Scientific knowledge gaps on the biology of non-fish marine species across European Seas
Description
Available information and potential data gaps for non-fish marine organisms
(cnidarians, crustaceans, echinoderms, molluscs, sponges, mammals, reptiles,
and seabirds) covered by the global database SeaLifeBase were reviewed for
eight marine ecosystems (Adriatic Sea, Aegean Sea, Baltic Sea, Bay of Biscay/
Celtic Sea/Iberian Coast, Black Sea, North Sea, western Mediterranean Sea,
Levantine Sea) across European Seas. The review of the SeaLifeBase dataset,
which is based on published literature, analyzed information coverage for eight
biological characteristics (diet, fecundity, maturity, length-weight relationships,
spawning, growth, lifespan, and natural mortality). These characteristics are
required for the development of ecosystem and ecological models to evaluate
the status of marine resources and related fisheries. Our analyses revealed that
information regarding these biological characteristics in the literature was far
from complete across all studied areas. The level of available information was
nonetheless reasonably good for sea turtles and moderate for marine mammals
in some areas (Baltic Sea, Bay of Biscay/Celtic Sea/Iberian Coast, Black Sea, North
Sea and western Mediterranean Sea). Further, seven of the areas have well-
studied species in terms of information coverage for biological characteristics of
some commercial species whereas threatened species are generally not well
studied. Across areas, the most well-studied species are the cephalopod
common cuttlefish (Sepia officinalis) and the crustacean Norway lobster
(Nephrops norvegicus). Overall, the information gap is narrowest for lengthweight
relationships followed by growth and maturity, and widest for fecundity
and natural mortality. Based on these insights, we provide recommendations to
prioritize species with insufficient or missing biological data that are common
across the studied marine ecosystems and to address data deficiencies.
Files
Abucay_et_al_2023_FMS.pdf
Files
(2.1 MB)
| Name | Size | Download all |
|---|---|---|
|
md5:cd4031238acfe904bdd39559e202fd20
|
2.1 MB | Preview Download |