Search

Understanding discrepancies in particular years between acoustic and Daily Egg Production Method (DEPM) estimates is essential to better understand potential bias impacting both estimates, and develop a weighting per year assessing the coherence between survey estimates, to input in stock assessment models. Several plans for collaborative work have been proposed within WGACEGG to compare acoustic and DEPM indices (WGACEGG 2013, 2015, 2016), until the inclusion of such comparative approach as a formal group ToR in 2017 (ICES, 2017). Different approaches have been adopted so far, including the comparison between two egg production estimates (DEPM BIOMAN; CUFES PELGAS) and one acoustic estimate (PELGAS), analysis of the sensitivity of each estimate to its parameters, and the comparison between egg and adult maps. We here provide some rationale on how to investigate differences between acoustic and egg indices.

This paper presents a novel application of the geostatistical multivariate method known as min–max autocorrelation factors (MAFs) for analysing fisheries survey data in a space–time context. The method was used to map essential fish habitats and evaluate the variability in time of their occupancy. Research surveys at sea on marine fish stocks have been undertaken for several decades now. The data are time series of yearly maps of fish density, making it possible to analyse the space–time variability in fish spatial distributions. Space–time models are key to addressing conservation issues requiring the characterization of variability in habitat maps over time. Here, the variability in fisheries survey data series is decomposed in space and time to address these issues, using MAFs. MAFs were originally developed for noise removal in hyperspectral multivariate data and are obtained using a specific double principal components analysis. Here, MAFs were used to extract the most continuous spatial components that are consistent in time, together with the time series of their amplitudes. MAFs formed an empirical isofactorial model of the data, which served for kriging in each year using all available information across the data series. The approach was applied on the spawning distributions of sardine in the Bay of Biscay from 2000 to 2017. A multivariate approach for dealing with space–time data was adapted here, because the evolution in time was highly variable. Maps were classified using the amplitudes of the MAFs, and groups of typical distributions were identified, which showed different occurrence probabilities in different periods.

This paper is a practical contribution to two important debates raised by the implementation of marine ecosystem based management: (i) which ecosystem data can be provided by a fisheries survey optimised for ecosystem monitoring; and (ii) how to combine/select potential indicators to derive useful information on marine ecosystem status and dynamics? A suite of 143 potential indicators, including spatial indices, representing small pelagic fish and their biotic and abiotic environments are presented. Indicators were routinely derived from the PELGAS integrated ecosystem survey conducted in spring in the Bay of Biscay (BoB). The general patterns over time in this suite of 5–16 years, non-stationary time series are characterised using a methodology based on min–max autocorrelation factors (MAF), to select the most continuous indicators within, and across, several ecosystem components: hydrology, phytoplankton, mesozooplankton, small pelagic fish and megafauna. Potential interactions between selected indicators and external forcing variables, including climate and fishing, were assessed. The results confirm the importance of river discharges, bottom temperature, chlorophyll-a and mesozooplankton biomass in the dynamics of the BoB pelagic ecosystem. Small pelagic fish species appear to have followed distinct trajectories during the last 15 years. A marked decrease in anchovy and sardine mean weights at ages 1 and 2 over the last 15 years was highlighted; potentially caused by density-dependent competition. The quasi-absence of significant correlation between selected survey indicators and climate and fishing pressure proxies suggests a moderate exploitation rate of small pelagic fish resources, and confirms the so far limited effects of large-scale climate forcing on the BoB pelagic ecosystem. Perspectives for the assessment of marine ecosystem status on the basis of suites of indicators derived from integrated ecosystem surveys are discussed.

International audience; The French initial assessment of the Marine Strategy Framework Directive (MSFD) highlighted the lack of reliable data concerning offshore areas. During the planning of the monitoring programmes, the scientists therefore proposed to partially cover this gap by using existing fisheries research vessel surveys deployed for the purposes of the Common Fisheries Policy (CFP). This paper describes ways of improving the effectiveness of these surveys and making them better suited to delivering the information needed for the MSFD. The process took two years and became operational at the beginning of the year 2016. Testing phases from October 2013 to August 2015 had to be organized to fit within the ongoing fisheries tasks without significantly increasing the workload in terms of both time and human resources. Six fisheries research surveys henceforth collect new data, with or without additional sampling techniques. Specific examples are given with litter and hydrological data which will be used to assess the environmental status of French marine waters. The paper also identifies certain limitations regarding this approach. This French experiment enabled more efficient and effective use of current data collection efforts, while optimising vessel time and implementing an ecosystem approach in collecting data for fisheries management.

Prey and predator distributions influence one another. Understanding the scale and the orientation of predator–prey spatial correlations is crucial in foraging ecology. Growing evidence suggests that predator–prey interactions are more constrained by functional characteristics of both the predator and the prey. Unfortunately, in marine pelagic systems, the scale and orientation of spatial correlations between predators and prey have been only little explored from a functional point of view. We tested the existence of fine-scale association between predators and fish functional groups. Visual predator sightings and acoustic fish records were collected synchronously during oceanographic surveys from 2004 to 2014. Prey biomass was integrated by nautical miles and split into four size classes (30 cm) and two depth layers (surface, deep). We computed the relative biomass by prey size and depth category from 0 to 12 nm around predator sightings to determine the predators’ proximity to local prey biomass. Two cetaceans (common, bottlenose dolphins) and three seabirds (northern gannets, auks, northern fulmars) were studied. No association was found in fulmars, indicating they probably do not feed on considered fishes in the area. Gannets and auks were positively correlated with local prey biomass for sizes

International audience; Conservation has moved from species-centered to ecosystem-based approaches: the Marine Strategy Framework Directive requires the maintenance or restoration of ‘Good Environmental Status’ of all European marine waters. Monitoring biodiversity at the scale of whole ecosystems is salient, but challenging owing to the large spatial scale involved and the large spatio-temporal heterogeneity of marine ecosystems. We capitalized on the integrated ecosystemic PELGAS survey carried out in spring in the Bay of Biscay to document patterns of change in marine megafauna relative abundance at the community level over more than a decade (2004–2016). The relative abundance of the twenty-three most frequently sighted species (6 cetaceans and 17 seabirds) was estimated by distance sampling, and averaged over the study period and area. Temporal changes were investigated with a Dynamic Factor Analysis. This exploratory analysis suggested that approximately one third of all species showed an increase, another third a decrease, and the last third no overall change in relative abundance. The relative abundance of offshore species, including that of all studied cetaceans, slightly increased in spring between 2004 and 2016. Further investigations will correlate the uncovered changes at the marine megafauna community level with concommittent biological and oceanographic processes that are routinely monitored on the PELGAS integrated ecosystemic surveys.

International audience; Most oceanographic systems, especially shelf ecosystems, are characterised by interannual variability in the timing, extent and intensity of their seasonal patterns. Such interannual variations have important consequences on top predator habitat preferences. Capitalising on oceanographic surveys performed every spring since 2004 in the Bay of Biscay (BoB), this study explored interannual variations in habitat preferences exhibited by five mobile top predator species: bottlenose and common dolphins, auks, fulmars and northern gannets. We expected to find species with similar habitat preferences every year or species exhibiting important variability in their habitat preferences. First, we identified with a Principal Component Analysis (PCA) three different habitats of varying extent depending on year: river plumes, central shelf waters and shelf edge. Second, the Principal Components were used to explore the habitat preferences of predators through Generalized Additive Models. We fitted two kinds of models, using and not using the year as an interaction term, to test whether habitat preferences changed across years. Our results showed a range of habitat strategies based on the specificity and stability of species preferences. Species exhibiting narrower habitat preferences also exhibited stronger stability in their preferences among years while the species with wider habitat preferences exhibited higher variability among years. The target habitats differed across studied species, with bottlenose dolphins targeting the shelf edge exclusively, auks preferring river plumes, fulmars exhibiting a gradual preference from the shelf edge to river plumes and gannets being present in any of the three habitats. In contrast, the habitat preferences of common dolphins, the most sighted cetacean species in the BoB, could not be reliably inferred.

Fishery annual surveys are shifting towards integrated ecosystem surveys. However, monitoring the whole ecosystem once a year entails special attention to the interpretation of observations, because they only represent a snapshot in the seasonal dynamics of the environment, of a species, or any dynamic process of interest. The dependency of this snapshot to the timing, but also to the duration, of the survey with respect to this seasonal dynamics needs to be considered. Fish stock assessment is only little impacted by the observed timing within a given season, whereas warming, stratification, plankton bloom occurrence, or fish fecundity, are processes rapidly changing especially in spring. Firstly, from independent satellite data, we described the seasonal and interannual Sea Surface Temperature (SST) variability in the Bay of Biscay in spring around the annual PELGAS surveys. Our results revealed that the in-situ surface temperature snapshot from a given survey may be strongly misleading on the existing spatial pattern, blurring the latitudinal temperature gradient, with potential impact in e.g. species habitat modelling. Secondly, based on these survey-independent SST data, we proposed a methodology to position annual surveys in the environment spring schedule. Our temporal indicator is based on a degree-day metric, computed as the cumulated temperature from the previous winter date with minimum annual temperature. The annual degree-day is then compared to the climatology of the degree-day metric to correct the actual date of survey to an environment date. The methodology was spatialised to take into account both latitudinal shift in phasing of seasonality, and rapidly changing conditions in the environment during the survey itself. Finally, we tested the methodology to refine the description of anchovy and sardine spawning phenology, as well as spawning spatial distribution for particular years such as hot year 2003. More generally, this is an example of how synoptic, independent data from operational oceanography, as a background history of the environment dynamics, can be used to improve the interpretation of biological observations in marine ecosystems

International audience; The Pélagiques Gascogne (PELGAS) integrated survey has been developed by a multidisciplinary team of Ifremer and La Rochelle University scientists since 2000, joined by commercial fishermen in 2007. Its initial focus was to assess the biomass and predict the recruitment success of anchovy in the Bay of Biscay in spring. Taking advantage of the space and versatility of R/V Thalassa II, sampling has been progressively extended to other ecosystem components. PELGAS therefore further developed the second objective of monitoring and studying the dynamic and diverse Biscay pelagic ecosystem in springtime. The PELGAS survey model has allowed for the establishment of a long-term time-series of spatially-explicit data of the Bay of Biscay pelagic ecosystem since the year 2000. Main sampled components of the targeted ecosystem are: hydrology, phytoplankton, mesozooplankton, fish and megafauna. The survey now provides two main ecosystem products: standard raster maps of ecosystem parameters, and a time series dataset of indicators of the Bay of Biscay pelagic ecosystem state. They are used to inform fish stock and ecosystem-based management, and support ecosystem research. The present paper introduces the PELGAS survey, as a practical example of an integrated, vessel-based, ecosystem survey. The evolution of the PELGAS scientific team and sampling protocols are presented and analysed, to outline factors crucial to the success of the survey. Data and results derived from PELGAS are reviewed, to exemplify scientific questions that can be tackled by integrated ecosystem survey data. Advantages and challenges of the survey are discussed and put into the context of marine ecosystem surveys in the European Marine Strategy Framework Directive and the Common Fisheries Policy.

Mapping habitats of species communities helps to inform on the ecological processes which drive their distribution. This information is critical to identify suitable areas for spatial management, aimed at preserving biodiversity, ecosystem functions or essential habitats. While demersal fish have been extensively studied at the community scale, small pelagic fish have mainly been characterised at the population scale. This paper presents a community-based approach on the biodiversity of small pelagic fish, with the aim to: (i) define small pelagic fish communities, (ii) characterise their spatial and interannual dynamics, and (iii) assess their habitats. We present a Multiple Factor Analysis (MFA)-based method that characterises the spatio-temporal variability in a series of multivariate maps. The main components of variability in these maps are identified to define “characteristic areas” displaying contrasting conditions in both MFA ordination and geographical spaces. Characteristic habitats of fish communities were defined by the correlation between the main components of variability from MFAs applied to maps containing fish information on one hand, and on hydrographic variables on the other hand. The analysis of the long term PELGAS survey series of fish biomass and hydrological indices maps resulted in the characterisation of mesoscale latitudinal gradients and coarse to mesoscale onshore-offshore gradients in both fish and hydrology datasets. A community with anchovy (E. encrasicolus) and chub mackerel (S. colias) as indicator species was consistently distributed in southeast Biscay. This area was associated with higher bottom temperatures, which likely affected the fish community through physiological processes. A second community with small clupeiforms as indicator species was found in coastal spawning habitats. These habitats were typically characterised by low salinity, a probable proxy for high productivity and good feeding grounds for those species. Mapping the habitats of small pelagic fish communities may inform marine spatial management, aimed at preserving biodiversity, ecosystem structure and function. In addition, it may help in achieving maximum sustainable yields of these commercially important species, and contribute to achieving and maintaining good environmental status of shelf seas ecosystems.

Marine research survey data on fish stocks often show a small proportion of very high-density values, as for many environmental data. This makes the estimation of second-order statistics, such as the variance and the variogram, non-robust. The high fish density values are generated by fish aggregative behaviour, which may vary greatly at small scale in time and space. The high values are thus imprecisely known, both in their spatial occurrence and order of magnitude. To map such data, three indicator-based geostatistical methods were considered, the top-cut model, min–max autocorrelation factors (MAF) of indicators, and multiple indicator kriging. In the top-cut and MAF approaches, the variable is decomposed into components and the most continuous ones (those corresponding to the low and medium values) are used to guide the mapping. The methods are proposed as alternatives to ordinary kriging when the variogram is difficult to estimate. The methods are detailed and applied on a spatial data set of anchovy densities derived from a typical fish stock acoustic survey performed in the Bay of Biscay, which show a few high-density values distributed in small spatial patches and also as solitary events. The model performances are analyzed by cross-validating the data and comparing the kriged maps. Results are compared to ordinary kriging as a base case. The top-cut model had the best cross-validation performance. The indicator-based models allowed mapping high-value areas with small spatial extent, in contrast to ordinary kriging. Practical guidelines for implementing the indicator-based methods are provided.

Integrated marine survey series such as PELGAS provide comprehensive geo-referenced data over large sea areas in major ecosystem components with defined biological resolution and spatio-temporal sampling scale. These data enable to develop product at different levels of biological organization and spatial scale that are useful for ecosystem integrated assessments. Using the PELGAS integrated data series, we applied a generic procedure made of several steps to identify and map ecologically coherent ecosystem spatial units in the Bay of Biscay. First, the data were interpolated on a common spatial grid and organized as a time series of matrices containing at each time the variables as columns and the grid cell values as rows. The multi-table analysis method known as Multi-Factor Analysis (MFA) was then applied on the series of matrices, thus separating in the analysis the spatial from the temporal variability. Grouping the spatial grid cells based on their relative positions in the MFA space resulted in mapping ecosystem spatial entities based on common spatial patterns across ecosystem components. The result of the analysis is a map of ecosystem seascapes that are consistent over the years together with a map of their inter-annual variability. The ecosystem sub-units were in agreement with sub-regional production systems in the Bay of Biscay. This study thus highlights the possibility to characterize and monitor ecosystem spatial structure and develop indicators thereof for their use in ecosystem assessments. Also, it highlights the importance of identifying spatial limits of production systems for ecosystem description, assessment and management.

Peu de modèles d'évaluation de stock intègrent une description fine des processus biologiques régissant les populations exploitées par la pêche au sein des écosystèmes. Ce manque est particulièrement regrettable dans le cas des petits pélagiques dont la dynamique est fortement influencée par les conditions environnementales. En effet, la pêche et les fluctuations environnementales et climatiques impactent fortement la dynamique de population de la sardine du golfe de Gascogne. Pour comprendre la dynamique de cette population au sein de l'écosystème et les effets des pêcheries, il est donc nécessaire d'identifier et de caractériser cet ensemble de pressions. Afin d'améliorer la gestion et le suivi de la dynamique de ce stock, le développement d'un modèle d'évaluation écosystémique a été initié. Sa formalisation nécessite notamment la prise en compte de facteurs endogènes et exogènes structurant la croissance et la condition de cette espèce. Les indices de condition, notamment l'indice de condition relative de Le Cren, permettent notamment de comparer l'état physiologique individuel des poissons et donc par extrapolation de caractériser l'état de la population. Les études précédentes chez les sardines (mais également chez d'autres espèces de poissons) montrent qu'il existe d'importantes variations spatiotemporelles dans la condition, la croissance et la structure en taille et en âge. En nous basant sur les données récoltés lors de la campagne PELGAS, nous mesurons dans un premier temps les variations de ces paramètres clés dans le temps et dans l'espace (gradient latitudinal) afin d'identifier les facteurs environnementaux régissant l'expression de ces caractères morphologiques qui sont liés à la croissance et la reproduction des individus. Dans un second temps, pour aborder ces mécanismes d'un point de vue quantitatif, une approche bioénergétique individuelle à l'aide du DEB (Dynamic Energy Budget) sera développée pour analyser les processus bottom-up. Son utilisation en IBM (Individual-based model) permettra d'explorer également les processus de densitédépendance.

An acoustic survey (PELGAS) is carried out every year in the Bay of Biscay in spring onboard the French research vessel Thalassa. The objective of PELGAS survey is to study the abundance and distribution of pelagic fish in the Bay of Biscay. The main target species are anchovy and sardine but they are considered in a multi-specific context and within an ecosystemic approach as they are located in the centre of pelagic ecosystem. The Pelgas17 acoustic survey has been carried out with medium weather conditions (regular wind, low atmospheric temperatures) for the whole area, from the South of the bay of Biscay to the west of Brittany. The help of commercial vessels (two pairs of pelagic trawlers and a single one) during 18 days provided about 110 valid identification hauls instead of about 60 before 2007 when Thalassa was alone to identify echotraces. Their participation increased the precision of identification of echoes and some double hauls permitted to confirm that results provided by the two types of vessels (R/V and Fishing boats) were comparable and usable for biomass estimate purposes. These commercial vessels participated to the PELGAS survey in a very good spirit of collaboration. Vessels (and the scientific observer onboard) are founded by EMFF (European Maritime and Ficheries Found) for the period 2017- 2019, with the financial help of "France Filière Pêche" which is a groupment of French fishing organisations. The PELGAS17 survey observed a relatively high level of anchovy biomass (134 500 tons), which seems to be higher to previous year, comparable to 2011 and far away from the 2015 biomass The biomass estimate of sardine observed is 465 022 tons, which constitutes a strong increase from the last survey.

Knowledge of the acoustic response of single fish (or Target Strength: TS) is of prime importance for acoustic target classification and abundance estimation. This report investigates the effect of TS~length equation selection on the anchovy and sardine biomass estimates derived from PELGAS acoustic and fishing survey data. We aim at assessing the respective effects of b20 and depth correction terms on anchovy biomass acoustic estimates derived from the PELGAS survey, in order to evaluate the magnitude of a potential non linear effect of fish depth on acoustic biomass estimates. The PELGAS 2012, 2014, 2015 and 2016 survey data are re-analysed using several TS equations with different b20 values and/or depth correction terms to assess the respective effects of each single term on PELGAS anchovy and sardine biomass estimates. Our results confirm that the main TS equation parameter influencing the spring Biscay anchovy and sardine biomass estimations is the b20. In comparison, the Ona (2003)'s depth correction term yields marginal and more or less constant changes in the biomass estimates. The hypothesis of a strong and non linear effect of a depth-correction term in the TS equation used to derive acoustic biomass estimates of anchovy or sardine in the Bay of Biscay is invalidated by these results. The annual depth distributions of anchovies, as estimated based on PELGAS catch and ESDU data, show moderate variability, which does not seem to be related to biomass fluctuations.

Measuring fish target strength (TS) in the wild is challenging because: (i) TS varies versus physical (orientation relative to the incident sound wave, size, and depth) and physiological fish attributes (maturity and condition), (ii) the target species and its aforementioned attributes are difficult to assess in near real time, and (iii) in the case of packed fish schools, accepted echoes may originate from multiple unresolved targets. We propose a method for controlled TS measurements of densely packed small pelagic fish during daytime, based on the joint use of a Remotely Operated Towed Vehicle, “EROC”, with a pelagic trawl fitted with a codend opening system, “ENROL”. EROC, equipped with a 70-kHz split-beam echosounder (Simrad EK60) and a low-light black and white camera, can be moved inside the fishing trawl. Pelagic fish are funnelled into the open trawl and their TS is measured in the middle of the net, where small groups actively swim towards the trawl mouth. The swimming behaviour allows for near-dorsal TS to be measured, minimizing the large effect of incidence angle on TS variability. The EROC camera, located near the open codend, provides optical identification of the species. This method was used to measure the TS of European Anchovy, Engraulis encrasicolus in the Bay of Biscay during 2014. The mean, near dorsal TS was −43.3 dB, for a mean fork length of 12.5 cm. This value is compared to published values of clupeiforms mean TS obtained for a range of natural incidence angles and discussed in the light of TS modelling results obtained for E. encrasicolus.

Research surveys at sea are undertaken yearly to monitor the distribution and abundance of fish stocks. In the survey data, a small number of high fish concentration values are often encountered, which denote hotspots of interest. But statistically, they are responsible for important uncertainty in the estimation. Thus understanding their spatial predictability given their surroundings is expected to reduce such uncertainty. Indicator variograms and cross-variograms allow to understand the spatial relationship between values above a cutoff and the rest of the distribution under that cutoff. Using these tools, a “top” cutoff can be evidenced above which values are spatially uncorrelated with their lower surroundings. Spatially, the geometric set corresponding to the top cutoff corresponds to biological hotspots, inside which high concentrations are contained. The hotspot areas were mapped using a multivariate kriging model, considering indicators in different years as covariates. The case study considered here is the series of acoustic surveys Pelgas performed in the Bay of Biscay to estimate anchovy and other pelagic fish species. The data represent tonnes of fish by square nautical mile along transects regularly spaced. Top cutoffs were estimated in each year. The areas of such anchovy hotspots are then mapped by co-kriging using all information across the time series. The geostatistical tools were adapted for estimating hotspot habitat maps and their variability, which are key information for the spatial management of fish stocks. Tools used here are generic and will apply in many engineering fields where predicting high concentration values spatially is of interest.

Doray, M., Mahévas, S., and Trenkel, V. M. 2010. Estimating gear efficiency in a combined acoustic and trawl survey, with reference to the spatial distribution of demersal fish. – ICES Journal of Marine Science, 67: 668–676. Few analyses have been performed to estimate the efficiency of trawls targeting demersal fish using the ratio of catches and acoustic densities. In summer 2006, acoustic and fishing data were collected simultaneously over 3 d by three fishing vessels equipped with identical pelagic trawls in the Bay of Biscay. Variography identified moderate spatial autocorrelation in the acoustic backscatter at a mean scale of 3 km, a scale slightly smaller than the mean haul length (3.5 km), indicating that fish horizontal availability did not influence trawl efficiency. Acoustic backscattering densities expressed as nautical area scattering coefficients (NASCs) recorded in the trawled layer were compared with equivalent NASC (ENASC) values calculated from the species composition in the trawl, fish-length structure, and available relationships between target strength and fish length. Estimates of trawl efficiency for hake-dominated trawls were computed as the slopes of the relationships ENASC = 0.008 NASC and ENASC = 0.18 NASC0.31 for trawls made by day and night, respectively. For the whole demersal community, the relationships were ENASC = 0.022 NASC and ENASC = 0.17 NASC0.33 for trawls made by day and night, respectively.

From April 2003 to April 2004 monthly sea surveys were conducted around 2 fish aggregating devices (FADs) moored at 2000 and 2500 m depth in Martinique (Lesser Antilles). The use of a dual frequency splitbeam echosounder combined with an underwater camera and fishing methods allowed assessment of average space and time distribution of pelagic fish aggregated beneath the FADs, as well as identification of their overall size and species composition. At daytime, 4 fish aggregations were identified at each FAD, representing 4 distinct types: i) an aggregation of small juvenile tuna (mean fork length, FL: 30 cm) observed very close to the surface in 25% of daytime periods; ii) a small surface aggregation dominated by carangids, Caranx crysos, present in 65% of daytime periods; iii) a large sub-surface aggregation observed during all daytime periods: this aggregation appeared to be primarily comprised of 58 cm FL blackfin tuna (Thunnus atlanticus), mixed with yellowfin (Thunnus albacares) and skipjack (Katsuwonus pelamis) tunas of the same size; and iv) sub-surface scattered large predators (mainly blue marlin, Makaira nigricans) present in 10% of daytime periods. A smaller sub-surface aggregation comprised of medium tuna mixed with "extranatants" (fishes which remain within 10 to 50 m of a FAD) was observed in 75% of night-time periods, whereas unidentified scattered fishes were detected from 70 to 400 m depth. The low daytime vulnerability of medium sub-surface tunas to applied line techniques leads us to assume that their feeding motivation was low during daytime. These tunas could preferentially feed on mesopelagic organisms during night-time and transition periods around Martinican moored FADs. Local fishermen mainly targeted the large scattered predators using very small tunas as living bait. The sub-surface tuna aggregation hence appeared to be currently unexploited by local fisheries, though it represented the large majority of the pelagic biomass around the moored FADs., Des campagnes scientifiques mensuelles ont été menées autour de 2 dispositifs de concentration de poissons ancrés à 2000-2500 m de profondeur, en Martinique d'avril 2003 à avril 2004. L'utilisation combinée d'un échosondeur monofaisceau multifréquence, d'une caméra vidéo sous-marine et de techniques de pêche conventionnelles a permis de déterminer la distribution spatio-temporelle moyenne des poissons agrégés autour des DCP ancrés ainsi que la composition générale des agrégations. Les techniques de vidéo sous-marine ont joué un rôle majeur dans l'identification des espèces et l'observation de leur comportement. De jour; quatre types d'agrégations ont été définis : i) une agrégation de thonidés juvéniles (longueur à la fourche, LF, moyenne : 30 cm) observée très près de la surface durant 25 % des périodes diurnes échantillonnées ii) une petite agrégation composée essentiellement de Caranx crysos présente en surface lors de 65 % des phases diurnes iii) une grande agrégation de thons observée en sub-surface lors de toutes les phases diurnes; cette agrégation était constituée essentiellement de thons noirs (Thunnus atlanticus) de 58 cm LF, associés de façon saisonnière à des albacores (Thunnus albacares) et des listaos (Katsuwonus pelamis) de taille similaire iv) des grands prédateurs assez dispersés (essentiellement le marlin bleu, Makaira nigricans), observés lors de 10 % des phases diurnes. Une agrégation de sub-surface, aux dimensions plus réduites et composée de thons et "d'extranatants" (poissons restant à distance de 10 à 50 m du DCP) a été observée lors de 75 % des périodes nocturnes; ainsi que des organismes non-identifiés dispersés entre 70 et 400 m de profondeur. La faible vulnérabilité diurne des thons de sub-surface aux techniques de ligne utilisées indique qu'ils ne se nourrissent pas activement durant la journée. Ces poissons pourraient se nourrir préférentiellement d'organismes mésopélagiques durant les phases de transition et nocturnes autour des DCP ancrés. La pêcherie artisanale martiniquaise n'exploite qu'une faible part des ressources agrégées autour des DCP ancrés. Les principales espèces-cibles sont les grands prédateurs capturés de jour en utilisant des thonidés juvéniles comme appât vivant. L'agrégation de thons de sub-surface représente la grande majorité de la biomasse autour des DCP mais elle est quasiment inexploitée par les pêcheries locales.

The North Atlantic is a productive marine region which has supported important commercial fisheries for centuries. Many of these fisheries have exploited the pelagic species, including herring, blue whiting and tuna. Here we present data on the distribution of herring and blue whiting based on the international ecosystem survey in the Nordic Seas (IESNS), the bottom trawl survey in the Bay of Biscay and Celtic Sea (EVHOE) and the pelagic survey in the Bay of Biscay (PELGAS). We also present catch data on bluefin tuna, which has been depleted for decades but historically used to be a key predator on the other pelagic stocks during summer. The results show that there were substantial changes in the herring and blue whiting distribution during the 1990s and early 2000s. The earliest bluefin tuna catches noted were in 1907. The catches in the Norwegian Sea area peaked in the 1950s and there have been very small catches since the 1980s. The reported catches in the Mediterranean, on the other hand, peaked in the late 1990s and subsequently had a strong reduction.

International audience; Sea cruises were conducted for 57 days over 16 months to characterise pelagic fish aggregations around two moored fish aggregating devices (FADs) in Martinique (Lesser Antilles). Echosounder surveys run in a star pattern were used in conjunction with obliquely beamed sonar observations. An echo-integration-by-shoal algorithm was implemented to isolate pelagic fish shoals from sound scattering layers and to compute mean morphometric, positional and density parameters. Tree regressions were used to select and classify pelagic fish target strengths (TS), with reference to their spatial and temporal characteristics. The main type of pelagic fish aggregation was a large sub-surface aggregation. It was observed during all daytime periods within a radius of 400 m. of the FAD. A smaller type of aggregation was observed closer to the surface and to the FAD in 65% of daytime periods. Large scattered fish were observed in 16% of daytime periods. At night, a medium-sized aggregation was detected in the sub-surface in 75% of night-time periods. The sizes of the fish inside the aggregations (determined from TS values) were lower in the small near-surface aggregation than in the large sub-surface aggregation. Mean packing densities of sub-surface medium fish and near-surface small fish aggregations (determined from TS and shoal acoustic density) were respectively 0.2 and 1.3 fish per m(3). The acoustic methodology and results are discussed with reference to the characteristics and performance of the echosounder and to the spatial structure of pelagic fish aggregations around moored FADs in Martinique.

Characterizing the space–time variability in spatial distributions as well as understanding its drivers is basic to designing robust spatial management plans. As a prerequisite, we analyse here how this variability relates to population dynamics in conjunction with environmental conditions. For that, spatio-temporal statistical approaches are needed but seldom used in fisheries science. To fill this gap, we showcase the usefulness of the method of empirical orthogonal functions (EOFs). Guidelines are given to apply the method on a series of gridded maps as derived from fisheries survey dataseries that now span over decades. The method is applied to the series, 2000–2012, of the spatial distributions of European anchovy in the Bay of Biscay at spawning time. Across the series, the EOF decomposition allowed to identify three main types of spatial distributions. One type corresponded to an extended distribution, another to a restricted distribution in core areas, and the third to a very coastal distribution. The coastal spawning distribution corresponded to a low population growth rate as it was never followed by a large recruitment in the subsequent year. We did not attempt to explain the spatial patterns per se but the drivers of change from one type of distribution to another. Stock size and fish size as well as bottom temperature and water column stratification were the covariates that controlled the variability in the spatial distributions over time. Further, the spatial distribution at spawning time related to recruitment in the following year, meaning that variability in the spatial distribution of spawning affected population dynamics. The typology of maps based on EOF decomposition summarized this spatial variability into spatial spawning configurations, which may serve spatial planning.

Acoustic surveys are carried out every year in the Bay of Biscay in spring onboard the French research vessel Thalassa. The objective of PELGAS surveys is to study the abundance and distribution of pelagic fish in the Bay of Biscay. The main target species are anchovy and sardine but they are considered in a multi-specific context and within an ecosystemic approach as they are located in the centre of pelagic ecosystem., la campagne PELGAS se déroule tous les ans entre la fin avril et le début juin pour évaluer les stocks de poisson pélagique (sardine, anchois, chinchard, sprat). Cette campagne est écosystémique et observe tous les compartiments de écosystème pélagique, depuis le plancton jusqu'au prédateurs supérieurs en passant par les paramètres physiques de l'eau (température, salinité, densité, oxygéne dissous...). Ce rapport détaille la partie résultats de l’évaluation des stock ainsi que les principales caractéristiques de l'environnement tel que rencontrés cette année.

EchoR is a R statistical software package aiming at: i) handling pre-processed fisheries acoustics data collected during sea surveys, and ii) computing standard ec(h)osystemic indicators based on those fisheries acoustics data. This tutorial gives examples of EchoR capacities., Tutoriel du package R EchoR pour la production d'indicateurs sur les populations de poissons marins à partir de données d'acoustique halieutique.

Individual fish growth depends on internal population factors such as phenotypic variability as well as external factors such as past environmental conditions (temperature, food) and selective mortality (predation or fishing). In the anchovy, growth in the first year is key to population dynamics as it determines the potential energy allocated to reproduction as well as the capacity to occupy off-shore habitats. Further, in the recent past, the anchovy in the bay of Biscay has experienced collapse and recovery and the role played by growth in this history is unknown. Since 2001 with the spring acoustic survey series PelGas, we have monitored individual fish growth by measuring in the otolith the increments between annual rings, in addition to age determination. These data now allow to analyse the growth patterns in the population as well as the effects of environmental parameters and fishing on the apparent growth of individuals. We show that growth is related to a spatial pattern where smaller and lower growing individuals are more coastal than off-shore larger and faster growers. We evidence a temperature effect on the growth pattern where warm years are also those of faster growth. In contrast, fishing does not seem to affect the apparent growth. We also account for the variability of growth between individuals, which has stayed high throughout the series. The study implies a spatial substructure and segregation in this population where particular habitats could have played a fundamental role for the recovery of the population after its collapse.

The lack of specific Target Strength (TS) values for European anchovy (Engraulis encrasicolus) and sardine (Sardina Pilchardus) in the literature has been pointed out by the Working Group on Acoustic and Egg Surveys for Sardine and Anchovy in ICES Areas VIII and IX. The need for specific small pelagics TS measurements conducted in controlled environments was recognized by the group, to further investigate the adequacy of TS length equation used to derive fish stock estimates for clupeids in European waters. TS is a stochastic variable which largely varies in the wild, in response to changes in physical (tilt angle, depth) or biological (physiology) single fish attributes. The first requirement to make sound TS measurement is to accurately identify of the species comprising fish targets. Fish target identification is usually carried out by fishing. The comparison between fishing and acoustic data may be biased by the large differences in sampling volume and selectivity between acoustic and fishing devices. Optical systems can improve target identification, by providing images of the fish simultaneously insonified by the echosounder. We used Ifremer’s towed body ‘EROC’, fitted with an optical-acoustic system, to conduct in-situ TS measurements of Biscay anchovy and sardine, with concurrent optical identification. Its combination with an “open” pelagic trawl termed “ENROL” allowed for the recording of small pelagic fish TS, while controlling for the prominent factors known to influence fish TS distribution: species, length and tilt angle. Repeating EROC/ENROL-based TS measurements on monospecific schools should then allow for the definition of accurate TS~length equations for near horizontal small European pelagic fish species.

Petitgas, P., Doray, M., Massé, J., and Grellier, P. 2011. Spatially explicit estimation of fish length histograms, with application to anchovy habitats in the Bay of Biscay. – ICES Journal of Marine Science, 68: 2086–2095. Fish length frequency histograms from research surveys are of prime importance for identifying habitats of different life stages, as well as for stock assessment. However, no method has thus far been available for mapping these histograms as spatially varying curves. Here, a procedure is applied to map spatially connected curves, and detail is given on how it can be applied to map the length frequency histograms. At each sample location, a fish length frequency histogram is given as a vector of non-independent values. The histogram is first modelled as a polynomial expansion on the basis of orthogonal polynomials. Then, the polynomial coefficients are mapped by co-kriging, after fitting a model of co-regionalization. The length frequency map is finally derived by linearly combining maps of polynomial coefficients. An estimation variance associated with the map is also derived. Maps of anchovy length distributions are produced by applying the method to midwater trawl length data from the PELGAS acoustic surveys in the Bay of Biscay. This novel approach extends the application of kriging techniques to curves or functions, opening new perspectives for mapping more complex information than just the values of fish density.

Mahévas, S., Trenkel, V. M., Doray, M., and Peyronnet, A. 2011. Hake catchability by the French trawler fleet in the Bay of Biscay: estimating technical and biological components. – ICES Journal of Marine Science, 68: 107–118. Several factors affect trawl catchability: (i) gear and vessel technical characteristics, (ii) anthropogenic factors, and (iii) biological factors. The objectives of this study were to assess the relative contribution of each factor to variations in hake (Merluccius merluccius) landings by the French trawler fleet operating on the shelf of the northern Bay of Biscay (ICES Subdivision VIIIa). Using generalized linear models, the impact of technical and anthropogenic factors was evaluated using landings per unit effort (lpue) obtained from logbooks. Variations in hake lpue were explained primarily by anthropogenic factors. For studying the biological components of catchability, the results of a scientific trawl survey in July 2006 involving three similar trawlers of the French trawler fleet were used. Daytime accessibility to large hake was lower than at night, and about zero for small hake (

Estimer la biomasse d'un stock de poissons par acoustique nécessite de combiner des données de nature diverse collectées le long du parcours d'échantillonnage (Woillez et al., 2009). Il s'agit essentiellement de combiner trois champs de données spatialisées : une carte de densités acoustiques attribuées aux poissons, une carte de proportions d'espèces et une carte de longueurs moyennes.

This paper provides an overview of the progress Ifremer has made recently in fisheries acoustics and the study of small pelagic fish by: i) pushing observation frontiers using a range of platforms including an autonomous underwater vehicle, AUV, ii) developing measuring instruments and methods and iii) studying fish distributions. Presently, information from several frequencies of single-beam echosounders is routinely collected together with data from the ME70 multibeam echosounder. For onboard data acquisition control the HERMES software was developed. The new MOVIES 3D software includes modules for simultaneous realistic 3D visualisation and post-processing such as bottom detection, school extraction and calculation of descriptors and integration of all acoustic data. Several data analysis methods are being developed and some initial results are presented. Finally, results on the spatial distribution of small pelagic fish schools in the Bay of Biscay illustrate the role that acoustics can play, and are already playing, in the implementation of an ecosystem approach to fisheries., Cet article présente une vue d’ensemble des avancées récentes de l’Ifremer en acoustique halieutique et une étude des petits poissons pélagiques tenant compte : i) de l’extension des limites de l’observation, en utilisant une gamme diverse de plates-formes dont un engin sous-marin autonome (AUV), ii) des développements méthodologiques et d’instruments de mesures, iii) de l’étude de la répartition des poissons. Désormais, les données de plusieurs fréquences des sondeurs mono-faisceaux sont collectées en routine en parallèle à celles du sondeur multifaisceau ME70. Le logiciel HERMES a été développé pour le contrôle de l’acquisition des données à bord. Le nouveau logiciel MOVIES 3D comprend des modules de visualisation réaliste en 3D et de post-traitement (dont la détection du fond, l’extraction de bancs et le calcul de leurs descripteurs ainsi que l’intégration de toutes les données acoustiques). Plusieurs méthodes d’analyse de données sont en cours de développement et quelques premiers résultats sont présentés. Enfin, les résultats relatifs à la répartition spatiale des bancs de petits poissons pélagiques dans le golfe de Gascogne illustrent le rôle actuel et potentiel de l’acoustique dans la mise en place d’une approche écosystémique des pêches.

Doray, M., Petitgas, P., Nelson, L., Mahévas, S., Josse, E., and Reynal, L. 2009. The influence of the environment on the variability of monthly tuna biomass around a moored, fish-aggregating device. – ICES Journal of Marine Science, 66: 1410–1416. Fish-aggregating devices (FADs) are increasingly used worldwide to enhance tuna catches. Meanwhile, ecosystem-based management of this fishery is constrained by a paucity of information regarding the interaction of FAD-associated tuna aggregations with their local environment. This paper reports the results of a nine-month study around a FAD moored near Martinique Island, aimed at assessing the effects of the local environment on the variability of monthly estimates of proximate tuna biomass. Dual-frequency, active acoustics provided high-resolution quantitative data on the pelagic community around the FAD, from fish to micronekton forage. Geostatistics were used to compute biomass estimates of the tuna aggregation comprising most of the FAD-associated fish biomass, with a sampling error of 27%. Environmental variability was summarized by a small set of principal components (PCs) derived from profiles of temperature, salinity, and dissolved oxygen vs. depth; and maps of chlorophyll a derived from remotely sensed, sea surface colour. A generalized linear model was used to relate tuna biomass to environmental PCs and revealed a positive correlation between tuna abundance and: (i) a micronekton layer sensed at 38 kHz and potentially consisting of preferred prey at ∼180-m depth; and (ii) low subsurface salinity (60–80 m). These favourable environmental conditions may be related to the presence of North Brazilian Current eddies that migrating tuna follow when not temporally associated with the FADs.

Universal kriging was used to model the spatio-temporal variability in the acoustic density of tuna aggregations recorded during star echosounding surveys around moored fish aggregating devices (FADs) in Martinique (Lesser Antilles). The large-scale deterministic drift in the tuna spatial distribution was modeled using an advection-diffusion equation applied to animal grouping. Residuals from the drift were modeled as a random component with small-scale spatial correlation. An estimation variance formula was derived from this deterministic-statistical mixed model to assess the mean precision of density estimates of daytime tuna aggregation. The mean relative error obtained with our star design for daytime surveys was 24%. The methodology was applied to estimate daily maxima of tuna biomass around moored FADs during four monthly sea cruises. The daily peak of tuna biomass aggregated around moored FADs was 9 t on average (standard deviation = 4). Estimation variances for different survey designs were compared for optimizing sampling strategy., La distribution spatiale d'agrégations de thons autour de dispositifs de concentration de poissons (DCP) ancrés a été étudiée en Martinique (Petites Antilles) au moyen de parcours acoustiques en étoile. Les densités acoustiques géoréférencées attribuées aux thons ont été analysées à l'aide d'un modèle de krigeage universel. Une tendance à large échelle a été identifiée dans la distribution spatiale des thons. Cette tendance a été modélisée de façon déterministe au moyen d'une équation d'advection–diffusion appliquée aux groupes d'animaux. Les résidus de la tendance ont été modélisés comme une composante aléatoire du modèle, spatialement corrélée à faible échelle. De ce modèle, qui contenant une composante déterministe et une composante statistique, a été déduite une formule permettant de calculer la variance d'estimation de la densité diurne moyenne de l'agrégation de thons autour des DCP. L'erreur relative moyenne commise sur l'estimation de la densité de thons lors d'un parcours en étoile diurne a été estimée à 24 %. Cette méthode a été appliquée afin d'estimer les maxima journaliers de biomasse de l'agrégation de thons observés lors de quatre campagnes en mer mensuelles successives autour des DCP ancrés. La biomasse maximale de thons agrégée autour des DCP ancrés durant une phase diurne était en moyenne de 9 t (écart type : 4). Les variances d'estimation obtenues avec différents parcours acoustiques ont été comparées afin d'optimiser la stratégie d'échantillonnage.

Daily growth increments measured in the otolith of Thunnus atlanticus were used to estimate the age and growth of individuals. which were sampled from an artisanal fishery operating around fish aggregating devices (FADs) moored off Martinique Island. In this study, 76 otoliths were analysed for fish ranging from 20 to 68 cm fork lengths (FL). The fish were caught using trolling lines at depths ranging from 0 to 10 m. Counts were made, under a light microscope, on the external part of the transverse section of the sagittae, from the primordium to the ventral edge. The mean coefficient of variation of the age reading was 2.4%. To validate readings, the number of increments for 11 individuals was counted using both optic and scanning electron microscopes. The calculated relationship between readings of both methods was found to be linear, with a slope of 1.03 and R-2 = 0.99. Frequency of growth increment formation could not be validated. Growth rates derived from otolith readings were, however, compared to those obtained using a modal progression analysis, which was performed on the length-frequency distributions of the landings over a period of two months. The corroboration between the growth rates was good. One increment was assumed to represent one day. The parameters of the von Bertalanffy growth curve for both sexes were L-infinity = 71.4 cm FL, k = 0.002 day(-1) and tau(0) = -80 days. According to our results, there is no evidence that Martinican moored FADs act as ecological traps for blackfin tuna. Instead, young blackfin tuna probably leave the vicinity of Martinican moored FADs to undergo a trophic migration at 7 to 8 month-old, and then come back about 8 months later to breed in the Lesser Antilles area., Les microstructures présentes dans les otolithes de Thunnus atlanticus ont été utilisées pour estimer l'âge et la croissance des thons capturés par la pêcherie artisanale exploitant les dispositifs de concentrations de poissons (DCP) mouillés autour de la Martinique. Des thons de 20 à 68 cm de longueur à la fourche (LF) ont été capturés à la ligne de traîne de surface entre 0 et 10 m de profondeur. Les stries d'accroissement ont été comptées sur 76 otolithes en microscopie optique sur la partie externe des coupes transversales de la sagitta, du nucléus jusqu'à l'extrémité verticale de la coupe (coefficient de variations 2,4 %). Afin de vérifier qu'il n'y avait pas de sous-estimation du nombre de stries, nous avons effectué un comptage, en microscopie électronique à balayage, pour 11 individus. La relation établie entre ces deux méthodes de comptage est linéaire avec un pente égale à 1,03 et R2 = 0,99. La vitesse de croissance issue de l'analyse des otolithes a été comparée à celle estimée à partir de l'analyse en progression modale des distributions en fréquence de taille des débarquements sur une période de 2 mois. La corroboration entre les deux méthodes était bonne. Nous avons supposé que la formation des stries de croissance suivait un rythme journalier. Les paramètres de l'équation de croissance de von Bertalanffy pour les 2 sexes confondus sont: L-infinity = 71.4 cm FL, k = 0.002 day(-1) and tau(0) = -80 days. Les résultats de cette étude n'indiquent pas que les DCP ancrés martiniquais puissent agir comme des pièges écologiques pour les thons noirs. Les jeunes thons noirs semblent au contraire quitter la proximité des DCP et entreprendre une migration trophique lorsqu'ils atteignent 7 à 8 mois. Ils ne reviendraient ensuite dans la zone des Petites Antilles qu'environ 8 mois plus tard, manifestement pour se reproduire.

The initial focus of the PELGAS integrated survey was to assess the small pelagic fish biomass in the Bay of Biscay in springtime, for fisheries management purposes. Sampling has been extended to produce long-term time-series of spatially-explicit data and indices, describing the main pelagic ecosystem components: hydrology, phytoplankton, mesozooplankton, fish and megafauna. A collaborative analysis of these datasets has brought new insights on the Bay of Biscay pelagic ecosystem summarized here. New results on single ecosystem components include an analysis of water samples to groundtruth the results of an ocean color algorithm aiming at detecting phytoplanktonic coccolithophores. New insights on mesozooplankton spatio-temporal distribution and energy content have been derived from the analysis of net samples. Adult anchovy and sardine energy content have been studied along a latitudinal gradient, and across different age stages. Changing patterns in the relative abundance of marine megafauna have been evidenced at a community level. Cross-ecosystem component studies are also presented. Actual dates of the annual survey have been corrected, with respect to a surface temperature climatology, allowing for an improved interpretation of anchovy and sardine spawning. Spring habitats of small pelagic fish communities in the Bay of Biscay have been characterised. Fluctuations in habitat preferences of five mobile top predators species have been assessed. Predation of cetaceans on small pelagic fish has been investigated, based on stomach contents. The spatial structure of the ecosystem has been characterised, to map consistent ecosystem seascapes and study their variability in time. Dominant ecological processes in the Bay of Biscay have been identified based on series of potential pelagic ecosystem indicators derived from the survey, and the effects of external forcing on the ecosystem dynamics tested. Perspectives for the survey are discussed in the context of the European Marine Strategy Framework Directive and the Common Fisheries Policy.

In this tutorial, you will learn how to convert hydro-acoustic data in Simrad .raw format into HAC international format (McQuinn et al., 2005).

Since 2000, the yearly acoustic pelagic survey of Ifremer in the Bay of Biscay designed for fish stock assessment of small pelagic fish has been converted into an integrated pelagic ecosystem monitoring plateforme. This has been achieved by coupling sensors and automating data acquisition streams. The data series now spans from 2000 to 2014. Together with data sensors and sampling designs, we present here an integrated study allowing to understand the spawning process of anchovy. We compare the maps of anchovy eggs obtained with CUFES (continuous underway fish egg sampler) with that of their spawning adults sampled at the same time by acoustics and identification trawl hauls. The distributions of eggs are surprisingly different than that of adults, with in particular a shift in their gravity centres. The differences are characterized using geostatistics and interpreted with hydrological and meteorological information collected on board during the survey at stations. The initial conditions of early life stages are characterized.

This study aims at estimating the anchovy biomass that was missed in the echosounder surface blind zone during the PELGAS survey, in an attempt to explain the relative difference between acoustic and DEPM biomass estimates in springtime 2019 in the Bay of Biscay. Acoustic data collected by a side-looking echosounder are analysed in order to estimate the negative bias introduced in acoustic biomass estimates by the acoustic blind zone. Corrected anchovy acoustic biomass estimates and maps are compared to DEPM ones, in an attempt to reconcile egg and acoustic estimates. Remaining discrepancies are discussed in the light of acoustic and egg biomass estimation assumptions. We showed that surface school biomass can be calculated while applying standard acoustic data analysis methodology to horizontal echosounder data, combined to broadband in-situ TS measurements. In spring 2019, the surface blind zone observation bias was not significant, as only 5% of the anchovy biomass was located in the 0-10m surface layer. The difference between acoustic and DEPM global biomass estimates observed in 2019 hence remains unexplained. Differences between acoustic biomass and egg counts maps were likely due to local differences in fecundity, probably caused, at least in the North Western area, by the presence of shallow schooling large anchovy displaying higher fecundity. This pilot study might pave the way to the routine combination of vertical and horizontal acoustic data to correct surface blind zone bias and improve small pelagic fish acoustic biomass estimates. DEPM and acoustic biomass estimates have to be calculated within post-stratification regions as homogeneous as possible, to reduce bias and improve estimate precision. The high spatial resolution of acoustic backscatter generally allows to delineate reasonibly homogeneous post-stratification regions. The coarser spatial resolution of the trawl hauls providing biological data used to calculate daily fecundity estimates in the DEPM method so far prevented to assess the spatial heterogeneity of fish fecundity. Daily Fecundity proxy maps derived from surveys such as PELGAS, where both egg and acoustic data are collected, might be used to assess the spatial heterogeneity of fish fecundity. Those new information could contribute to improve the precision of DEPM estimates, by improving post-stratification region delineation. Assessing the spatial and statistical distributions of daily fish fecundity might hence contribute to improve the precision of mean DF values used in DEPM, and ultimately better explain the discrepancies observed during some years between egg and acoustic indices.

The Working Group on Acoustic and Egg Surveys (WGACEGG) coordinates the pelagic integrated surveys in ICES Areas 7, 8 and 9. Those surveys provide fisheries-independent, acoustic and/or egg-based estimates of the biomass and demographic structure of sardine and anchovy populations. Survey biomass estimates are the main inputs used to manage those commercially important small pelagic stocks in the European Atlantic area (EAA). Taking advantage of the fine spatial resolution of acoustic and egg data, and of ancillary ecosystem data provided by integrated pelagic surveys, WGACEGG also compile standard gridded maps of anchovy and sardine eggs and adult biomass, as well as maps of key in-situ hydrological parameters (surface salinity and temperature). We present an overview of the survey products provided by WGACEGG since 2003. Examples of combination of series of maps are provided to showcase how to assess anchovy and sardine habitats along the strong latitudinal gradient characterising the EAA.

Depuis les années 1990, la France connaît régulièrement des épisodes de mortalités importantes de dauphins, qui entraînent des pics d’échouages sur le littoral Atlantique en hiver. Depuis 2016, les échouages de petits cétacés dans le golfe de Gascogne présentant des traces de capture, atteignent des niveaux inédits. Si les données scientifiques actuelles permettent d’évaluer globalement le risque induit par ces captures accidentelles pour la conservation de la population de dauphins communs, elles sont toutefois trop lacunaires pour comprendre les déterminants écosystémiques et halieutiques à l’origine de ces captures. La Rochelle Université-CNRS et l’Institut français de recherche pour l’exploitation de la mer (Ifremer) ont construit en concertation avec l’Office Français de la Biodiversité (OFB), les professionnels de la pêche et l’État, le projet Delmoges (Delphinus Mouvements Gestion). Il vise, dans un premier temps, à combler ces lacunes en allant chercher des nouvelles données sur les habitats des dauphins, sur leurs interactions trophiques dans l’écosystème et leurs interactions techniques avec les engins de pêche. Ensuite, le projet propose d’intégrer les connaissances sur l’ensemble du socio-écosystème pour envisager une diversité de scénarios de diminution des captures accidentelles incluant des solutions technologiques et, enfin, d’en évaluer les conséquences biologiques et socio-économiques. Ce rapport présente les différents aspects du projet et leurs avancées depuis son lancement au 1er mars 2022. On y retrouve les aspects scientifiques développés dans chacun des WPs, le bilan annuel des communications, les comptes-rendus des réunions de COPILs et des comités de gouvernance.

Report on Simrad ME70 multibeam echosounder operations during Pelgas08 and Class08 sea surveys. First observations of small pelagic fish 3D aggregative structures, Rapport sur la mise en oeuvre pratique du nouveau sondeur halieutique multifaisceaux Simrad ME70 et les premières observations de structures agrégatives 3D de petits poissons pélagiques réalisées dans le golfe de Gascogne lors des campagnes Pelgas08 et Class08