title: The seascape of demersal fish nursery areas in the North Mediterranean Sea, a first step towards the implementation of spatial planning for trawl fisheries.
abstract: The identification of nursery grounds and other essential fish habitats of exploited stocks is a key requirement for the development of spatial conservation planning aimed at reducing the adverse impact of fishing on the exploited populations and ecosystems. The reduction in juvenile mortality is particularly relevant in the Mediterranean and is considered as one of the main prerequisites for the future sustainability of trawl fisheries. The distribution of nursery areas of 11 important commercial species of demersal fish and shellfish was analysed in the European Union Mediterranean waters using time series of bottom trawl survey data with the aim of identifying the most persistent recruitment areas. A high interspecific spatial overlap between nursery areas was mainly found along the shelf break of many different sectors of the Northern Mediterranean indicating a high potential for the implementation of conservation measures. Overlap of the nursery grounds with existing spatial fisheries management measures and trawl fisheries restricted areas was also investigated. Spatial analyses revealed considerable variation depending on species and associated habitat/depth preferences with increased protection seen in coastal nurseries and minimal protection seen for deeper nurseries (e.g. Parapenaeus longirostris 6%). This is partly attributed to existing environmental policy instruments (e.g. Habitats Directive and Mediterranean Regulation EC 1967/2006) aiming at minimising impacts on coastal priority habitats such as seagrass, coralligenous and maerl beds. The new knowledge on the distribution and persistence of demersal nurseries provided in this study can support the application of spatial conservation measures, such as the designation of no-take Marine Protected Areas in EU Mediterranean waters and their inclusion in a conservation network. The establishment of no-take zones will be consistent with the objectives of the Common Fisheries Policy applying the ecosystem approach to fisheries management and with the requirements of the Marine Strategy Framework Directive to maintain or achieve seafloor integrity and good environmental status.
authors.affiliation: Istituto per l'Ambiente Marino Costiero (IAMC), Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche, Mazara del Vallo, Italy.
authors.forename: Francesco
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Colloca
authors.affiliation: Istituto per l'Ambiente Marino Costiero (IAMC), Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche, Mazara del Vallo, Italy.
authors.forename: Germana
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Garofalo
authors.affiliation: COISPA Tecnologia & Ricerca, Bari, Italy.
authors.forename: Isabella
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Bitetto
authors.affiliation: COISPA Tecnologia & Ricerca, Bari, Italy.
authors.forename: Maria Teresa
authors.initials: MT
authors.lastname: Facchini
authors.affiliation: Istituto di Scienze Marine (ISMAR), Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche, Ancona, Italy.
authors.forename: Fabio
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Grati
authors.affiliation: COISPA Tecnologia & Ricerca, Bari, Italy.
authors.forename: Angela
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Martiradonna
authors.affiliation: Department of Economics, Roma Tre University, Rome, Italy.
authors.forename: Gianluca
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Mastrantonio
authors.affiliation: Hellenic Centre for Marine Research, Heraklion, Greece.
authors.forename: Nikolaos
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Nikolioudakis
authors.affiliation: Instituto Español de Oceanografía, Centre Oceanogràfic de les Balears, Palma de Mallorca, Spain.
authors.forename: Francesc
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Ordinas
authors.affiliation: Istituto di Scienze Marine (ISMAR), Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche, Ancona, Italy.
authors.forename: Giuseppe
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Scarcella
authors.affiliation: Hellenic Centre for Marine Research, Heraklion, Greece.
authors.forename: George
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Tserpes
authors.affiliation: Instituto Español de Oceanografía, Centre Oceanogràfic de les Balears, Palma de Mallorca, Spain.
authors.forename: M Pilar
authors.initials: MP
authors.lastname: Tugores
authors.affiliation: Hellenic Centre for Marine Research, Heraklion, Greece.
authors.forename: Vasilis
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Valavanis
authors.affiliation: Department of Biology, University of Bari, Bari, Italy.
authors.forename: Roberto
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Carlucci
authors.affiliation: Istituto per l'Ambiente Marino Costiero (IAMC), Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche, Mazara del Vallo, Italy.
authors.forename: Fabio
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Fiorentino
authors.affiliation: Department of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Cagliari, Cagliari, Italy.
authors.forename: Maria C
authors.initials: MC
authors.lastname: Follesa
authors.affiliation: Instituto Español de Oceanografía, Centre Oceanogràfic de les Balears, Palma de Mallorca, Spain.
authors.forename: Magdalena
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Iglesias
authors.affiliation: Department of Biology, University of Malta, Msida, Malta.
authors.forename: Leyla
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Knittweis
authors.affiliation: Hellenic Centre for Marine Research, Heraklion, Greece.
authors.forename: Eugenia
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Lefkaditou
authors.affiliation: COISPA Tecnologia & Ricerca, Bari, Italy.
authors.forename: Giuseppe
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Lembo
authors.affiliation: Laboratorio Biologia Marina Fano, Università di Bologna, Bologna, Italy.
authors.forename: Chiara
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Manfredi
authors.affiliation: Instituto Español de Oceanografía, Centre Oceanogràfic de les Balears, Palma de Mallorca, Spain.
authors.forename: Enric
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Massutí
authors.affiliation: Department of Fisheries and Aquaculture, Ministry for Sustainable Development, the Environment and Climate Change, Santa Venera, Malta.
authors.forename: Marie Louise
authors.initials: ML
authors.lastname: Pace
authors.affiliation: Hellenic Centre for Marine Research, Heraklion, Greece.
authors.forename: Nadia
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Papadopoulou
authors.affiliation: Centro Interuniversitario di Biologia Marina ed Ecologia Applicata "G. Bacci" (CIBM), Livorno, Italy.
authors.forename: Paolo
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Sartor
authors.affiliation: Hellenic Centre for Marine Research, Heraklion, Greece.
authors.forename: Christopher J
authors.initials: CJ
authors.lastname: Smith
authors.affiliation: COISPA Tecnologia & Ricerca, Bari, Italy.
authors.forename: Maria Teresa
authors.initials: MT
authors.lastname: Spedicato
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D044822:Biodiversity; D003247:Conservation of Natural Resources / Q000191:economics / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence*; D017753:Ecosystem; D005060:Europe; D005260:Female; D005399:Fishes / Q000502:physiology*; D007391:International Cooperation / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence*; D008297:Male; D008522:Mediterranean Sea; D011157:Population Dynamics