Abstract
MEPS Marine Ecology Progress Series Contact the journal Facebook Twitter RSS Mailing List Subscribe to our mailing list via Mailchimp HomeLatest VolumeAbout the JournalEditorsTheme Sections MEPS 422:23-39 (2011) - DOI: https://doi.org/10.3354/meps08932 Investigating the coupling between small pelagic fish and marine top predators using data collected from ecosystem-based surveys G. Certain1,5,*, J. Masse2, O. Van Canneyt3, P. Petitgas2, G. Doremus3, M. B. Santos4, V. Ridoux3 1Norwegian Institute for Nature Research-NINA, 7485 Trondheim, Norway 2IFREMER, Rue de l’Île d’Yeu, BP 21105, 44311 Nantes Cedex 3, France 3Centre de Recherche sur les Mammifères Marins, 5 allée de l’Océan, 17000 La Rochelle, France 4Instituto Español de Oceanografía, Centro Oceanográfico de Vigo, Apdo. 1552, 36200 Vigo, Spain 5Present address: Institute of Marine Research, PO Box 6404, 9294 Tromsø, Norway *Email: gregoire.certain@imr.no ABSTRACT: The present study is a general multivariate analysis of the spatial association between small pelagic fishes and their predators (seabirds, marine mammals and fisheries), using 6 yr (18000 km) of transects surveyed in spring in the Bay of Biscay, France. We describe 4 groups of prey–predator association, with explicit distinction of prey size: (1) terns and anchovies (10 to 15 cm), (2) common dolphins, common murres, sprat and sardine (<20 cm), (3) gannets, horse mackerel and mackerel (15 to 25 cm) and (4) bottlenose dolphin, horse mackerel and mackerel (25 to 40 cm). Our analysis also illustrates the great variability in these associations, with years of strong prey–predator associations followed by years of weak relationships. The analysis allows us to formulate predictions about the structure of the upper-pelagic food web in the Bay of Biscay in spring, and constitutes a good starting point for the analysis of data collected during ecosystem-based surveys in the Bay of Biscay. KEY WORDS: Marine top predators · Small pelagic fishes · Spatial associations · Temporal variability · Pelagic ecosystem · Bay of Biscay Full text in pdf format PreviousNextCite this article as: Certain G, Masse J, Van Canneyt O, Petitgas P, Doremus G, Santos MB, Ridoux V (2011) Investigating the coupling between small pelagic fish and marine top predators using data collected from ecosystem-based surveys. Mar Ecol Prog Ser 422:23-39. https://doi.org/10.3354/meps08932 Export citation RSS - Facebook - Tweet - linkedIn Cited by Published in MEPS Vol. 422. Online publication date: January 31, 2011 Print ISSN: 0171-8630; Online ISSN: 1616-1599 Copyright © 2011 Inter-Research.
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