Assessments of the lesser sandeel (Ammodytes marinus) in the North Sea based on revised stock divisions

Pedersen, Søren Anker; Lewy, Peter; Wright, Peter J.

doi:10.1016/s0165-7836(99)00026-0

Cited by 43 publications

(48 citation statements)

References 10 publications

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“…Regional differences in year-class strength are consistent with this proposed pattern of isolation. For example, whilst the 1996 year-class was very large off eastern England (Pedersen et al 1999), it was less so off east Scotland and around Shetland (Rindorf et al 2000, ICES 2003. Of all the regions, Shetland has experienced the greatest inter-annual variation, with sustained periods of low recruitment in the late 1980s and since 2000 (ICES 2003).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…While our findings are specific to the kittiwakesandeel system, we consider it likely that this situation also applies in other systems where a widespread predator relies on a prey showing strong regional variation in dynamics. Unfortunately, due to differences in the way sandeel stock abundance is assessed (ICES 2003) and, until recently, the limited monitoring of regional components of the North Sea stock (Pedersen et al 1999), a detailed exploration of the relationship between the local abundance of sandeels and the performance of kittiwakes in the same area is not currently possible. More widespread sampling of kittiwake diet would also allow regions to be defined where sandeels are not the main prey and where kittiwake breeding success is therefore expected to be related to the availability of prey other than sandeels.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Sandeels are the target of an important industrial fishery, and around the UK they are currently managed as 1 large North Sea stock and much smaller coastal stocks around Shetland and off the coast of northwestern Scotland (ICES 2003). However, within the North Sea there are several distinct spawning aggregations with limited movement between them (Proctor et al 1998, Pedersen et al 1999, Munk et al 2002. The Shetland stock appears to be part of an aggregation which spawns around Orkney, and recruitment in Shetland is dependent on advection of larvae from Orkney (Wright 1996).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Regional patterns of kittiwake Rissa tridactyla breeding success are related to variability in sandeel recruitment

Frederiksen¹,

Wright²,

Harris³

et al. 2005

Mar. Ecol. Prog. Ser.

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The population dynamics of marine top predators such as seabirds may be self-regulating through local prey depletion, or they may reflect environmentally induced fluctuations in prey availability. Both mechanisms are not mutually exclusive. We examined spatio-temporal variation in breeding success of black-legged kittiwakes Rissa tridactyla, a seabird widely monitored in the British Isles. Kittiwakes here feed mostly on lesser sandeels Ammodytes marinus, a species that is strongly tied to specific sediment types and therefore shows a strong regional population structure. Neither kittiwake colony growth rate nor breeding success correlated negatively with colony size as expected under local prey depletion in the absence of regional variation in carrying capacity. We used multivariate analyses of breeding success data for 42 kittiwake colonies to identify clusters showing synchronised variation in success, and compared these with known sandeel aggregations identified from fish and fishery surveys. A number of geographically distinct clusters of kittiwakes were identified, and these were largely congruent with sandeel aggregations. Major sandeel aggregations with clear associated clusters of kittiwake colonies occurred off of east England and east Scotland, while western coasts of Britain were characterised by smaller aggregations and less obvious kittiwake clusters. There was considerable regional variability in sandeel recruitment, and this was reflected in mostly uncorrelated time series of kittiwake breeding success between different regions. These results indicate that regional variation in prey availability had a stronger effect on kittiwake dynamics than local prey depletion. An appreciation of the appropriate spatial scale of prey dynamics thus improves understanding of the dynamics of marine predator -prey systems.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Regional patterns of kittiwake Rissa tridactyla breeding success are related to variability in sandeel recruitment

Frederiksen¹,

Wright²,

Harris³

et al. 2005

Mar. Ecol. Prog. Ser.

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“…Sandeel larvae were extracted from archived CPR samples collected between January and July from 1973 to 2006 within an area approximately centred on the seabird colony on the Isle of May (56°11' N, 2°33' W) and the Wee Bankie/Marr Bank sandeel aggregation (Pedersen et al 1999, Boulcott et al 2007, and extending from 54 to 59°N, and from 2°W to 2°E. 0-group sandeels were collected from chick-feeding puffins on the Isle of May between late May and July each year from 1973 to 2006.…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Mechanisms of long-term decline in size of lesser sandeels in the North Sea explored using a growth and phenology model

Frederiksen¹,

Elston²,

Edwards³

et al. 2011

Mar. Ecol. Prog. Ser.

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The lesser sandeel Ammodytes marinus is a key species in the North Sea ecosystem, transferring energy from planktonic producers to top predators. Previous studies have shown a longterm decline in the size of 0-group sandeels in the western North Sea, but they were unable to pinpoint the mechanism (later hatching, slower growth or changes in size-dependent mortality) or cause. To investigate the first 2 possibilities we combined 2 independent time series of sandeel size, namely data from chick-feeding Atlantic puffins Fratercula arctica and from the Continuous Plankton Recorder (CPR), in a novel statistical model implemented using Markov Chain Monte Carlo (MCMC). The model estimated annual mean length on 1 July, as well as hatching date and growth rate for sandeels from 1973 to 2006. Mean length-at-date declined by 22% over this period, corresponding to a 60% decrease in energy content, with a sharper decline since 2002. Up to the mid-1990s, the decline was associated with a trend towards later hatching. Subsequently, hatching became earlier again, and the continued trend towards smaller size appears to have been driven by lower growth rates, particularly in the most recent years, although we could not rule out changes in size-dependent mortality. Our findings point to major changes in key aspects of sandeel life history, which we consider are most likely due to direct and indirect temperature-related changes over a range of biotic factors, including the seasonal distribution of copepods and intra-and inter-specific competition with planktivorous fish. The results have implications both for the many predators of sandeels and for age and size of maturation in this aggregation of North Sea sandeels. KEY WORDS: Ammodytes marinus · Growth model · MCMC · North Sea · Phenology · SandeelResale or republication not permitted without written consent of the publisher Mar Ecol Prog Ser 432: 137-147, 2011 138 dynamics and to impact higher trophic levels, and indeed have already been linked with fluctuations in both commercially exploited fish stocks , Castonguay et al. 2008 and reproductive performance of land-based predators (Frederiksen et al. 2006, Sydeman et al. 2006.The lesser sandeel Ammodytes marinus (hereinafter sandeel) is a key species in the ecology of the North Sea and other parts of the NE Atlantic (Daan et al. 1990). It is generally the most abundant small planktivorous fish, and provides a critical trophic link between secondary producers (zooplankton, particularly calanoid copepods) and a wide variety of top predators, including larger fish, marine mammals and seabirds. Several studies have highlighted the critical importance of the availability and quality of sandeels for successful reproduction of North Sea seabirds (Monaghan 1992, Rindorf et al. 2000, Wanless et al. 2005. Sandeels are also the target of a major industrial fishery for fishmeal and fish oil (Furness 2002). However, evidence from several sources has indicated that conditions for sandeels in the North Sea are less favourable than...

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“…In contrast to the increasing abundance of some southern fish (Beare et al 2004), the sandeel A. marinus showed the opposite trend during our study period. Its disappearance correlates with rising temperatures, but the effect of commercial fisheries on A. marinus as a target species cannot be disregarded (Pedersen et al 1999). In the east of the Dogger Bank, this species was recorded via echosounder acoustic data by Van der Kooij et al (2008) in the years 2004, 2005 and 2006. We cannot confirm these data obtained by echosounding through our sampling efforts.…”

Section: Correlation Analysismentioning

confidence: 99%

Environmental influence on the bottom and near-bottom megafauna communities of the Dogger Bank: a long-term survey

Sonnewald

Türkay

2011

Helgol Mar Res

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This paper deals with climate-driven changes of the species composition of the bottom and near-bottom megafauna of the Dogger Bank (central North Sea), which was sampled each summer with a 2-m beam trawl on a yearly basis since 1991. The station grid consists of 37 stations, covering an area of approximately 17.000 km 2 . A selection of commoner species is analysed and correlated with temperature data gained during the research period. Temperatures are derived from our own measurements, combined with CTD data from the International Council for the Exploration of the Sea. The results show a decrease in biodiversity and a clear regime shift around the beginning of the 21st century, combined with rising mean bottom temperatures. In addition, details are given about the Dogger Bank hydrography and the climate sensitivity and abundance of the main species caught with the beam trawl. Our long-term study reveals the changes in the community structure of the megafauna of the Dogger Bank over a period of almost two decades. It suggests a link between changes in species composition/abundance and changes in the environment, especially the marine climate.

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Assessments of the lesser sandeel (Ammodytes marinus) in the North Sea based on revised stock divisions

Cited by 43 publications

References 10 publications

Regional patterns of kittiwake Rissa tridactyla breeding success are related to variability in sandeel recruitment

Regional patterns of kittiwake Rissa tridactyla breeding success are related to variability in sandeel recruitment

Mechanisms of long-term decline in size of lesser sandeels in the North Sea explored using a growth and phenology model

Environmental influence on the bottom and near-bottom megafauna communities of the Dogger Bank: a long-term survey

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