engleski

Identifying the potential habitat of anchovy Engraulis encrasicolus at different life stages in the Mediterranean Sea.

Information integrated from different parts of the Mediterranean was used in order to model the spatial and temporal variability of the distribution grounds of anchovy at different life stages. Acoustic data from the Aegean Sea (Eastern Mediterranean), the Adriatic Sea and the Sicily Channel (Central Mediterranean), the Spanish waters and the Gulf of Lions (Western Mediterranean) have been analyzed along with satellite environmental and bathymetry data to model the spatial distribution of adult anchovy during summer and early autumn and the spatial distribution of juvenile anchovy during late autumn and winter. Similarly, egg distribution data from summer surveys were used to model the potential spawning habitat of anchovy in June and July. Generalized Additive Models were applied in a presence/absence approach. Selected models were used to produce potential habitat maps for the entire Mediterranean basin for each year and period, indicating areas presenting the highest probability of supporting the presence of anchovy adults, juveniles and spawning grounds. The temporal stability of these areas was examined. Bottom depth and productivity were 1 the most important parameters found in all models. An expansion of anchovy adult habitat area was observed from summer to early autumn in all study regions. Potential juvenile grounds were identified within the continental shelf in association to high productivity waters, presenting a more extended distribution towards deeper waters in late autumn and moving to more inshore waters in winter. Potential spawning grounds presented a high degree of overlapping between June and July, being more extended compared to the adult grounds in summer.

Anchovy; life stages; habitat

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