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Since the 1950s, there has been an increase of women participating in ocean-going science. However, the number of women scientists in the field remains significantly less than that of men, especially in senior roles. In this commentary, we take a feminist perspective to understand the challenges women face in pursuing a career in ocean-going science. Based on the limited literature and reports of women in ocean-going research, we identified several cultural and structural barriers and constraints faced by women. These fell into four main categories: (1) behavioral/social norms and gender-biased culture in science and at sea; (2) failure to provide for balancing duties of family care with extended periods away from home; (3) gender-insensitive design of ship facilities, operations, and personal protective equipment (PPE); and (4) the need for a safe working environment at sea; i.e., gender-related aspects of health, safety, and personal security at sea. To overcome these barriers, the following interventions are suggested: (1) greater awareness raising and training to shift destructive mindsets as well as affecting behavioral and cultural change; (2) consideration of gender-sensitive design and safe operation of research vessels; and (3) more comprehensive and effective implementation of gender equality policies for research at sea.

Central to the achievement of the transformational vision and ambitions of the United Nations Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development (Ocean Decade) is human behavioral change. Fundamentally, these changes must embrace equality, diversity, inclusivity, accountability, and transparency. The Ocean Decade offers an unprecedented opportunity to fast-track gender equality and the empowerment of women in ocean science at all levels, and to achieve it by 2030. This means embedding gender equality as a cross-cutting principle in the planning, implementation, and application of ocean science. The Programme on Empowering Women for the United Nations Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development directly addresses current gender inequality in both the production and use of ocean science knowledge in the Ocean Decade, with a particular focus on ocean governance systems that conduct, coordinate, and apply ocean science.The Programme aims to collect baseline data on gender balance, investigate barriers and challenges women face in career progression, and identify good practices to enhance women's participation in ocean science at all levels. Ultimately the research seeks to provide solutions to overcome such challenges and catalyze actions to achieve gender equality that will drive the Ocean Decade toward its goals.

The project was undertaken through the Movement Ecology of the Flapper skate project at St Andrews and received support from the Ecology and Conservation Group, Marine Scotland Science, and Marine Scotland Planning & Policy and NatureScot. It was funded by Marine Scotland projects SP004 and SP02B0 and NatureScot project 015960. Seasonal and ontogenetic variation in depth use by benthic species are often concomitant with changes in their spatial distribution. This has implications for the efficacy of spatial conservation measures such as Marine Protected Areas (MPAs). The critically endangered flapper skate (Dipturus intermedius) is the designation feature of an MPA in Scotland. This species is generally associated with deeper waters >100 m; however, little is known about its seasonal or ontogenetic variation in habitat use. This study used archival depth data from 25 immature and mature flapper skate tagged in the MPA over multiple years. Time series ranged from 3 to 772 (mean = 246) days. Generalised additive mixed models and highest density intervals were used to identify home (95%) and core (50%) highest density depth regions (HDDRs) to quantify depth use in relation to time of year and body size. Skate used a total depth range of 1 – 312 m, but home HDDRs typically occurred between 20 – 225 m. Core HDDRs displayed significant seasonal and ontogenetic variation. Summer core HDDRs (100 – 150 m) suggest high occupancy of the deep trenches in the region by skate of most size classes. There was an inverse relationship between body size and depth use, and a seasonal trend of skate moving into shallow water over winter months. These results suggest flapper skate are not solely associated with deep water, as skate, especially large females, are frequently found in shallow waters (25 – 75 m). The current management, which protects the entire depth range, is appropriate for the protection of flapper skate through much of its life-history. This research demonstrates why collecting data across seasonal scales and multiple ontogenetic stages is needed to assess the effectiveness of spatial management. Publisher PDF

Temperature is one of the most significant variables affecting the geographic distribution and physiology of elasmobranchs. Differing thermal gradients across a species’ range can lead to adaptive divergence and differing developmental times, an important consideration for recruitment rates of exploited species. The Critically Endangered common skate (formerlyDipturus batis) has been divided into 2 species, the flapper skateD.intermediusand blue skateD.batis, both of which have undergone dramatic population declines. Here we examine the environmental thermal and geographic distribution of these species, using observations from scientific trawling surveys and recreational angling around the British Isles. As similar-sized specimens of the 2 species can be confused, we validated species identity using molecular genetic techniques. Both species had more extensive geographic ranges than previously reported and different spatial patterns of abundance. The distribution of the blue skate appears to reflect its partiality to thermally less variable and warmer waters, while flapper skate were found in more variable and notably colder areas. The thermal range and current geographic distribution of these species indicate that future projected climate change could have a differential impact on distribution of flapper and blue skate in the north-east Atlantic.

This work received funding from the MASTS pooling initiative (The Marine Alliance for Science and Technology for Scotland), and their support is gratefully acknowledged. MASTS is funded by the Scottish Funding Council (grant reference HR09011) and contributing institutions. The spurdog tissue samples collected by CEFAS were part of the European Fisheries Fund project ‘Shark By‐Watch UK’ and two DEFRA‐funded projects: MF047 ‘Spurdog, porbeagle and common skate by‐catch and discard reduction’ and M5201a ‘Assessing the survivability of bycaught porbeagle and spurdog and furthering our understanding of their movement patterns in UK marine waters’. 1. Micro-population processes, such as gene flow, operating within geographic regions are often poorly understood despite their potential to impact stock structure and sustainability. This is especially true for highly mobile species, such as elasmobranchs, where the potential for spatial overlap of regional populations is increased due to higher movement capabilities. A lack of information on these processes means management plans rarely consider spatio-temporal structure. 2. Spurdog (Squalus acanthias) are globally distributed throughout temperate regions yet there is an apparent lack of gene flow between ocean basins. In the North-east Atlantic, there is little work on gene flow within the region which is currently managed as a single stock that is estimated to be at 19% compared to 1905. Some evidence from this region suggests population processes which have the potential to cause structuring. 3. Population structure of NE Atlantic spurdog was investigated using an 828-bp fragment of the mitochondrial DNA control region and seven focal polymorphic microsatellite markers. Samples from 295 individuals from eight locations throughout UK waters were used in this study. 4. Overall, mitochondrial sequences suggested some regional differentiation. Genetic diversity was comparable with that reported in previous studies of spurdog. Haplotype diversity (0.782 - 1) is amongst the highest observed for an elasmobranch. Microsatellite markers suggested a high level of relatedness was responsible for regional population structuring. There was no apparent spatial structure after removal of ‘full sibling’ relationships. 5. Inter-haul variation from Celtic Sea samples is suggestive of sub-populations and aggregation events which may have important implications for fisheries conservation of this, and other, elasmobranch species. Postprint

Intraspecific diversity promotes evolutionary change, and when partitioned among geographic regions or habitats can form the basis for speciation. Marine species live in an environment that can provide as much scope for diversification in the vertical as in the horizontal dimension. Understanding the relevant mechanisms will contribute significantly to our understanding of eco-evolutionary processes and effective biodiversity conservation. Here, we provide an annotated genome assembly for the deep-sea fish Coryphaenoides rupestris and re-sequencing data to show that differentiation at non-synonymous sites in functional loci distinguishes individuals living at different depths, independent of horizontal spatial distance. Our data indicate disruptive selection at these loci; however, we find no clear evidence for differentiation at neutral loci that may indicate assortative mating. We propose that individuals with distinct genotypes at relevant loci segregate by depth as they mature (supported by survey data), which may be associated with ecotype differentiation linked to distinct phenotypic requirements at different depths.

This study investigated taxonomic validity of the pale ghost shark Hydrolagus pallidus Hardy & Stehmann, 1990, which was described as a species distinct from the smalleyed rabbitfish H. affinis (de Brito Capello 1868). While few morphological characters distinguish the two taxa, a striking difference in sex ratio and fixed differences (1·1-1·6% divergence) in the cytochrome oxidase subunit I barcoding gene support the recognition of both species.

A dense aggregation of the roundnose grenadier Coryphaenoides rupestris was observed with a towed camera at a depth of 1500 m in the Rockall Trough during September. The density of fish was 100 times greater than other sites. Within the aggregation the fish showed directional alignment, rapid swimming actions, mid-water swimming and social interactions similar to those associated with spawning in other Gadiformes.

There are thousands of seamounts (underwater mountains) throughout the world's deep oceans, many of which support diverse faunal communities and valuable fish stocks. Although seamounts are often geographically and bathymetrically isolated from one another, it is not clear how biologically isolated they are from one another. We analysed the chemical signature of the otoliths of a deepwater fish, the roundnose grenadier (Coryphaenoides rupestris) to test the null hypothesis that there is random exchange between individuals from a seamount and other adjacent areas. The fish were sampled on the Scottish west coast, from the Rosemary Bank seamount and two adjacent locations of similar depth, in the same year at roughly the same time of year. We used flow-injection inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry to measure trace element concentrations from micro-milled portions of the otolith corresponding to adult and juvenile life history stages. The elemental signatures of the fish from the seamount were distinguishable from the fish from the two other areas during both the juvenile and adult life-history phase. We infer that once juveniles settle on the seamount they remain there for the rest of their lives. Evidence for population structure should be factored into exploitation strategies to prevent local depletion and is an important consideration with respect to Rosemary bank being included in a network of Marine Protected Areas around Scotland.

Discovery and understanding of fragile deep-sea habitats like sponge aggregations, are being outpaced by anthropogenic resource exploitation. Sustainable ocean development in the Faroe-Shetland Channel Nature Conservation Marine Protected Area (FSC NCMPA; northeast Atlantic), which harbors sponge aggregations, now requires adaptive management in the face of encroachment of multisectorial activities in this area (e.g., fishing, oil and gas, shipping) and climate change. We examined sponge morphotype composition, richness, diversity, density and body-size distribution inside and outside the FSC NCMPA, and the role of environmental variability and human impact in these sponge aggregations. Analyses were based on the examination of 465 high resolution images from 13 towed-camera transects. A catalog for regional sponge morphotypes was also developed and applied for these analyses. Analysis revealed that morphotype composition did not differ between inside and outside the FSC NCMPA but richness, diversity and densities of massive/spherical/papillate and flabellate/caliculate sponges were higher inside than outside the boundary. The sponge aggregations occurred within a narrow zone between 450 and 530 m depth, within relatively warm and saline water masses. Furthermore, multiple size cohorts of sponges were recorded inside the FSC NCMPA, in contrast to the single cohort outside. Distance-based linear modeling showed that demersal fisheries, substratum, salinity and temperature explained a statistically-significant amount of variation (48%, p < 0.001) of sponge density across the study area. Findings on density and size cohorts suggest that the FSC NCMPA boundary currently encloses the most vulnerable area, which also demonstrates normal ecosystem functions (e.g., recruitment). However, sponges were constrained to a narrow environmental niche shaped by fisheries and interactions of FSC NCMPA water masses with the slope that in turn likely determine, food supply to the sponge aggregations. Our study illustrated the vulnerability of the FSC NCMPA sponge aggregations to fisheries and changes to water mass properties over time. The morphotype catalog and suite of indicators (i.e., density and body-sizedistribution) allow for baseline and future assessments of anthropogenic and climate change impacts on sponge aggregations’ environmental status in the FSC NCMPA, thus guiding management as sectoral encroachment continues in this area.

Summary Seafood is one of the most traded food commodities in the world with demand steadily increasing [1] . There is, however, a rising concern over the vulnerability of seafood supply chains to species mislabelling and fraud 1 , 2 . DNA methods have been widely used to detect species mislabelling and a recent meta-analysis of 4500 seafood product tests from 51 publications found an average of 30 percent were not the species stated on the label or menu [3] . This high rate poses a serious threat to consumer trust, reputations of seafood businesses and the sustainability of fishery resources. Seafood certification schemes may help reduce this problem. Here, we use DNA barcoding [4] to validate the species identity of 1402 certified seafood products derived from 27 species across 18 countries and find that in over 99% of cases species labelling was correct.

The Marine Alliance for Science and Technology for Scotland (MASTS) provided funding via a Ph.D. studentship and through the community project SIORC (Sharks, skate, and rays in the offshore and coastal regions of Scotland). MASTS was funded by the Scottish Funding Council (grant reference HR09011) and contributing institutions. This work was supported by the Fisheries Society for the British Isles and Scottish Natural Heritage. Tope (Galeorhinus galeus) is a highly mobile elasmobranch in the temperate to subtropical northeast Atlantic. It is highly migratory and has been shown to display complex movement patterns, such as partial migration, in the southern hemisphere. In the northeast Atlantic, previous mark-recapture studies have struggled to identify movement patterns and the species behavior is poorly described, yet identification of migratory behaviors and habitats of importance for the species is of paramount importance for effective management. Here, we combined fisheries independent survey data with mark-recapture (MR) data to investigate the distribution of different age classes of tope across the northeast Atlantic. We further investigated depth use in detail with archival electronic tags and a pop-up satellite archival tag (PSAT). We suggest previous studies struggling to find consistent movement patterns using MR data were confounded by a combination of site fidelity, partial migration by females, and increasing depth and home range of juveniles. Survey and MR data showed immature tope

In international fisheries management, scientific advice on the presence of “vulnerable marine ecosystems” (VMEs) per United Nations resolutions, has generally used qualitative assessments based on expert judgment of the occurrence of indicator taxa such as cold-water corals and sponges. Use of expert judgment alone can be criticized for inconsistency and sometimes a lack of transparency; therefore, development of robust and repeatable numeric methods to detect the presence of VMEs would be advantageous. Here, we present a multi-criteria assessment (MCA) method to evaluate how likely a given area of seafloor represents a VME. The MCA is a taxa-dependent spatial method that accounts for both the quantity and data quality available. This was applied to a database of records of VMEs built, held and compiled by the International Council for the Exploration of the Sea (ICES). A VME index was generated which ranged from 1.51 to 4.52, with 5.0 being reserved for confirmed VME habitats. An index of confidence was also computed that ranged from 0.0 to 0.75, with 1 being reserved for those confirmed VME habitats. Overall the MCA captured the important elements of the ICES VME database and provided a simplified, spatially aggregated, and weighted estimate of how likely a given area is to contain VMEs. The associated estimate of confidence gave an indication of how uncertain that assessment was for the same given area. This methodology provides a more systematic and standardized approach for assessing the likelihood of presence of VMEs in the North-East Atlantic.

The velvet belly lanternshark, Etmopterus spinax, is a deep-sea bioluminescent squaloid shark, found predominantly in the Northeast Atlantic and Mediterranean Sea. It has been exposed to relatively high levels of mortality associated with by-catch in some regions. Its late maturity and low fecundity potentially renders it vulnerable to over-exploitation, although little remains known about processes of connectivity between key habitats/regions. This study utilised DNA sequencing of partial regions of the mitochondrial control region and nuclear ribosomal internal transcribed spacer 2 to investigate population structure and phylogeography of this species across the Northeast Atlantic and Mediterranean Basin. Despite the inclusion of samples from the range edges or remote locations, no evidence of significant population structure was detected. An important exception was identified using the control region sequence, with much greater (and statistically significant) levels of genetic differentiation between the Mediterranean and Atlantic. This suggests that the Strait of Gibraltar may represent an important bathymetric barrier, separating regions with very low levels of female dispersal. Bayesian estimation of divergence time also places the separation between the Mediterranean and Atlantic lineages within the last 100,000 years, presumably connected with perturbations during the last Glacial Period. These results demonstrate population subdivision at a much smaller geographic distance than has generally been identified in previous work on deep-sea sharks. This highlights a very significant role for shallow bathymetry in promoting genetic differentiation in deepwater taxa. It acts as an important exception to a general paradigm of marine species being connected by high levels of gene-flow, representing single stocks over large scales. It may also have significant implications for the fisheries management of this species.

Economic impact assessment methodology was applied to UK fisheries data to better understand the implications of European Commission proposal for regulations to fishing for deep-sea stocks in the North-East Atlantic (EC COM 371 Final 2012) under the Common Fisheries Policy (CFP). The aim was to inform the on-going debate to develop the EC proposal, and to assist the UK fishing industry and Government in evaluating the most effective options to manage deep sea fish stocks. Results indicate that enforcing the EC proposal as originally drafted results in a number of implications for the UK fleet. Because of the proposed changes to the list of species defined as being deep sea species, and a new definition of what constitutes a vessel targeting deep sea species, a total of 695 active UK fishing vessels would need a permit to fish for deep sea species. However, due to existing and capped capacity limits many vessels would potentially not be able to obtain such a permit. The economic impact of these changes from the status quo reveals that in the short term, landings would decrease by 6540 tonnes, reducing gross value added by £3.3 million. Alternative options were also assessed that provide mitigation measures to offset the impacts of the proposed regulations whilst at the same time providing more effective protection of deep sea Vulnerable Marine Ecosystems (VMEs). The options include setting a 400 m depth rule that identifies a depth beyond which vessels would potentially be classified as fishing for deep sea species and designating ‘core areas’ for deep sea fishing at depths > 400 m to minimise the risk of further impacts of bottom fishing gear on deep sea habitats. Applying a 400 m depth limit and ‘core fishing’ area approach deeper than 400 m, the impact of the EC proposal would essentially be reduced to zero, that is, on average no vessels (using the status quo capacity baseline) would be impacted by the proposal.

Aim Estimating environmental suitability from species distribution data is crucial in defining spatial conservation measures. To this end, species distribution models (SDMs) are commonly applied, but seldom validated by completely independent data. Here, we use data on individual tracks derived from electronic tags as an alternative means of validating SDM outputs. Location West coast of Scotland, NE Atlantic. Methods We used a binomial generalized additive model (GAM) to predict the environmental suitability for flapper skate (Dipturus cf. intermedia) in Scottish waters. The GAM modelled relative habitat usage as a function of environmental variables using presence–absence data obtained from scientific trawl surveys. Additional data obtained from electronic tags attached to six individual flapper skates were used to estimate individual tracks using a tidal-based geolocation model. Concordance between individual tracks and GAM-predicted maps of relative habitat usage (RHU) was tested by comparing predicted RHU between estimated tracks and randomly generated tracks. Results Environmental suitability for the flapper skate was driven by depth and distance from the coast in the SDM. We found high spatial concordance between the estimated tracks of the six tagged individuals and regions of high RHU predicted by the SDM. Main conclusions Integrating outputs from an independent data source allowed us to validate predictions from a species distribution model (SDM). The integration of individual- and population-level data sources increases confidence in the outputs being used to define spatial conservation measures. The information on flapper skate distribution provided by this study provides a useful framework for considering spatial conservation measures for this species.

Variation within species is an often-overlooked aspect of community ecology, despite the fact that the ontogenetic structure of populations influences processes right up to the ecosystem level. Accounting for traits at the individual level is an important advance in the implementation of trait-based approaches in understanding community structure and function. We incorporate individual- and species-level traits into one succinct assemblage structure metric, fractional size, which is calculated as the length of an individual divided by its potential maximum length. We test the implementation of fractional size in demersal fish assemblages along a depth gradient in the deep sea. We use data from an extensive trawl survey at depths of 300-2030 m on the continental slope of the Rockall Trough, Northeast Atlantic, to compare changes in fractional size structure along an environmental gradient to those seen using traditional taxonomic and trait-based approaches. The relationship between fractional size and depth was particularly strong, with the overall pattern being an increase with depth, implying that individuals move deeper as they grow. Body size increased with depth at the intraspecific and assemblage levels. Fractional size, size structure and species composition all varied among assemblages, and this variation could be explained by the depth that the assemblage occupied. The inclusion of individual-level traits and population fractional size structure adds to our understanding at the assemblage level. Fractional size, or where an individual is in its growth trajectory, appears to be an especially important driver of assemblage change with depth. This has implications for understanding fisheries impacts in the deep sea and how these impacts may propagate across depths.

Understanding the impacts of fishing on the seabed is a basic requirement for ecosystem-based marine management. It is only recently that we have begun understanding how fisheries-driven perturbations affect ecosystem function, biodiversity, productivity, and resilience. Technical solutions aimed at minimizing seabed impacts are starting to appear, but their efficacy remains to be demonstrated. In 2014, ICES held a symposium on the effects of fishing on benthic fauna, habitat, and ecosystem function, in Tromsø, Norway. The main goals of the symposium were to summarize current understanding of the physical and biological effects of fishing activities on benthic ecosystems, and to review the diversity of technical measures currently available to mitigate these effects. Here, we briefly describe the background to the scientific symposium and highlight the main contributions.

Data from a scientific deep-water trawl fisheries survey in the north-east Atlantic were analysed to determine the spatial and bathymetric distribution of elasmobranch species and assess the change in relative abundance over the period 1998-2013. During this period, commercial fisheries for deep-water sharks went from being entirely unregulated, to being briefly managed, to being completely prohibited. A total of 22 species of shark and 10 species of skate were recorded between depths of 300 and 2030 m. All showed strong species-specific depth-related trends in abundance. Out of the 11 more common species, five showed no change in relative abundance over time, two (Centrophorus squamosus and Centroselachus crepidater) declined significantly and four increased in relative abundance (Apristurus aphyodes, Apristurus microps, Galeus melastomus and Deania calcea). Assuming these populations were depleted by fisheries in the past, the current data do not suggest there has been an overall recovery. Positive signs for some species in the most recent years suggest movement or recruitment back into the area; however, it is of concern that two species continued to decline. There is a continued need to have precautionary management of these elasmobranch species, and the current ban on landing these species in European waters remains appropriate.

The Rosemary Bank Seamount in the NE Atlantic was designated a Marine Protected Area in 2014 by the Scottish Government. Visual and trawl surveys of the seamount have been undertaken since 2007. Here these data are compiled and analysed to provide an assessment of the communities of demersal fish and benthic invertebrates found there. The fish and benthic invertebrate communities changed markedly with depth. Cluster analysis revealed at least four distinct communities of fish: those on the summit, the mid slope, the lower slope and the deep moat at the base of the seamount. The invertebrate community changed at a depth of 1100 m, where mixed-species sponge aggregations dominated to depths of 1500 m. The seamount is an important site for vulnerable marine ecosystems, most notably the extensive and unusually diverse deep-sea sponge grounds on the lower slope. Other prioritised conservation species and habitats recorded included cold water corals, orange roughy, blue ling, leafscale gulper shark and the Portuguese dogfish. Due to sampling constraints some areas of the seamount still remain unknown. A precautionary approach to protecting the entire seamount would achieve multiple conservation objectives. The data presented here serve as a base-line to assess the impact of management intervention in the future.

Motivation The BioTIME database contains raw data on species identities and abundances in ecological assemblages through time. These data enable users to calculate temporal trends in biodiversity within and amongst assemblages using a broad range of metrics. BioTIME is being developed as a community-led open-source database of biodiversity time series. Our goal is to accelerate and facilitate quantitative analysis of temporal patterns of biodiversity in the Anthropocene. Main types of variables included The database contains 8,777,413 species abundance records, from assemblages consistently sampled for a minimum of 2 years, which need not necessarily be consecutive. In addition, the database contains metadata relating to sampling methodology and contextual information about each record. Spatial location and grain BioTIME is a global database of 547,161 unique sampling locations spanning the marine, freshwater and terrestrial realms. Grain size varies across datasets from 0.0000000158 km2 (158 cm2) to 100 km2 (1,000,000,000,000 cm2). Time period and grain BioTIME records span from 1874 to 2016. The minimal temporal grain across all datasets in BioTIME is a year. Major taxa and level of measurement BioTIME includes data from 44,440 species across the plant and animal kingdoms, ranging from plants, plankton and terrestrial invertebrates to small and large vertebrates. Software format .csv and .SQL., Global Ecology and Biogeography, 27 (7), ISSN:1466-822X, ISSN:1466-8238

The identification of isolated populations in widely distributed marine species is often impeded by low levels of genetic differentiation. However, modern genetic approaches now allow for the efficient detection of potentially large numbers of novel genetic variations, thereby improving the power to identify biologically meaningful management units. To investigate the genetic structuring of saithe (Pollachius virens L.), we applied seascape genetic approaches to 131 single nucleotide polymorphism loci genotyped in 584 fish collected from 11 locations across the North Atlantic. Wombling analysis and the Monmonier algorithm revealed four genetic clusters (Barents Sea, Central Northeast Atlantic, Rockall, and Canada) across the species distribution range. These results imply that genetic structuring in saithe may be influenced by abiotic factors such as geographical distance, and bathymetry as well as biotic factors such as sex-biased migration, and natal homing. The results suggest a potential mismatch between management and biological units across the Northeast Atlantic, which may have implications for sustainable exploitation of the species.

Identification and incorporation of residential behaviour into elasmobranch manage- ment plans has the potential to substantially increase their effectiveness by identifying sites where marine protected areas might be used to help conserve species with high migratory potential. There is evidence that the spurdog Squalus acanthias displays site association in some parts of its global distribution, but this has currently not been shown within the North East Atlantic where it is Critically Endangered. Here we investigated the movements of electronically tagged spurdog within Loch Etive, a sea loch on the west coast of Scotland. Archival data storage tags (DSTs) that recorded depth and temperature revealed that 2 mature female spurdog overwintered within the loch, restricting their movements to the upper basin, and remaining either in the loch or the local vicinity for the rest of the year. This finding was supported by evidence for limited movements from conventional markrecapture data and from an acoustically tagged individual spurdog. Some of the movements between the loch basins appear to be associated with breeding and par- turition events. This high level of site association suggests that spatial protection of the loch would aid the conservation of different age and sex classes of spurdog.

Due to global declines, skates and sharks have become a focus of marine conservation in recent years. Despite protective measures, they remain vulnerable to bycatch by fisheries, especially bottom-trawls and pose a problem for fisheries management measures that aim to eliminate discards in the future. In the mixed-species bottom-trawl fisheries of the North Atlantic catches can be increased by fitting a length of chain known as a “tickler” in front of the groundgear of the trawl. It was hypothesized that the tickler is especially effective at catching skates and rays that may otherwise escape beneath the net. A trial was undertaken with paired tows with and without the tickler chain. The trial demonstrated that the catch rate of skates and sharks can be significantly lowered by removing the tickler. A set of secondary nets (groundgear bags) attached behind the groundgear of the main net allowed the number of fish escaping under the net to be estimated and showed that the reduction of skates and sharks in the main net was accompanied by an increase in number in the groundgear bags. This suggests that prohibition of the use of tickler chains in areas that are known to be especially important to skates and sharks could have conservation benefits. The removal of the tickler chain had little effect on catch rates of haddock, whiting, and flatfish, but caused a marked decrease in the catch rate of commercially valuable anglerfish.

24 pages, 4 figures, 4 tables, supplementary information https://dx.doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0174988.-- Data Availability: The mtDNA COI sequences can be accessed at BOLD systems through the sample ID: ME-9911; ME-11972; ME-13727; GLF011. New mtDNA COI sequences can be accessed at GenBank by the accession numbers KY345206 - KY345398. GenBank accession numbers for close related species of C. mediterraneus are: Coryphaenoides striaturus - KX656427.1, KX656428.1; Coryphaenoides murray - KX656411.1, KX656410.1; Coryphaenoides carapinus - KX656382.1, KX656381.1; Coryphaenoides brevibarbis - KX656377.1, KX656376.1, KX656375.1. An alignment in fasta with all the haplotypes and respective frequencies can be found at supporting information as S2 Appendix. The microsatellites genotypes are available as a text file at supporting information as S3 Appendix, Population genetic studies of species inhabiting the deepest parts of the oceans are still scarce and only until recently we started to understand how oceanographic processes and topography affect dispersal and gene flow patterns. The aim of this study was to investigate the spatial population genetic structure of the bathyal bony fish Coryphaenoides mediterraneus, with a focus on the Atlantic-Mediterranean transition. We used nine nuclear microsatellites and the mitochondrial cytochrome c oxidase I gene from 6 different sampling areas. No population genetic structure was found within Mediterranean with both marker types (mean 0T = 0.0960, FST = -0.0003, for both P> 0.05). However, within the Atlantic a contrasting pattern of genetic structure was found for the mtDNA and nuclear markers (mean 0ST = 0.2479, P < 0.001; FST = -0.0001, P > 0.05). When comparing samples from Atlantic and Mediterranean they exhibited high and significant levels of genetic divergence (mean 0ST = 0.7171, FST = 0.0245, for both P < 0.001) regardless the genetic marker used. Furthermore, no shared haplotypes were found between Atlantic and Mediterranean populations. These results suggest very limited genetic exchange between Atlantic and Mediterranean populations of C. mediterraneus, likely due to the shallow bathymetry of the Strait of Gibraltar acting as a barrier to gene flow. This physical barrier not only prevents the direct interactions between the deep-living adults, but also must prevent interchange of pelagic early life stages between the two basins. According to Bayesian simulations it is likely that Atlantic and Mediterranean populations of C. mediterraneus were separated during the late Pleistocene, which is congruent with results for other deep-sea fish from the same region, This study was performed under the framework of ReDEco “Regional Drivers of Ecosystem Change and its Influence on Deep-Sea Populations in the Mediterranean” (FP6 ERA-NET, MARIN-ERA/MAR/0003/2008). This study had the support of Fundação para a Ciência e Tecnologia (FCT), through the strategic project UID/MAR/04292/2013 granted to MARE and the grant awarded to DC (SFRH/BD/65730/2009). HK is funded by the University of Agder

The bioaccumulation of persistent organic pollutants (POPs) in deep sea fish from the Rockall fishing area was investigated. Predator and prey species were analysed for stable isotopes, fatty acids, polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) and polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs). δ15N indicated that black scabbard was at the highest trophic level and the prey the lowest. The fatty acid signatures indicated that black scabbard and black dogfish fed at a higher trophic level compared to the roundnose grenadier. PCBs and PBDEs were detected in the liver of all three predator species. PCB concentrations were significantly higher in the roundnose grenadier, possibly due to their longer life span. PCB concentrations were compared to OSPAR assessment criteria, concentrations were above background but below Environmental Assessment Criteria for all but one congener. PCB concentrations were below food safety levels in the flesh, but exceeded the limit for liver in the roundnose grenadier and black dogfish.

Summary Commercial fisheries risk unintentionally depleting local population components if stock management units do not reflect the population structure of the species. Atlantic cod Gadus morhua L. was over exploited in the sea areas around the British Isles in the last century and is struggling to recover. There is an urgent need to define the biological stock structure to improve management. In this study, we used data recovered from temperature and depth loggers attached to 252 Atlantic cod to infer and map their movements around the British Isles. Individual cod showed a range of behaviours including migration, site fidelity and limited home ranging. We estimated home ranges and seasonal movements and test predictions based on data from population genetics. Cod from a northern offshore area in the North Sea did not mix with cod from the central and southern North Sea, which in turn did not mix with those from western areas (the Celtic and Irish Seas). Cod experienced average monthly temperatures between 6 and 17 °C and occupied average depths between 15 and 165 m. Cod that occupied the deeper northern offshore area lived in colder and less variable waters than elsewhere. Differences in thermal experience are likely to underpin variation in physiology and growth rate that will have implications for how the species responds to climate change. This study provides evidence that cod living around the British Isles are comprised of at least one more distinct population unit that is currently recognized for stock management purposes. Failure to recognize this complexity of stock structure in past management plans is likely to have been a contributory factor to the over-exploitation of cod stocks around the British Isles. Synthesis and applications. The results of this study and recent genetic research provide a new and more definitive understanding of movement patterns and population structure of cod around the British Isles. The applied implication of this is that spatially explicit adjustment of exploitation strategies, for example setting a maximum sustainable yield for each of the population units, should be considered to ensure sustainable harvesting of cod in the future.

Author's version of an article in the journal: Canadian Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences. Also available from the publisher at: http://dx.doi.org/10.1139/cjfas-2013-0343 As human exploration and harvesting moves to the high seas, ecological understanding of the deep sea has become a priority, especially in those commercially exploited species whose life cycle, habitat use, and demographic structure remain poorly understood. Here we combine otolith trace element and stable isotope analyses with microsatellite data to investigate population structure and connectivity in the migratory deep-sea black scabbardfish (Aphanopus carbo), sampled along a latitudinal gradient spanning much of the known species range in the Northeast Atlantic. In each sampled life stage, otolith trace element and oxygen isotope compositions are similar among fish from different capture locations, but otolith compositions vary greatly between life stages. Oxygen isotope compositions indicate ontogenetic migrations from relatively warm water conditions during larval growth to cooler waters with increasing age. Analysis of microsatellite DNA also suggests lack of genetic structure among the areas sampled. The multidisciplinary approach employed collectively suggests that A. carbo individuals undergo an ocean-scale ontogenetic migration, beginning with spawning in southern, warm-water Macaronesian areas (potentially dominated by Madeira), followed by a large proportion of immature fish moving to and feeding on the continental slope in northern areas. The results lend the first conclusive evidence for defining the life-history circuit of this species and the perception of its stock structure across the North Atlantic.

In order to evaluate if marine protected areas (MPAs) can be expected to confer conservation benefits to large, mobile marine species it is important to assess their site fidelity and habitat ranging patterns. The flapper skate (Dipterus cf. intermedia) is a large, threatened elasmobranch for which MPAs are being considered on the west coast of Scotland. To inform MPA establishment, a multiannual mark–recapture programme, a year-long static array acoustic study and an archival tagging study of flapper skate were undertaken. Capture–mark–recapture (CMR) modelling of 280 individuals indicated significant heterogeneity in the recapture rate suggesting the region contained a mixture of site-attached (resident) and vagrant (transient) individuals. The analysis estimated that 100–400 resident individuals were present in the study area. The number of transient individuals was estimated at around 25% of all those tagged. The average annual survival probability of resident individuals was estimated to be 0.64. The acoustic study of 20 individuals demonstrated that over half were resident on a day-by-day basis for months at a time. Three individuals were detected over the entire year. Two individuals moved away immediately after tagging and over half moved out of the study area in the springtime. Three data storage tags revealed that resident individuals utilized most of the available depth habitat (6–205 m) in the area and occasionally visited deeper areas outside the immediate study area. The results indicate that the establishment of a MPA would confer conservation benefits to flapper skate in the area. Management should consider all depths in the study area, areas beyond the study site, and alternative conservation measures such as technical gear measures for fisheries. This study has implications for the conservation and management of similar long-lived, mobile marine species. © 2014 Crown copyright. Aquatic Conservation: Marine and Freshwater Ecosystems © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

It was hypothesized that energetically efficient anguilliform swimming and axial elongation in fishes is favoured in the deep sea and predicted that the degree of elongation of the body form of fishes would increase with depth. An index of fish shape was derived from the relationship between length and mass. This was combined with data on abundance of c. 266 fish species from 389 research trawl tows made at depths of between 300 and 2030 m in the north-east Atlantic Ocean. The degree of elongation of the fish increased with depth to c. 1250 m before levelling off. The strength of this phenomenon varied between higher level taxa, being most apparent in the Gadiformes and Osmeriformes, and weak or absent in the Perciformes and Selachimorpha. The advantage of efficient elongate body forms may explain why certain taxa such as the grenadiers (Macrouridae) have dominated the deep sea, some have restricted depth ranges, e.g. the sharks, skates and rays, and others are almost entirely absent, e.g. the flatfishes (Pleuronectiformes).

Holt, R. E., Foggo, A., Neat, F. C., and Howell, K. L. 2013. Distribution patterns and sexual segregation in chimaeras: implications for conservation and management. – ICES Journal of Marine Science, 70: 1198–1205. Chimaeras such as Chimaera monstrosa and Hydrolagus mirabilis are commonly found in commercial bycatch of deep-sea fisheries in the Northeast Atlantic. Very little information exists on their life history, ecology or behaviour. Segregation of populations by sex and/or age classes has been demonstrated in several elasmobranchs, but whether segregation occurs in chimaeras, and if so what mechanisms are involved, remains unknown. This study investigates the distribution and sexual segregation of four species of chimaera (C. monstrosa, H. mirabilis, C. opalescens n. sp. and Harriotta raleighana) in relation to sex, size (maturity) class, bottom depth, and latitude. Data were obtained from annual trawl surveys undertaken by Marine Scotland, Aberdeen, from 1998–2009, at 400–2000 m in the Northeast Atlantic (55–59°N 5–11°W). A factorial General Linear Model (GLM) with planned contrasts indicated complex patterns of age- and sex-related segregation. All adult males and females were sexually segregated by depth: in all four species investigated females occurred at greater depths than males. Potential birthing grounds were identified for H. mirabilis. Latitudinal spatial segregation was not evident in relation to sex or maturity stage. The patterns of segregation reported here suggest a potential for differential exploitation of the sexes by spatially focused fisheries.

The application of data storage tags bears the potential for a quantum leap in the research on fish migrations, because not only first-capture and recapture positions are known, but at least theoretically, the migration path during the period at large can be reconstructed. Position, however, cannot be measured directly but has to be estimated using the available data on light, temperature, pressure and salinity. The reconstructed locations based on advanced estimation techniques have been termed geolocations. Examples are discussed which illustrate the applicability of geolocations in individual path descriptions, separation of reproductively isolated populations, timing and areas of spawning, tidal transport and use of protected areas. The examples are based on archival tag data from the North Sea, the Baltic Sea, the Barents Sea and Faroese and Icelandic Waters. Besides presenting the state-of-the-art geolocations for cod Gadus morhua in the north-east Atlantic Ocean, the major aim of this review is to raise awareness of gaps in knowledge and to identify ideas for new research.

A towed camera survey revealed extensive sponge grounds on the deep slopes of the Rosemary Bank Seamount in the NE Atlantic. An Agassiz trawl deployed in the same area yielded samples for taxonomic validation and comparison to the visual survey. The sponge grounds were observed between 1200 and 1440 m depth. Eight species were identified in the trawl samples from five genera: Geodia, Thenea, Pheronema, Aphrocallistes and Craniella. In addition, there were 2 unresolved species of Craniella, one of Hexadella and 2 other unidentifiable Porifera species. Seven taxa were consistently identified from the video footage. Craniella longipilis was numerically dominant across all depths, but other species showed significant change in abundance with depth. At shallower depths Pheronema carpenteri was more prevalent, whereas the encrusting species Hexadella sp. increased in frequency with depth. Although all species have been previously reported from the North Atlantic, community composition at Rosemary Bank appears to be more diverse than other regions. Estimates of the number of sponges within the surveyed area suggest around 88 million sponges may be present. The community appears to be largely in pristine condition and the recent designation of Rosemary Bank as a nature conservation MPA should help ensure it remains so.

Here we consider the role of depth as a driver of evolution in a genus of deep-sea fishes. We provide a phylogeny for the genus Coryphaenoides (Gadiformes: Macrouridae) that represents the breadth of habitat use and distributions for these species. In our consensus phylogeny species found at abyssal depths (4000m) form a well-supported lineage, which interestingly also includes two non-abyssal species, C. striaturus and C. murrayi, diverging from the basal node of that lineage. Biogeographic analyses suggest the genus may have originated in the Southern and Pacific Oceans where contemporary species diversity is highest. The abyssal lineage seems to have arisen secondarily and likely originated in the Southern/Pacific Oceans but diversification of this lineage occurred in the Northern Atlantic Ocean. All abyssal species are found in the North Atlantic with the exception of C. yaquinae in the North Pacific and C. filicauda in the Southern Ocean. Abyssal species tend to have broad depth ranges and wide distributions, indicating that the stability of the deep oceans and the ability to live across wide depths may promote population connectivity and facilitate large ranges. We also confirm that morphologically defined subgenera do not agree with our phylogeny and that the Giant grenadier (formerly Albatrossia pectoralis) belongs to Coryphaenoides, indicating that a taxonomic revision of the genus is needed. We discuss the implications of our findings for understanding the radiation and diversification of this genus, and the likely role of adaptation to the abyss.

Recent and projected future changes in the temperature and chemistry of marine waters around the UK and Ireland are having, and will in the future have, effects on the phenology, productivity and distribution of marine fish and shellfish. However, the overall consequences are still hard to predict because behaviour, genetic adaptation, habitat dependency and the impacts of fishing on species, result in complex species' responses that may be only partially explained by simple climate envelope predictions. There is a broad body of evidence that climatic fluctuations are playing an important role in changing fish distributions and abundances, which is discernible against the background of trends in abundance due to fishing. During warm periods, southern species have tended to become more prominent and northern species less abundant. However, the changes in distribution are often more complicated than might be expected from a simple climate envelope approach, partly due to ocean circulation patterns which create invasion routes for southern water species into the North Sea from the south and from the north via the continental shelf west of Britain and Ireland. The eventual population-scale impacts of ocean acidification on fish and shellfish are currently very difficult to predict. However, the scant evidence suggests that indirect food web effects arising from the enhanced sensitivity of calcifying planktonic organisms may be important, and the direct effect on fish sensory systems leading to subtle influences on behaviour with possible population-level implications are possible. In British waters, the lesser sandeel (Ammodytes marinus) is identified as being at particular risk from climate change. Owing to its strict association with coarse sandy sediments it is unable to adapt its distribution to compensate for warming sea temperatures. Sandeels are a key link in the food web, linking primary and zooplankton production to top predators. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.