Modeling the Habitat Distribution of Acanthopagrus schlegelii in the Coastal Waters of the Eastern Taiwan Strait Using MAXENT with Fishery and Remote Sensing Data

Sheng-Yuan Teng,Riah Irawati Sihombing,Yi-Chen Wang,Jinn-Shing Weng,Ali Haghi Vayghan,Yi Chang,Ming-An Lee,Nan-Jay Su,Kuo-Wei Lan

doi:10.3390/jmse9121442

Abstract

Black sea bream, Acanthopagrus schlegelii, is among the most commercially valuable species in the coastal fishery industry and marine ecosystems. Catch data comprising capture locations for the gillnet fisheries, remotely sensed environmental data (i.e., sea surface temperature, chlorophyll-a concentration, and current velocity), and topography (bathymetry) from 2015 to 2018 were used to construct a spatial habitat distribution of black sea bream. This species is concentrated in coastal waters (<3 nm) from December to April (spawning season). The maximum entropy (MaxEnt) method and corresponding habitat suitability index among seasons were used to clarify the species’ spatial distribution and identify the seasonal variations in habitat selection. The patterns corresponded closely to the changes in oceanographic conditions, and the species exhibited synchronous trends with the marine environment’s seasonal dynamics. Chlorophyll-a concentration and bathymetry substantially influenced (80.1–92.9%) black sea bream’s habitat selection. By applying the MaxEnt model, the optimal habitats were identified with four variables including depth and satellite-derived temperature, current velocity and chlorophyll-a concentration, which provides a foundation for the scientific assessment and management of black sea bream in coastal waters of the Eastern Taiwan Strait.

Highlights

Fish are a main source of food, and they account for 16.6% of the global consumption of animal protein and 6.5% of all protein consumption [1]
The primary fishing period for the black sea bream fishery lasts from December to April
The south section achieved a higher production of black sea bream during most months; the north and central sections achieved higher production levels in spring and early summer

Summary

Introduction

Fish are a main source of food, and they account for 16.6% of the global consumption of animal protein and 6.5% of all protein consumption [1]. Changes in marine environments affect both species composition and spatial distribution. Studies have reported decreases in catch in the waters off central Taiwan and Penghu [6]. This trend has been caused by pollution, damage to marine environments, invasive species, and climate change. The repercussions of climate change are expected to affect tropical and high-latitude regions of the Pacific Ocean. These changes will substantially affect global fishery production and, the food supply sourced from marine life [8,9,10]. Given the increased exposure of marine ecosystems to various natural and anthropogenic effects, identifying and characterizing marine hotspots in habitat spatial distribution is essential when establishing conservation priorities and evaluating management strategies [11,12]

Methods

Results

Discussion

Conclusion