Assessing the influence of the North Atlantic Oscillation on a migratory demersal predator in the Alboran Sea

Abstract

This study analysed the regime shift of tope shark and the overlapping taxaRajaspp. in the Alboran Sea. Tope shark andRajaspp. landings are both significantly correlated with the North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO). A significant negative correlation was found betweenRajaspp. landings and tope shark landings. This finding suggests that climatic oscillations affect regime shifts between these taxa in the Alboran Sea. Studies are scarce on the dependence of deep-sea communities on biological and physical processes occurring in near-shore pelagic environments mediated by large-scale atmospheric phenomena. Similar to previous studies on the Mediterranean Sea, a close association was found between landings of deep-water animals and the NAO. The main conclusion is that the regime shift of tope shark and the overlapping taxaRajaspp. is mediated by a negative NAO and accumulated snow.