Climate-driven latitudinal shift in fishing ground of jumbo flying squid (Dosidicus gigas) in the Southeast Pacific Ocean off Peru

Abstract

ABSTRACTThe jumbo flying squid Dosidicus gigas is a pelagic squid species extensively distributed in the Eastern Pacific Ocean with climate-related geographical variability. An analysis was carried out to evaluate impacts of climatic and oceanographic variability on spatial distribution of D. gigas in the Southeast Pacific Ocean off Peru. Logbook data of the 2006–2013 Chinese squid-jigging fishery were used to determine latitudinal gravity centres (LATG) of fishing ground of D. gigas in relation to sea surface temperature (SST), chlorophyll-a (chl-a) concentration and sea surface height (SSH), coupled with the SST anomaly (SSTA) in the Niño 1 + 2 region. Results indicated that the SSTA in the Niño 1 + 2 region played crucial influences on SST, chl-a and SSH on the fishing ground of D. gigas. The LATG of D. gigas exhibited seasonal and interannual variability with closely associations with SST, chl-a, and SSH. Significantly positive relationships were found between monthly LATG and the average latitude of the most favourable contour lines of SST, chl-a, and SSH for D. gigas, with time lags at 0, 7, and 0 month, respectively. The spatial pattern of LATG largely responded to climate-induced oceanographic variability on the squid fishing ground: the Niño 1 + 2 SSTA became warm, the most favourable SST and SSH contour lines for D. gigas would move southward, resulting in a southward movement of the LATG; however, the Niño 1 + 2 SSTA shifted into cold episodes, the most favourable SST and SSH contour lines for D. gigas would shift northward, leading to a northward shift of the LATG. Our findings suggested that the SSTA in the Niño 1 + 2 region coupled with the most favourable contour lines of SST and SSH were the major drivers regulating the latitudinal movement of fishing ground of D. gigas in the Southeast Pacific Ocean off Peruvian waters.