Stability of spatial pattern of fish species diversity in the Strait of Sicily (central Mediterranean)
Garofalo, G.; Fiorentino, F.; Gristina, M.; Cusumano, S.; Sinacori, G. (2007). Stability of spatial pattern of fish species diversity in the Strait of Sicily (central Mediterranean). Hydrobiologia 580(1): 117-124. https://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s10750-006-0460-1
In: Hydrobiologia. Springer: The Hague. ISSN 0018-8158; e-ISSN 1573-5117, more
Related to:Garofalo, G.; Fiorentino, F.; Gristina, M.; Cusumano, S.; Sinacori, G. (2007). Stability of spatial pattern of fish species diversity in the Strait of Sicily (central Mediterranean), in: Relini, G. et al. Biodiversity in enclosed seas and artificial marine habitats: Proceedings of the 39th European Marine Biology Symposium, held in Genoa, Italy, 21-24 July 2004. Developments in Hydrobiology, 193: pp. 117-124. https://dx.doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4020-6156-1_10, more
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| Keywords |
Biodiversity
Spatial distribution
Species diversity
MED, Italy, Sicily [Marine Regions]
Marine/Coastal |
| Author keywords |
fish diversity; Mediterranean; spatial pattern; stability; Strait ofSicily |
| Authors | | Top |
- Garofalo, G.
- Fiorentino, F.
- Gristina, M.
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- Cusumano, S.
- Sinacori, G.
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| Abstract |
In this paper, species diversity of demersal fish communities was analysed over an area covering about 45,000 km2 of the Italian side of the Strait of Sicily (central Mediterranean). Fish abundance data come from a 10-year series (1994-2003) of experimental bottom trawl surveys carried out within the framework of the international program MEDITS. A simple GIS-based method was proposed to identify areas supporting high or low values of diversity and evaluate their temporal stability. A well-defined spatio-temporal pattern in diversity emerged from the analysis, with some areas of great ecological relevance being identified. Importantly, the greatest diversity within the fish communities was consistently seen at the offshore bank on the western part of the south Sicilian shelf (Adventure Bank). The site also supports high total biomass of demersal resources and shows the presence of species of great concern to fisheries. Results suggest that Adventure Bank represents a priority site for investigating the possibility of innovative management of marine ecosystems and demersal fisheries in offshore zones. |
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