. Potential feeding and spawning habitats of Atlantic bluefin tuna in the Mediterranean Sea. Mar. Ecol. Progr. Ser. 439: 223-240. http://dx.doi.org/10.3354/meps09321

Efron B. 1981. Nonparametric estimates of standard error: The jackknife, the bootstrap and other methods. Biometrika 68(3): 589-599. http://dx.doi.org/10.1093/biomet/68.3.589

European Commission 2008. The Role of CFP in Implementing an Ecosystem Approach to Marine Management. Communication from the Commission to the Council and the European Parliament [SEC(2008)449] /*COM/2008/0187 final*/ Available at: http://eur-lex.europa.eu/LexUriServLexUriServ.do?uri•CELEX:52008DC0187:EN:HTML

FAO 2005. Review of the state of world marine fishery resources. FAO Fisheries Technical Paper. No. 457. Rome, FAO, 235 pp.

Fromentin J.M. 2003. The East Atlantic and Mediterranean bluefin tuna stock management: uncertainties and alternatives. Sci. Mar. 67(Suppl. 1): 51-62.

Fromentin J.M., Powers J.E. 2005. Atlantic bluefin tuna: population dynamics, ecology, fisheries and management. Fish Fish. 6: 281-306. http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/j.1467-2979.2005.00197.x

GFCM 2011. GFCM Task 1. Statistical Bulletin 2008. A synopsis of information on fleet segments and operational units by GFCM geographical subareas. General Fisheries Commission for the Mediterranean, FAO, 235 pp. Available at: http://www.faosipam.org/Task1_Bulletin_2011_GSAs_Final/GFCM_Task_1_Bulletin_2008_Final_Rel_April_2011.pdf

Guisan A., Edwards T., Hastie T. 2002. Generalized linear and generalized additive models in studies of species distributions: setting the scene. Ecol. Model. 157(2-3): 89-100. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/S0304-3800(02)00204-1

Hastie T.J., Tibshirani R.J. 1990. Generalized additive models. London: Chapman and Hall. 333 pp. PMCid:332745

Heinisch G., Corriero A., Medina A., Abascal F.J., de la Serna J.M., Vassallo-Agius R., Ríos A., García A., de la Gándara F., Fauvel C., Bridges C., Mylonas C., Karakulak S., Oray I., De Metrio G., Rosenfeld H., Gordin H. 2008. Spatio-temporal pattern of bluefin tuna (Thunnus thynnus L. 1758) gonad maturation across the Mediterranean Sea. Mar. Biol. 154: 623-630. http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s00227-008-0955-6

Hilborn R., Branch T.A., Ernst B., Magnusson A., Minte-Vera C.V., Scheuerell MD., Valero J.L. 2003. State of the World's Fisheries. Annu. Rev. Environ. Resour. 28: 359-399. http://dx.doi.org/10.1146/annurev.energy.28.050302.105509

ICCAT 1998. Recommendation by ICCAT on the Limitation of Catches of Bluefin Tuna in the Eastern Atlantic and Mediterranean. Entered into force: August 20,1999. International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas, Corazón de María, 8. 28002 Madrid, Spain. Available at: http://www.iccat.es/Documents%5CRecs%5Ccompendiopdf-e%5C1998-05-e.pdf

ICCAT 2003. Report Of The 2002 Atlantic Bluefin Tuna Stock Assessment Session (Madrid, Spain – July 22 to 30, 2002), Collect. Vol. Sci. Pap. ICCAT 55(3): 710-937.

ICCAT 2007. Report of the 2006 Atlantic Bluefin Tuna Stock Assessment Session (Madrid, June 12 to 18, 2006). Collect. Vol. Sci. Pap. ICCAT 60(3): 652-880.

ICCAT 2010. Report for the Biennial Period, 2010-11: Part I. Standing Committee on Research and Statistics, International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas, Corazón de María, 8. 28002 Madrid, Spain. Available at http://www.iccat.int/Documents/BienRep/REP_EN_10-11_I_2.pdf

ICCAT 2011a. Report of the 2010 Atlantic bluefin tuna Stock Assessment Session (Madrid, Spain – September 6 to 12, 2010). Collect. Vol. Sci. Pap. ICCAT 66(2): 505-714.

ICCAT 2011b. Report of The 2010 ICCAT Mediterranean Swordfish Stock Assessment Meeting (Madrid, Spain – June 28 to July 2, 2010). Collect. Vol. Sci. Pap. ICCAT 66(4): 1405-1470.

Itoh T., Tsuji S., Nitta A. 2003. Swimming depth, ambient water temperature preference, and feeding frequency of young Pacific bluefin tuna (Thunnus orientalis) determined with archival tags. Fish. Bull. 101: 535-544.

Juan-Jordá M.J., Mosqueira I., Cooper AB., Freire J., Dulvy N.K. 2011. Global population trajectories of tunas and their relatives. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A. 108(51): 20650-20655. http://dx.doi.org/10.1073/pnas.1107743108 PMid :22143785 PMCid:3251139

Karakulak S., Oray I., Corriero A., Deflorio M., Santamaria N., Desantis S., De Metrio G. 2004. Evidence of a spawning area for the bluefin tuna (Thunnus thynnus L.) in the eastern Mediterranean. J. Appl. Ichth. 20: 318-320. http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/j.1439-0426.2004.00561.x

Karakulak S.F., Oray I. 2009. Remarks on the fluctuation of the bluefin tuna catches in Turkish waters. Collect. Vol. Sci. Pap. ICCAT 63: 153-160.

Kitagawa T., Kimura S., Nakata H., Yamada H. 2004. Diving behaviour of immature, feeding Pacific bluefin tuna (Thunnus thynnus orientalis) in relation to season and area: the East China Sea and the Kuroshio-Oyashio transition region. Fish. Oceanogr. 13: 161-180. http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/j.1365-2419.2004.00282.x

Kupschus S. 2003. Development and evaluation of statistical habitat suitability models: An example based on juvenile spotted seatrout Cynoscion nebulosus. Mar. Ecol. Progr. Ser. 265: 197-212 http://dx.doi.org/10.3354/meps265197

Lutcavage M., Kraus S. 1995. The feasibility of direct photographic assessment of giant bluefin tuna, Thunnus thynnus, in New England waters. Fish. Bull. 93(3): 495-503.

Machias A., Giannoulaki M., Somarakis S., Siapatis A. 2007. Current state of the fisheries resources: Small pelagics fish. In: SoHelFI, 2007. State of Hellenic Fisheries. Papaconstantinou C., Zenetos A., Vassilopoulou V., Tserpes G. (eds), HCMR Publ., pp. 192-208.

Marsac F., Cayre P., Conand F. 1996. Analysis of small scale movements of yellowfin tuna around fish aggregating devices (FADs) using sonic tagging. In: Anganuzzi A.A., Stobberup K.A., Webb N.J. (eds), Proceedings of Expert Consultation on Indian Ocean Tunas. 6th Session, Colombo, Sri Lanka, 25-29 Sept. 1995 IPTP Coll. 9: 151-159.

Maunder M.N., Punt A.E. 2004. Standardizing catch and effort data: a review of recent approaches. Fish. Res. 70, 141-159. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.fishres.2004.08.002

Megalofonou P., Damalas D., Yannopoulos C., De Metrio G., De florio M., de la Serna J.M., Macias D. 2000. 'By-catches and discards of sharks in the large pelagic fisheries in the Mediterranean Sea'. EU Project 97/50 DG XIV/C1, 2000. 336p + Annex.

Megalofonou P., Damalas D., Yannopoulos C. 2001. Effectiveness of the EU Regulation regarding the catch minimum size of swordfish (Xiphias gladius) in the Mediterranean Sea. Proceedings of the 10th Panhellenic Ichthyologists Symposium, (Chania-Crete, October 2001), pp. 21-24.

Megalofonou P., Yannopoulos C., Damalas D., De Metrio G., Deflorio M., de la Serna J.M., Macias D. 2005. Pelagic shark incidental catch and estimated discards from the swordfish and tuna fisheries in the Mediterranean Sea. Fish. Bull. 103 (4): 620-634.

Nakamura H. 1969. Tuna distributions and migrations. London: Fishing News (Books) Ltd. 76 pp.

Okamoto H., Miyabe N., Matsumoto T. 2001. GLM analyses for standardization of Japanese long-line CPUE for bigeye tuna in the Indian Ocean applying environmental factors. IOTC Proceedings [IOTC Proc.]. Vol. 4, pp. 491-522.

Planque B., Fromentin J.M., Cury P., Drinkwater K.F., Jennings S., Perry I., Kifani S. 2010. How does fishing alter marine populations and ecosystems sensitivity to climate? J. Mar. Syst. 79:403-417. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.jmarsys.2008.12.018

Platonenko S., de la Serna J.M. 1997. Oceanographic and environmental observations in the western Mediterranean during the spawning season of bluefin tuna (Thunnus thynnus L. 1758). Collect. Vol. Sci. Pap. ICCAT 46(4): 496-501.

Polovina J.J. 1996. Decadal variation in the trans-Pacific migration of northern bluefin tuna (Thunnus thynnus) coherent with climate-induced change in prey abundance. Fish. Oceanogr. 5(2): 114-119. http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/j.1365-2419.1996.tb00110.x

R Development Core Team 2010. R: A language and environment for statistical computing. R Foundation for Statistical Computing, ISBN 3-900051-07-0. URL http://www.R-project.org (last accessed: Dec 2010). R version 2.12.1 (2010-12-16) Platform: x86_64-pc-mingw32/x64 (64-bit).

Reglero P., Ciannelli L., Alvarez-Berastegui D., Balbín R., López-Jurado J.L., Alemany F. 2012. Geographically and environmentally driven spawning distributions of tuna species in the western Mediterranean Sea. Mar. Ecol. Prog. Ser. 463: 273-284. http://dx.doi.org/10.3354/meps09800

Rodrıguez-Marın E., Arrizabalaga H., Ortiz M., Rodrıguez-Cabello C., Moreno G., Kell, L.T. 2003. Standardization of bluefin tuna, Thunnus thynnus, catch per unit effort in the baitboat fishery of the Bay of Biscay (Eastern Atlantic). ICES J. Mar. Sci. 60: 1216-1231. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/S1054-3139(03)00139-5

Rooker J.R., Alvarado Bremer J.R., Block B.A., Dewar H., De Metrio G., Kraus R.T., Prince E.D., Rodriquez-Marin E., Secor D.H. 2007. Life history and stock structure of Atlantic bluefin tuna (Thunnus thynnus). Rev. Fish. Sci. 15(4): 265-310. http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/10641260701484135

Royer F, Fromentin J.M., Farrugio H., Gaspar P. 2005. Determining bluefin tuna habitat through frontal features in the Mediterranean Sea. Collect. Vol. Sci. Pap. ICCAT 58(4): 1275-1284.

Rubec P.J., Bexley JC., Norris H., Coyne M.S., Monaco M.E., Smith S.G., Ault J.S. 1999. Suitability modeling to delineate habitat essential to sustainable fisheries. American Fisheries Society Symposium 22, pp. 108-133.

Schaefer K.M. 2001. Reproductive biology of tunas. In: Block BA, Stevens ED (eds.) Tuna physiology, ecology and evolution. Academic Press, San Diego, CA, pp. 225-270. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/S1546-5098(01)19007-2

Schick R.S., Goldstein J., Lutcavage M.E. 2004. Bluefin tuna (Thunnus thynnus) distribution in relation to sea surface temperature fronts in the Gulf of Maine (1994-96). Fish. Oceanogr. 13: 225-238. http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/j.1365-2419.2004.00290.x

Stergiou K.I., Christou E.D., Georgopoulos D. Zenetos A., Souvermezoglou C. 1997. The Hellenic Seas: physics, chemistry, biology and fisheries. UCL Press, London. Vol. 35, pp. 415-538.

Stergiou K., Tserpes G., Peristeraki P.,2003. Modeling and forecasting monthly swordfish catches in the Eastern Mediterranean. Sci. Mar. 67: 283-290.

Stergiou K.I., Moutopoulos D.K., Armenis G. 2009. Perish legally and ecologically: the ineffectiveness of the minimum landing sizes in the Mediterranean Sea. Fish. Managem. Ecol. 16: 368-375. http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/j.1365-2400.2009.00672.x

Tserpes G., Peristeraki P., Tsimenides N. 1993. Greek swordfish fishery: some trends in the size composition of the catches. Collect. Vol. Sci. Pap. ICCAT 40(1): 137-140.

Tudela S. 2004. Ecosystem Effects of Fishing in the Mediterranean: An Analysis of the Major Threats of Fishing Gear and Practices to Biodiversity and Marine Habitats. Studies and Reviews. General Fisheries Commission for the Mediterranean. No. 74. FAO, Rome, 44 pp. PMCid:1224224

UNEP-MAP-RAC/SPA 2010. Fisheries conservation management and vulnerable ecosystems in the Mediterranean open seas, including the deep sea. By de Juan, S. and Lleonart, J. (eds) RAC/SPA, Tunis, 101 pp.

Ward P., Porter J.M., Elscot S. 2000. Broadbill swordfish: status of established fisheries and lessons for developing fisheries. Fish Fish. 2000(1): 317-336. http://dx.doi.org/10.1046/j.1467-2979.2000.00026.x

Wilson S.G., Lutcavage M.E., Brill R.W., Genovese M.P., Cooper A.B., Everly A.W. 2005. Movements of bluefin tuna (Thunnus thynnus) in the northwestern Atlantic Ocean recorded by pop-up satellite archival tags. Mar. Biol. 146(2): 409-423. http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s00227-004-1445-0

Wood S.N. 2000. Modeling and smoothing parameter estimation with multiple quadratic penalties. J Royal Stat. Soc. B62: 413-428. http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/1467-9868.00240

Wood S.N. 2006. Generalized Additive Models: An Introduction with R. CRC/Chapman and Hall, Florida, 391 pp.

Würtz M. 2010. Mediterranean Pelagic Habitat: Oceanographic and Biological Processes, An Overview. Gland, Switzerland and Malaga, Spain: IUCN. 90 pp. ISBN: 978-2-8317-1242-0

Downloads

Published

2012-12-30

How to Cite

1.
Damalas D, Megalofonou P. Discovering where bluefin tuna, Thunnus thynnus, might go: using environmental and fishery data to map potential tuna habitat in the eastern Mediterranean Sea. Sci. mar. [Internet]. 2012Dec.30 [cited 2024Mar.28];76(4):691-704. Available from: https://scientiamarina.revistas.csic.es/index.php/scientiamarina/article/view/1413

Issue

Section

Articles