Spatio-temporal patterns in juvenile habitat for 13 groundfishes in the California Current Ecosystem

Identifying juvenile habitats is critical for understanding a species' ecology and for focusing spatial fishery management by defining references like essential fish habitat (EFH). Here, we used vector autoregressive spatio-temporal models (VAST) to delineate spatial and temporal patterns in ju...

Full description

Saved in:

Bibliographic Details
Published in:	PloS one Vol. 15; no. 8; p. e0237996
Main Authors:	Tolimieri, Nick, Wallace, John, Haltuch, Melissa
Format:	Journal Article
Language:	English
Published:	San Francisco Public Library of Science 21.08.2020 Public Library of Science (PLoS)
Subjects:	Age Animal behavior Autoregressive models Biology and Life Sciences Biomass California Current Citharichthys sordidus Coryphaenoides acrolepis Density Distribution Earth Sciences Ecology Ecology and Environmental Sciences Eopsetta jordani Fish Fisheries Fisheries management Fishery management Fishing Groundfishes Habitat selection Habitats Hot spots Marine ecosystems Merluccius productus Natural history Ophiodon elongatus Research and Analysis Methods Sebastes crameri Sebastes diploproa Sebastolobus alascanus Sebastolobus altivelis Zoological research United States Oregon United States > US California
ISSN:	1932-6203, 1932-6203
Online Access:	Get full text
Tags:	Add Tag No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!

Description
Summary:	Identifying juvenile habitats is critical for understanding a species' ecology and for focusing spatial fishery management by defining references like essential fish habitat (EFH). Here, we used vector autoregressive spatio-temporal models (VAST) to delineate spatial and temporal patterns in juvenile density for 13 commercially important species of groundfishes off the US west coast. In particular, we identified hotspots with high juvenile density. Three qualitative patterns of distribution and abundance emerged. First, Dover sole Microstomus pacificus, Pacific grenadier Coryphaenoides acrolepis, shortspine thornyhead Sebastolobus alascanus, and splitnose rockfish Sebastes diploproa had distinct, spatially-limited hotspots that were spatially consistent through time. Next, Pacific hake Merluccius productus and darkblotched rockfish Sebastes crameri had distinct, spatially limited hotspots, but the location of these hotspots varied through time. Finally, arrowtooth flounder Atheresthes stomias, English sole Parophrys vetulus, sablefish Anoplopoma fimbria, Pacific grenadier Coryphaenoides acrolepis, lingcod Ophiodon elongatus, longspine thornyhead Sebastolobus altivelis, petrale sole Eopsetta jordani, and Pacific sanddab Citharichthys sordidus had large hotspots that spanned a broad latitudinal range. These habitats represent potential, if not likely, nursery areas, the location of which will inform spatial management.
Bibliography:	ObjectType-Article-1 SourceType-Scholarly Journals-1 ObjectType-Feature-2 content type line 14 content type line 23 Competing Interests: The authors have declared that no competing interests exist.
ISSN:	1932-6203 1932-6203
DOI:	10.1371/journal.pone.0237996