Long-term change in the distribution of Japanese sardine in the Sea of Japan during population fluctuations

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 593:141-154 (2018) - DOI: https://doi.org/10.3354/meps12491 Long-term change in the distribution of Japanese sardine in the Sea of Japan during population fluctuations Soyoka Muko1,*, Seiji Ohshimo1, Hiroyuki Kurota1, Tohya Yasuda1, Masa-Aki Fukuwaka1,2 1Seikai National Fisheries Research Institute, Japan Fisheries Research and Education Agency, Nagasaki 851-2213, Japan 2Present address: Hokkaido National Fisheries Research Institute, Japan Fisheries Research and Education Agency, Sapporo 062-0922, Japan *Corresponding author: symuko@gmail.com ABSTRACT: The distribution of small pelagic fish species changes in association with fluctuating stock biomass. We analyzed the spatio-temporal dynamics of Japanese sardine Sardinops melanostictus inhabiting the Sea of Japan during periods of stock biomass fluctuation using generalized additive models (GAMs). Logbook data from drift gill net surveys and large- and medium-type purse seine fisheries, conducted from 1970 to 1999, were used. A 2-step data analysis was performed: (1) for the presence or absence of sardine, and (2) for the catch per unit effort (CPUE) where fish were present. The explanatory variables in the GAMs were year, longitude/latitude, sea surface temperature, and fishing method. The best model based on Akaike’s information criterion showed that the likelihood of high sardine presence was limited to areas around the Oki and Tsushima Islands in the early 1970s. However, these areas expanded south along the coast and offshore to the north until the mid-1980s. Subsequently, sardine presence contracted to the initial distribution areas during the mid-1990s. Over the 30 yr period, the spatial distribution of the CPUE changed minimally for both fishing methods. Compared with the trajectory of stock biomass, the potential distribution area began expanding during the initial phase of population expansion, and started contracting before biomass peaked. There was a time lag between the peaks of distribution area and biomass. In conclusion, we discuss how changes to oceanographic conditions in response to a climate regime shift may influence the distribution of Japanese sardine in the Sea of Japan. KEY WORDS: Japanese sardine · Sardinops melanostictus · Spatio-temporal dynamics · Generalized additive model Full text in pdf format Supplementary material PreviousNextCite this article as: Muko S, Ohshimo S, Kurota H, Yasuda T, Fukuwaka MA (2018) Long-term change in the distribution of Japanese sardine in the Sea of Japan during population fluctuations. Mar Ecol Prog Ser 593:141-154. https://doi.org/10.3354/meps12491 Export citation RSS - Facebook - Tweet - linkedIn Cited by Published in MEPS Vol. 593. Online publication date: April 12, 2018 Print ISSN: 0171-8630; Online ISSN: 1616-1599 Copyright © 2018 Inter-Research.