Species richness and environmental conditions of fish along the Norwegian Skagerrak coast

Abstract

Long-term temporal variation in the community structure of fish species richness over the period 1953–1994 along the Norwegian Skagerrak coast is analysed in relation to abiotic environmental factors (oxygen saturation, salinity and temperature respectively at the sea surface, 10 and 50 m depth). Data on the observed number of fish species derive from a long-term and ongoing beach-seine monitoring programme being conducted each autumn. Data on observed fish species richness are analysed using multivariate techniques especially designed for the coupling of environmental and biological tables (Co-inertia analysis). The correlation structure of the abiotic variables is investigated by applying the STATIS (“ S tructuration des T ableaux AT rois I ndices de la S tatistique”) multivariate technique. We demonstrate that environmental variables in the deeper waters are linked to the community structure of the coastal zone of the Southern Skagerrak Coast. It is suggested that this effect probably operates through the Norwegian Coastal Current (NCC) and is a proxy measure for advective processes.