Institut de Ciències del Mar (ICM), CSIC, Passeig Marítim de la Barceloneta 37-49, 08003 Barcelona, Spain.
Institut de Ciències del Mar (ICM), CSIC, Passeig Marítim de la Barceloneta 37-49, 08003 Barcelona, Spain.
Sci Total Environ. 2023 Jul 20;883:163339. doi: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2023.163339. Epub 2023 Apr 21.
In the context of marine conservation, trawl fishing activity is the most important ecosystem stressor in demersal Mediterranean waters. Limited management measures in bottom trawling have caused deep-sea stocks of the iconic Norway lobster Nephrops norvegicus to decrease over the last decade. This crustacean acts as an umbrella species for co-existing megafauna. Here, we used non-invasive Remote Operated Vehicle (ROV) video-surveys to investigate the status of a pilot deep-sea no-take reserve implemented in the northwestern Mediterranean by quantifying demographic indicators of Norway lobsters and the co-existing benthic community, seafloor restoration, and the presence of marine litter. The results revealed that in the no-take reserve the Norway lobster stock showed higher abundance and biomass, and slightly larger body sizes than in the control area without fishing prohibition. Some taxa, such as the fishes Helicolenus dactylopterus and Trigla lyra and anemones of the family Cerianthidae, increased in abundance. We also observed that all trawling marks were smoothed and most of the seafloor was intact, clear indicators of the recovery of the muddy seafloor. The accumulation of marine debris and terrestrial vegetation was similar in the no-take reserve and the fished area. On the basis of the results of this study, we suggest that the use of no-take reserves might be an effective measure for recovering the Norway lobster stock, its co-existing megafauna community, and the surrounding demersal habitat. We also suggest that ROV video-survey might be a useful, and non-invasive method to monitor megafauna and seafloor status in protected deep-sea environments.
在海洋保护方面，拖网捕捞活动是在地中海底层水域最重要的生态胁迫因素。底层拖网捕捞的有限管理措施导致标志性挪威海螯虾（Nephrops norvegicus）的深海种群在过去十年中减少。这种甲壳类动物是共存大型动物的伞物种。在这里，我们使用非侵入式遥控潜水器（ROV）视频调查来调查西北地中海实施的试点深海禁渔区的现状，通过量化挪威海螯虾和共存底栖群落、海底恢复以及海洋垃圾存在的种群指标来评估。结果表明，在禁渔区，挪威海螯虾的数量和生物量较高，体型略大于未禁止捕捞的对照区。一些类群，如鱼类 Helicolenus dactylopterus 和 Trigla lyra 以及 Cerianthidae 科的海葵，数量增加。我们还观察到，所有的拖网痕迹都被抹平了，大部分海底都是完整的，这是泥泞海底恢复的明显迹象。禁渔区和捕捞区的海洋垃圾和陆生植被积累相似。基于本研究的结果，我们建议禁渔区的使用可能是恢复挪威海螯虾种群、其共存的大型动物群落和周围底层生境的有效措施。我们还建议 ROV 视频调查可能是监测保护深海环境中大型动物和海底状况的一种有用且非侵入性的方法。
