What can exploratory modelling tell us about the ecobiology of European sea bass (Dicentrarchus labrax): a comprehensive overview

Abstract

European sea bass, Dicentrarchus labrax, is a highly valuable species in Europe, both for aquaculture in the Mediterranean Sea and for commercial and recreational fisheries in the North East Atlantic Ocean. Subjected to increasing fishing pressure, the wild population has recently experienced significant recruitment fluctuation as well as a northward extension of its distribution area in the North Sea. While the nature of the ecological and/or physiological processes involved remains unresolved, ontogenetic habitat shifts and adult site fidelity could increase the species' vulnerability to climate change and overfishing. As managers look for expert information to propose management scenarios leading to sustainable exploitation, exploratory modelling appears to be a cost-efficient approach to enhance the understanding of recruitment dynamics and the spatio-temporal scales over which fish populations function. A conceptual modelling framework and its specific data requirements are discussed to tackle some sound ecological questions regarding this species. We consequently provide an updated review of current knowledge on bass population structure, biology and ecology. This paper will hence be particularly valuable to develop spatially-explicit models of European sea bass dynamics under environmental and anthropogenic forcing. Knowledge gaps requiring further research efforts are also reported.

Individual trophic specialization in juvenile European seabass: implications for the management of a commercially important species

“…The presence of individual trophic specialisation in juvenile seabass has implications for management as it implies behavioural differences among individuals that may influence the stability of the population (Bolnick et al, 2011;Toscano et al, 2016). This is corroborated by behavioural observations in seabass showing phenotypic differences in risk aversion (Millot et al, 2009;Killen et al, 2011), shoaling (Boulineau-Coatanea, 1969), and segregation along temperature and salinity gradients (López et al, 2015).…”

“…Spatially, seabass have recently been shown to exhibit high but differing site fidelities within an estuarine system (Doyle et al, 2017). In terms of fisheries management, this is important because (1) conservation actions should capture the range of individual behaviours in order to best protect the population and its inherent diversity (Bolnick et al, 2003), and (2) such information is required to produce realistic species or ecosystem models that are used to inform policy decisions (López et al, 2015). For juvenile seabass in particular, the expression of individual trophic specialisation appears related to levels of intraspecific competition, although it is appreciated that only one location was included in this study and therefore the regional extent of specialisation is unclear.…”

“…Coupled with these EU-wide regulations, localised management strategies within England are currently being reviewed in conjunction with marine protected area (MPA) designation and the conservation of other species of interest. However it has been highlighted that uncertainties in seabass ecology, particularly at the individual level, are impeding policy development for the protection of this species (López et al, 2015).…”

Scenariostudie zeebaars

“…Oceaan Bron: Lopez et al (2015). De kwadranten van waaruit minder dan 100 kg wordt aangeland blijven hierbij dus open;…”

Significance of metallothioneins in differential cadmium accumulation kinetics between two marine fish species

“…The European sea bass Dicentrarchus labrax is a demersal fish that is widely distributed in the Northeast Atlantic from the coasts of Norway to Morocco. This species inhabits estuaries, lagoons and coastal waters and displays a carnivorous diet that is composed of fish, crustaceans and cephalopods (López et al, 2015). On the other hand, the Senegalese sole Solea senegalensis is a benthic flatfish that is distributed from the Gulf of Biscay to the coasts of Senegal and also inhabits coastal waters and riverine estuaries.…”