Abstract
Since the early 1990s of last century the spread of Caranx crysos a thermophilic fish species in the Mediterranean Sea has increased due to sea warming. Simultaneously, a large and unregulated use of fish aggregating devices has been recorded, and these devices seem to influence fish spatial distributions. Here we used a multidisciplinary approach to investigate the influence of environmental change and FAD presence on the spatial distribution of the tropical affinity fish species Caranx crysos across the Mediterranean Sea. Data suggested that the presence of C. crysos has increased progressively since 1990 towards the northwest side of the Mediterranean Sea, with the greatest number of recent findings occurring in zones with higher densities of FADs. The spatial distribution models show how the extensive use of FADs in combination with changes in environmental conditions may have indirectly facilitated the spread of the thermophillic C. crysos population across the Mediterranean Sea.
Highlights
Floating objects affect the distribution of both juveniles and adults of some pelagic fish species
This study shows the influence of fish aggregating devices (FADs) presence and environmental conditions on the spatial distribution of C. crysos in the Mediterranean Sea in two different time periods
We found that the number of FADs for the period Before model (B90) was an important predictor of the distribution of C. crysos, which was different from our initial hypothesis that FADs would have an influence on the distribution of C. crysos only after 1990
Summary
Floating objects affect the distribution of both juveniles and adults of some pelagic fish species. In the Mediterranean Sea, FAD fisheries are very important and mainly target common dolphinfish (Coryphaena hippurus Linnaeus, 1758) and different species as by-catch (e.g. greater amberjack Seriola dumerilii Risso, 1810 and bluefin tuna Thunnus thynnus Linnaeus, 17585–7). This activity is common in southern Italy, www.nature.com/scientificreports/. Malta and Spain where it has historical roots in the Balearic Islands[3] In all of these areas the fishing areas, the materials with which FADs are made and fishing techniques are very similar[3]
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