Institute Of Oceanology Research Articles

ИТОГИ МЕЖДУНАРОДНОГО КРУГЛОГО СТОЛА: «БУДУЩЕЕ КАСПИЯ: НАУЧНЫЕ ПРОЕКТЫ И ИССЛЕДОВАНИЯ»

This issue of the Journal of Oceanological Research contains articles prepared by the authors on the basis of scientific reports presented at the International Round table: “The Future of the Caspian. Scientific projects and investigations”, which was held at the Shirshov Institute of Oceanology of Russian Academy of Sciences from November 28 to 29, 2018. The main objective of the Round table was to attract the attention of the scientific community and the general public to the study of the processes occurring in the Caspian Sea in the process of active economic activity, anthropogenic effects on the water balance of the sea, extreme events under the influence of climatic changes, as a result of which there is a noticeable evolution on the small historical scale of the natural environment of the Caspian region. The identified issues of the state and development of the Caspian Sea under the conditions of global climate change will undoubtedly give a new impetus to the study of this important region and outline the directions for further research.

Mapping the future of offshore wind farming

Offshore wind farming is a growing presence in the renewable energy landscape but these ambitious projects rely on precise assessments of the hard to observe underwater landscape they will occupy before construction can even begin.<br/>Many governments around the world are moving toward renewable energy sources to meet their countries energy demands. The reasons behind this are many, ranging from reducing emissions to the safety of nuclear reactors and waste. For countries lying on or near fault lines, such as Taiwan, the latter becomes an even greater concern. When the earth shakes nuclear power plants, in particular, are highly sensitive and susceptible pieces of infrastructure. To avoid potential catastrophe and achieve greener energy sources the current government in Taiwan is aiming to phase out nuclear power in the coming years and they have chosen wind power as the technology to replace a large portion of the energy supply.<br/> In Taiwan the plan to phase of nuclear power and replace it with wind power has one extra challenge. The plan is not to build on land, like the majority of wind turbine projects, but rather to head out to sea. Offshore wind farms (OWF) are becoming a larger part of the wind power market and European countries have mostly been the early adopters. The waters off Taiwan, in the Taiwan Strait, are attractive for offshore wind farming development due to the favourable wind patterns that occur there. This has drawn major interest from European companies and others around the world to place bids on the growing number of wind farming projects. However, before any of these projects can take place an extensive effort to understand more about the environments below the surface must first be completed.<br/>Fortunately for those individuals who are curious as to the make-up and appearance of the ocean floor, such as engineers who plan to construct permanent structures in the depths, many techniques to map the seabed have been developed. Dr Gwo-Shyh Song, from The Institute of Oceanography at The National Taiwan University, in Taipei, is one local researcher who is very familiar with these methods. "I have been working on seafloor mapping around the Taiwan Island for last 20 years," points out Song. "This includes geophysical surveys, reservoir siltation surveys, cable and pipeline route surveys using a variety of techniques like multi-beam sounders and side-scan sonar as well as chirp sub-bottom profilers." When the offshore wind farming initiative needed experienced local researchers, he was one of a few people with the prerequisite expertise and technical skill required. "In 2012, when the OWF project was set into action and promoted by the Taiwanese Government, myself and my graduated students now employed within Global Aqua Survey Ltd started to become involved with many related investigatory projects," he explains.

Combining Satellite Imagery and Numerical Modelling to Study the Occurrence of Warm Upwellings in the Southern Baltic Sea in Winter

Coastal upwelling involves an upward movement of deeper, usually colder, water to the surface. Satellite sea surface temperature (SST) observations and simulations with a hydrodynamic model show, however, that the coastal upwelling in the Baltic Sea in winter can bring warmer water to the surface. In this study, the satellite SST data collected by the advanced very high resolution radiometer (AVHRR) and the moderate-resolution imaging spectroradiometer (MODIS), as well as simulations with the Parallel Model 3D (PM3D) were used to identify upwelling events in the southern Baltic Sea during the 2010–2017 winter seasons. The PM3D is a three-dimensional hydrodynamic model of the Baltic Sea developed at the Institute of Oceanography, University of Gdańsk, Poland, in which parallel calculations enable high-resolution modelling. A validation of the model results with in situ observations and satellite-derived SST data showed the PM3D to adequately represent thermal conditions in upwelling areas in winter (91.5% agreement). Analysis of the frequency of warm upwellings in 12 areas of the southern Baltic Sea showed a high variability in January and February. In those months, the upwelling was most frequent, both in satellite imagery and in model results, off the Hel Peninsula (38% and 43% frequency, respectively). Upwelling was also frequent off the Vistula Spit, west of the Island of Rügen, and off the eastern coast of Skåne, where the upwelling frequency estimated from satellite images exceeded 26%. As determined by the PM3D, the upwelling frequency off VS and R was at least 25%, while off the eastern coast of Skåne, it reached 17%. The faithful simulation of SST variability in the winters of 2010–2017 by the high-resolution model used was shown to be a reliable tool with which to identify warm upwellings in the southern Baltic Sea.

ПЕРЕПЛЕТЕНИЕ СУДЕБ И МЕСТ - ЖИЗНЬ УЧЕНОГО СКВОЗЬ ИСТОРИЮ СТАНОВЛЕНИЯ "БОРКА"

The fate of many of our wonderful scientists and researchers is wonderfully intertwined with historical events and outstanding people who took an active part in the formation of our science and research centers. These spatio-temporal relationships influenced the fate of the participants in these events, as happened with Konstantin Vladimirovich Popov, senior researcher, candidate of geological and mineralogical sciences, Laboratory of Geophysical Fields, Institute of Oceanology. He began his journey from a young age back in 1951 at the Borok Biological Station. And he left us in July this year at a workplace at the Borok Geophysical Observatory, completing his research there and completing a number of his works for the 47th issue of the journal, including those dedicated to the famous explorer of the North I.D. Papanin, whose life, in turn, is connected both with this place and with K.V. Popov.

НАУЧНАЯ ЖИЗНЬ СРЕДИ ЛЬДОВ АРКТИКИ И АНТАРКТИКИ: К 80-ЛЕТИЮ И.А. МЕЛЬНИКОВА

The article is dedicated to the anniversary of Igor Alekseevich Melnikov, chief researcher at the Institute of Oceanology, Doctor of Biological Sciences. Out of 50 years of work at the Institute of IO RAS, four decades of his scientific activity are devoted to research in the Arctic and Antarctic. Starting from the International Polar Year in 2007 to the present, I.A. Melnikov conducts bipolar monitoring of marine water-ice ecosystems that are affected by climate change. His scientific views were widely reflected in both the specialized and periodicals, as well as in radio and television appearances. I.A. Melnikov was awarded the title “Honorable Polar Explorer”, awarded the Order of the “Trudovogo Krasnogo Znameny”, and for scientific research using scuba gear under the ice of the Arctic and Antarctic, he was awarded the UNESCO International Grand Prix.

МАГНИТНЫЕ ХАРАКТЕРИСТИКИ МЕТАМОРФИЗОВАННЫХ УЛЬТРАБАЗИТОВ ОКЕАНИЧЕСКОЙ ЛИТОСФЕРЫ И ОФИОЛИТОВЫХ КОМПЛЕКСОВ

As part of the study of the nature of magnetic anomalies associated with the deep layers of the oceanic crust, a comparative analysis was made of the petromagnetic characteristics of serpentinized mantle ultrabasic samples taken from oceanographic expeditions of the Institute of Oceanology and the Institute of Geochemistry and Analytical Chemistry of the Russian Academy of Sciences in various morphotectonic regions of the World Ocean. The purpose of the work is to obtain information on the composition, concentration, crystallization temperature and structural features of ferromagnetic minerals, which are formed in different conditions of the post-magmatic metamorphism of ultrabasites. Sample collections are divided into three groups. 1. Oceanic peridotites from the rift zones of the mid-ocean ridges and transform faults. 2. Peridotites of the submarine ridge Gorringe, located within the Azoro-Gibraltar zone of faults. 3. Dunites of the Pekulney complex (Chukotka) formed in the island arc system. It has been established that in all selected regions, samples of serpentinized hyperbasites have high values of natural residual magnetization, magnetic susceptibility and saturation magnetization. The highest values of magnetic parameters are the dunites of the Pekulney complex. Estimation of the dependence of the concentration of ferrimagnetic materials C% of the degree of serpentinization of the SS%. showed that it is practically of little significance. The main factors contributing to the increase in the concentration of magnetite are the increased iron content of olivine in ultrabasites and the temperature of metamorphism. The question of the period of formation of magnetites and the stability of their primary residual magnetization requires further study.

ИССЛЕДОВАТЕЛЬ ЦИРКУЛЯЦИИ ВОД ИНДИЙСКОГО, АТЛАНТИЧЕСКОГО И ТИХОГО ОКЕАНОВ – К 90-ЛЕТИЮ А.Д. ЩЕРБИНИНА

This year we celebrate the 90th anniversary of the birth of Anatoly Dmitrievich Shcherbinin, a famous oceanologist, experimenter and veteran who kept the honor and created the glory of the Shirshov Institute of Oceanology of the Russian Academy of Sciences. Dr. Shcherbinin created the first climate Oceanographic Data Bank of the Indian Ocean, published a 12-volume atlas monograph of the fields of temperature, salinity, density, electrical conductivity and speed of sound, summarized in the monograph “Formation and Variability of Hydrophysical Fields of the Pacific and Atlantic Oceans”, as well as four thematic monographs in publishing house «Hydrometeoizdat». For these works, he was twice awarded the M.Yu. Shokalsky Prize.

Interannual Variability of Mixed Layer Dynamics in the Ecuadorian Ocean

AbstractTime series spanning 22 years of monthly conductivity‐temperature‐depth profiles are used to examine upper water column temperature interannual variability near the Ecuador coastline. The sampling program began in 1992 (and continues) by Ecuador's National Institute of Oceanography of the Navy and National Fisheries Institute. The five coastal stations are located 8 NM away from the coast and extend from 2°S to 1°N. The anomaly data show marked interannual variations with distinct characteristics associated with El Niño Southern Oscillation (ENSO) indices. Heat content and the 20°C isotherm depth are both largest during El Niño periods and weakest during La Niña periods. The first mode empirical orthogonal function (EOF) decomposition of the anomaly coastal station data represents bulk variations of the thermocline depth and has temporal variability coupled to Niño 3.4 and 1+2 indices. Coastal observations are compared with observations obtained from the offshore TAO/Triton buoys located along 95°W from 2°S to 2°N. The EOF decomposition of TAO buoy time series shows similar spatial EOF structure. The first EOF amplitude time series from coastal and TAO station decomposition is correlated, showing that the dominant variability of the upper water column near the coast is coupled to variations along the equator and seaward of the Galápagos. Coupling between ENSO indices and ERA‐1 zonal wind stress from the central Pacific (Niño 4) with observed coastal temperature structure shows that effects of El Niño forcing are strongly influencing the Ecuadorian Sea eastward of the Galápagos Islands.

The Optimal Precursors for ENSO Events Depicted Using the Gradient-definition-based Method in an Intermediate Coupled Model

The predictability of El Nino-Southern Oscillation (ENSO) has been an important area of study for years. Searching for the optimal precursor (OPR) of ENSO occurrence is an effective way to understand its predictability. The CNOP (conditional nonlinear optimal perturbation), one of the most effective ways to depict the predictability of ENSO, is adopted to study the optimal sea surface temperature (SST) precursors (SST-OPRs) of ENSO in the IOCAS ICM (intermediate coupled model developed at the Institute of Oceanology, Chinese Academy of Sciences). To seek the SST-OPRs of ENSO in the ICM, non-ENSO events simulated by the ICM are chosen as the basic state. Then, the gradient-definition-based method (GD method) is employed to solve the CNOP for different initial months of the basic years to obtain the SST-OPRs. The experimental results show that the obtained SST-OPRs present a positive anomaly signal in the western-central equatorial Pacific, and obvious differences exist in the patterns between the different seasonal SST-OPRs along the equatorial western-central Pacific, showing seasonal dependence to some extent. Furthermore, the non-El Nino events can eventually evolve into El Nino events when the SST-OPRs are superimposed on the corresponding seasons; the peaks of the Nino3.4 index occur at the ends of the years, which is consistent with the evolution of the real El Nino. These results show that the GD method is an effective way to obtain SST-OPRs for ENSO events in the ICM. Moreover, the OPRs for ENSO depicted using the GD method provide useful information for finding the early signal of ENSO in the ICM.

Ciguatoxin-like toxin in mackerel <i>Acanthocybium soladria</i> in Vietnam

Two processed mackerel products were sent to VAST keylab on “Food and Environmental Safety” in Institute of Oceanography for Ciguatoxin criteria as exported seafood requirement. The specimens were caught from offshore region of Vietnam South-Eastern sea in April 2019. By DNA sequencing of COI gene, both specimens were identified as Acanthocybium solandri, one of high commercial mackerel species which is well-known to be distributed in Central and South-Eastern sea of Vietnam. In mouse bioassay, both extracts from 2 samples exhibited acute toxicity, which killed tested mice within 6 and 15 hours after i.p. injection. In SIM LC/MS-MS analysis, the extracts showed the peak with retention time closed to that in CTX-1B standard in both cases of optimized and non-optimized solid phases. The result suggested that at least there was occurrence of CTX-like toxin in these mackerel specimens. The equivalent toxin levels were estimated as 0.51 ng/g and 0.84 ng/g; 5 and 8 times higher than regulation limit for CTXs in seafood product (0.1 ng CTX-1B/g). Further verification is in progress to confirm toxin in these mackerel samples in Vietnam. However, this data is the first alert on potential poisoning by consumption of mackerel, not only in Vietnam but also in Asia.

О РАБОТАХ, ИНИЦИИРОВАННЫХ МЕЖДУНАРОДНЫМ СИМПОЗИУМОМ «МЕЗОМАСШТАБНЫЕ И СУБМЕЗОМАСШТАБНЫЕ ПРОЦЕССЫ В ГИДРОСФЕРЕ И АТМОСФЕРЕ» (МСП-2018)

This issue of the Journal of Oceanological Research contains mainly articles previously presented in the form of reports at the International Symposium “Mesoscale and Submesoscale Processes in the Hydrosphere and Atmosphere” (MSP-2018), dedicated to the 90th anniversary of the outstanding scientist, corresponding member of the USSR Academy of Sciences, professor K.N. Fedorov. The symposium was held at the Shirshov Institute of Oceanology from October 30 to November 2, 2018. The main objectives of the symposium were to attract the attention of mature and young researchers to the study of mesoscale and submesoscale processes in the hydrosphere and atmosphere of the Earth, and to give a new incentive to study this important area of knowledge. The participants of the symposium (about 260 people) presented 120 reports in various areas of modern oceanological research, see the article (Zatsepin, Ginzburg et al., 2018) and (Proceedings..., 2018). Even before the symposium, its Program and Scientific Committees decided to publish selected articles of its participants in a special issue of the Journal of Oceanological Research. A corresponding announcement was made, to which many of the participants in MSP-2018 symposium responded with the presentation of their articles. These articles form the basis of the contents of this issue of the Journal. It contains 20 scientific articles written by the participants of the symposium, covering the results of studies of various phenomena and processes, such as: the general circulation of water in the ocean and its mechanisms, eddies, jets and fronts in the oceans and seas, thermohaline structure and its variability, small-scale interaction of the ocean and atmosphere, bottom and intermediate layers, etc. These processes and phenomena were studied in various basins using traditional and new methods of field research, satellite information, laboratory, numerical and theoretical modeling. New results have been obtained that clarify existing ideas about the dynamics and hydrological structure of the ocean and seas, about the processes of interaction between the ocean and the atmosphere. The editors of this issue of the Journal of Oceanological Research express the hope that the articles contained in it will attract the attention of a wide range of readers.

Retraction for Megahed et al., "Complete Genome Sequence of White Spot Syndrome Virus Isolated from Indian White Prawn (Fenneropenaeus indicus) in Egypt".

Volume 8, no. 1, e01508-18, 2019, [https://doi.org/10.1128/MRA.01508-18][1]. We retract this article. The sequence was submitted to the NCBI GenBank (accession no. KR083866) on 13 April 2015 by the primary author, Mohamed E. Megahed, National Institute of Oceanography and Fisheries (NIOF), Suez,

Manifestations of deep degasing into the water column and upper part of the Pechora sea sedimentary section

Studies of acoustic anomalies in the water column and seismoacoustic anomalies in the Quaternary sediments of Pechora sea and their relationship with deep hydrocarbon sources were conducted by the Institute of Oceanology of the Russian Academy of Sciences and the Geological Institute of the Russian Academy of Sciences in the 38th cruise of RV “Academik Nikolaj Strakhov” in 2018. Mapping of free gas manifestations presents an additional indicator of tectonic activity and the fault network frame, which provides the flow of fluids from deep horizons. Comparison of high-resolution seismic survey data with deep seismic survey data shows that the fluid in the upper part of the section is first accumulated under the bottom of Jurassic-Cretaceous sedimentary sequences, which are fluid-resistant. Local dislocations of fluid trap lead to further rise and redistribution of free gas in Quaternary sequences. Natural or artificial break of their integrity results in the release of gas into the water column from near-surface accumulations that were found in the form of “bright spot” anomalies on seismic-acoustic records. Mapping of sound scattering objects in the water column shows the degassing areas, which are usually located above the deep faults. “Bright spots” of free gas in the Quaternary sequences have a variety of shapes – multi-tiered and inclined. Gas breaks into the water column occur near the edges of these anomalies. Systematic mapping of the considered phenomena is a necessary element in the preparation of the area for industrial operation.

Complex instrumental underwater observations technology development relating to the ecosystems of the Russian Arctic

The article touches upon the methodological problems of underwater investigation of the bottom fauna, plants, micro and meso-relief of the Russian Arctic in connection with the study of regional ecosystems. The methods and technical means of underwater observations used in the Arctic expeditions of the Institute of Oceanology are considered. Technical solutions that increase the effectiveness of sonar and visual inspection of the bottom surface are proposed. The results of experimental studies are given.

Material balance and ability of beach nourishment for the northern coast of Cai river mouth in Nha Trang bay

Nha Trang bay is considered one of the 29 most beautiful bays in the world. This is a coastal area with potential for tourism development with many beautiful clean beaches and dozens of large and small islands. In 2016, Nha Trang has attracted 5 million tourists including 1.2 million international tourists. Recently, while the development of tourism in the country tends to slow down, Nha Trang tourism in the period 2011–2016 increased by 19%/year on average. According to the statistics of Khanh Hoa province, Nha Trang tourism occupies 99% of the province. The number of hotels located in the immediate vicinity of Nha Trang’s central beach is 98% within 500 m from the coastline. In order to develop sustainable tourism, in addition to good management and protection of coastal and estuarine beach environments, more attention should be paid to the rehabilitation, expansion and development of the beach in the northern and southern areas to relieve pressure on the central beach and expand the investment potential and tourism development of Nha Trang city. According to survey data and the calculations based on a local project between Institute of Oceanography and Khanh Hoa province: "Identifying areas capable of rehabilitating and developing artificial beach and proposing solution for protection of natural beaches in Nha Trang Bay" (2014–2016), three beach nourishment scenarios have been simulated and evaluated, suggesting a number of potential areas for rehabilitation and artificial nourishment for the western coast of Nha Trang bay.

Dynamics of Dissolved Inorganic Carbon in the Yenisei Gulf during the Open Water Period

Based on the materials of several voyages of the Institute of Oceanology, Russian Academy of Sciences, and archival hydrological and hydrochemical data, the dynamics of dissolved inorganic carbon in the Yenisei Gulf was investigated. There are three main areas with extensive sedimentation of suspended material and oxidation of organic matter (OM) in the upper layer of sediments. The first region of OM oxidation was to the south from 72° N; its existence associated with extensive sedimentation of dissolved and suspended matter at the geochemical barrier. Two other areas of OM decomposition were located downstream (between 73° and 74° and to the north from 75° N) and most likely originated at the orographic barrier, where the change in the dynamic characteristics of the riverine flow and the topography of the bay bottom stimulated precipitation of suspension carried by water. Comparison of the difference in the observed Ctot with the AOU value showed that in 1993, oxidation of OM resulted in a change in Ctot. In 2011, carbon emission into water was most likely controlled by the transformation of mineral suspension and/or carbon exchange between bottom water and bottom sediments. In 2016, a decrease in the Ctot content was registered in deep water over the most part of the section. Despite many similar features in the distribution of hydrochemical characteristics in the bay, the change in the content of dissolved inorganic carbon over the section was significant in different years.

Ocean Climate Monitoring

Measuring ocean physics and atmospheric conditions at the sea-surface has been taking place for decades in our world’s oceans. Enhancing RD we discuss a “Hybrid” air-sea interaction deep-sea monitoring system that has been developed in the private sector to mirror ocean-climate community data streams and has been successfully deployed on three basin-scaled programs in the Indian Ocean (RAMA, First Institute of Oceanography, FIO, China), the Andaman Sea (MOMSEI, Monsoon Onset Monitoring, FIO) and the Pacific Ocean (China’s Institute of Oceanology, Academy of Sciences research in the western tropical Pacific). This application is a base to build upon as new sensors are developed and increased sampling at higher resolutions is required. A multidisciplinary tool to add new biological and biogeochemical sensors to study interaction with the physical processes of our oceans. This application can also be used at FLUX sites to enhance the Argo Program, telemetry docking stations for autonomous vehicles such as sail-drones, gliders and wave riders for enhancement and contribution to the Global Tropical Moored Buoy Array (GTMBA), Global Ocean Observing System (GOOS), Global Climate Observing System (GCOS), and the Global Earth Observing System of Systems (GEOS).

Field Assessment and determination of concentration levels of Dimethylsulphide in Tropical Seawater

Dimethylsulphide (DMS) is an important climatically reactive trace gas which is emitted from the seawater to the atmosphere. It undergoes various oxidative reactions to produce cloud condensation nuclei, which affect the earth radiation budget. DMS and its precursor dimethylsulphoniopropionate (DMSP) were measured using a modified vapour generation – chemiluminescence (VG-CL) detection system that was designed for this study. The chosen sampling locations used for the measurement were Nigeria Institute of oceanography and marine research (NIOMR) and ELEGUSHI. They are situated along the Gulf of Guinea. The modified VG-CL analyser was used for trace analysis of dimethylsulphide in the study area. The mean concentrations of DMS in the surface seawater at the two sampling locations ranged from 0 to 35.53±2.34 nM, 10.67±0.28 and 44.95±0.27 nM, respectively. The average minimum and maximum concentrations of DMS and DMSP across the two locations were between 0 and 44.95 nM, respectively. The concentrations of DMS and DMSP were compared across the sampling locations, and the observed pattern showed that DMS for ELEGUSHI has a higher concentration than NIOMR. The result further revealed that the concentration of the DMS is a function of the sea surface temperature (SST) of the aquatic ecosystem. The observed DMS concentration data of this study provides a baseline measurement for the tropical Atlantic Ocean (Lagos), thus a significant addition to the global DMS database.

How HY-2A/GM altimeter performs in marine gravity derivation: assessment in the South China Sea

SUMMARY HY-2A is China's first satellite altimeter mission, launched in Aug. 2011. Its geodetic mission (GM) started from 2016 March 30 till present, collecting sea surface heights for about five 168-d cycles. To test how the HY-2A altimeter performs in marine gravity derivation, we use the least-squares collocation method to determine marine gravity anomalies on 1′ × 1′ grids around the South China Sea (covering 0°–30°N, 105°E–125°E) from the HY-2A/GM-measured geoid gradients. We assess the qualities of the HY-2A/GM-derived gravity over different depths and areas using the bias and tilt-adjusted ship-borne gravity anomalies from the U.S. National Centers for Environmental Information (NCEI) and the Second Institute of Oceanography, Ministry of Natural Resources (MNR) of P. R. China. The RMS difference between the HY-2A/GM-derived and the NCEI ship-borne gravity is 5.91 mGal, and is 5.33 mGal when replacing the HY-2A value from the Scripps Institution of Oceanography (SIO) V23.1 value. The RMS difference between the HY-2A/GM-derived and the MNR ship-borne gravity is 2.90 mGal, and is 2.76 mGal when replacing the HY-2A value from the SIO V23.1 value. The RMS difference between the HY-2A and SIO V23.1 value is 3.57 mGal in open sea areas at least 20 km far away from the coast. In general, the difference between the HY-2A/GM-derived gravity and ship-borne gravity decreases with decreasing gravity field roughness and increasing depth. HY-2A results in the lowest gravity accuracy in areas with islands or reefs. Our assessment result suggests that HY-2A can compete with other Ku-band altimeter missions in marine gravity derivation.

Marine megafauna niche coexistence and hotspot areas in a temperate ecosystem

In the last few decades, there has been a remarkable development of niche models to help understand the ecological response of species to current rapid environmental changes. In the present study, we applied niche modelling to the megafauna community of shelf waters of the northwestern (NW) and northern Iberian Peninsula in order to analyse the coexistence of different species taking into consideration their niche preferences. The Spanish Institute of Oceanography conducts the PELACUS multidisciplinary survey annually to assess pelagic fish stocks and collect information on the status of other ecosystem components, such as oceanographic conditions, phytoplankton, zooplankton and marine megafauna. Using data collected from these surveys, we developed niche models for 14 marine megafauna taxa (3 cetaceans, 10 seabirds and 1 fish) incorporating multi-trophic ecological descriptors collected simultaneously during the surveys alongside the more commonly used oceanographic variables (e.g. chlorophyll a and sea surface temperature). Megafauna niche models were developed by pooling observations from 2007 to 2013 and were found to be driven by mean fish biomass and its variability, in addition to sea surface temperature. Hierarchical clustering identified four distinct megafauna assemblages, the first comprising wide-ranging species and the other three associated with shelf-slope waters in Galicia, coastal/shelf waters in Galicia, and the eastern Cantabrian Sea, respectively. Community-level hotspot areas were found in shelf and shelf-break sectors of Galicia, along with small diversity spots scattered throughout the Cantabrian coastal area. Our results showed that synoptically collected survey-based ecological descriptors, especially acoustic-based preyscapes, were among the most important variables explaining megafauna niche preference. These findings highlight the advantage of using integrated ecosystem surveys to collect simultaneous information on a suite of ecosystem components for spatial assessments.