Abstract
Dapeng Bay is a typical offshore fisheries area in the South China Sea (SCS). In order to understand the fishery resources, seasonal variations of species composition, dominant species composition, standardized catch per unit effort (SCPUE) and community diversity of fishery resources in Dapeng Bay, China were analyzed based on trawl survey data in spring (March) and summer (May) of 2013 as well as autumn (August) and winter (December) of 2012. Results demonstrated that there are 113 fishery species, which belong to 78 categories, 50 families, 14 catalogues, 3 classes. There are the most species in summer (61 species) and about 56 species in other seasons. In all four seasons, fish and crustacea are dominant species, and there are the fewest cephalopoda. High values of SCPUE occur in spring and autumn, reaching 5.65 and 5.33, respectively. SCPUE is generally low in summer, ranging between 0.52 - 0.96. Fish biodiversity is the highest in summer and the lowest in winter. Among biodiversity, Shannon-Wiener diversity index, Margalef diversity index and Pielou evenness index vary in the same trend. They are decreasing from summer, spring, autumn to winter successively. Therefore, there are violent seasonal variation of species composition, quantity and structure of fishery resources in Dapeng Bay. The community structure and function are highly stable in summer, but they have poor stability in autumn and winter. This research can provide scientific references for protection and sustainable use of fishery resources in typical offshore fisheries area in the SCS.
Highlights
Quantity, density, distribution and community diversity of fishery resources reflect utilization of fishery resources, and important contents to understand coastal ecological environment
A total of 113 species were caught in Dapeng Bay in four seasons, which belong to 78 categories, 50 families, 14 catalogues, 3 classes
Seasonal variations of fishery resources in typical offshore fisheries areas in South China Sea (SCS) are analyzed based on Dapeng Bay, China
Summary
Density, distribution and community diversity of fishery resources reflect utilization of fishery resources, and important contents to understand coastal ecological environment. Structural changes of fishery resources are highly related with utilization intensity of resources [4]. Transformation from high-nutrient fish species to low-nutrient fish species reflects the increasing utilization intensity of fishery resources in coral reef waters. Chlorophyll a concentrations (Chl-a), biomass and species quantity of nekton are increased in artificial fish reef waters, which protect and facilitate local marine ecosystem [5] [6] [7]. Marinefish lay eggs, seeking foods and migrate along a certain direction in the seawater periodically according to characteristics of life [17] These lay a foundation for exploring the relationship between marine environment and fish abundance, and further guiding fishery production activities
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