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The bottom trawl fishery developed on the slope off Balearic Islands (western Mediterranean) has been analysed from different sources of information: (i) data obtained during experimental bottom trawl surveys developed annually since 2001; (ii) daily sale bills from the bottom trawl fleet, available since 2000. Considering both hydrographical and geomorphologic conditions, the study area was divided in four geographical sectors. Multivariate techniques were applied to identify assemblages and their main species, and to investigate the influence of environmental variables in the slope communities. Fishery-independent and fishery-dependent indicators were calculated, both at specific and community level, for the assemblages identified. In all cases, they were summarised using the Traffic Light approach. Three assemblages have been identified in the slope trawl fishing grounds off the Balearic Islands: (1) the almost unexploited shelf break, where teleosts predominate; (2) the upper slope, where teleosts still predominate but crustaceans are also very important (with Nephrops norvegicus as target species); (3) and the middle slope, where crustaceans predominate (with Aristeus antennatus as target species). Depth was the main factor affecting the species composition of the assemblages, although other factors such as area, year and effort level also affect. Indicators estimated from both sets of data suggested an improvement in the state of N. norvegicus, although the results suggest the influence of other factors than fishing impact in the state of this resource. For A. antennatus, marked differences have been found depending on the data source. In the upper slope, indicators suggested an improvement in the state of this assemblage, which can be related to a decreasing trend found in the fishing effort exerted in this depth range. Indicators from the middle slope showed differences for both sets of data. The characteristics of both data sources and of the species analysed are discussed as responsible of these differences, Sí

The Migjorn artificial reef (MAR) was deployed in the summer of 1990 and is made by 48 concrete blocks set 30 m deep on a sea bed of sand with a small proportion of Posidonia oceanica (L.) Delile meadow. Visual censuses of blocks on both substrata were carried out during the months of February, May and September in 1992 and 1993. The MAR fish assemblages were influenced by the surronding substrate. Thus, a group of ubiquitous species, frequent on both substrata and typical of natural rocky habitats (mostly Sparidae) and a group associated with the samples recorded on the Posidonia meadow (mostly Labridae) could be distinguished. Season had only a secondary and slight effect on fish assemblages. The MAR was colonized by 74% of the species in the first two years after deployment. Positive and lineal relationships between species richness, diversity, abundance of necto-benthic species and time since deployment on sandy substrata were found. On Posidonia oceanica deployment time has only increased very sedentary and cryptic species. Although some ways in which the MAR would have a productive function are not rejected, the most obvious MAR working pattern is that of fish aggregation.