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Several shrimp trawl fisheries use a Nordmore sorting grid to avoid bycatch of fish. However, small fish can pass through the grid. Therefore, the retention of juvenile fish often remains an issue during shrimp trawling. We investigated the vertical distribution of deepwater shrimp (Pandalus borealis) and dominant bycatch species at the point where the Nordmore grid section is installed. This was achieved using a separator frame which split the net vertically into three compartments of equal entry size. Our results showed that shrimp predominately follow the lower part of the trawl belly, whereas species such as redfish (Sebastes spp.), cod (Gadus morhua), polar cod (Boreogadus saida) and American plaice (Hippoglossoides platessoides) preferred the mid-section in the aft of the trawl. Haddock (Melanogrammus aeglefinus) primarily entered through the upper section of the trawl belly. Using these results, we predict that a vertical separation device installed forward of a 19 mm Nordmore grid combined with a 35 mm codend would result in a significant reduction in bycatch with only minor loss of shrimp., Norwegian Seafood Research Fund (FHF project) [901303]; UiT The Arctic University of Norway, We are grateful to the Norwegian Seafood Research Fund (FHF project number 901303) for funding the experiments. The publication charges for this article have been funded by a grant from the publication fund of UiT The Arctic University of Norway.

The consequences of reallocating fishing effort from trawling to creels in an area off the West coast of Portugal for the operation of the trawl fleet, as well as on the population dynamics and the global catch value for a high valued species, the Norway lobster (Nephrops norvegicus) are evaluated. The results suggest that only small portions of the area of interest are used by the trawl fleet, opening the possibility for a trawl ban without major disruption of the trawling activity. Economic benefits are expected, since predictions two scenarios tested, heavy and moderate exploitation, indicate no loss of catch value with much lower operational costs. Social benefits to local communities can also be expected since a much lower investment is needed for creel fishing, making this fishery attractive to small local companies already operating in the region. The proposed ban is consistent with the ecosystem approach to fisheries management and the Common Fisheries Policy (CFP) where the transition towards more responsible fishing practices is encouraged. H2020 RIA Project [634495-MINOUW]

Microplastics have become ubiquitous in the marine environment. Microplastics have been detected in many coastal environments and species, including commercial seafood. This triggers concern about potential economic impacts and the risks of dietary exposure, especially for coastal communities. However, data regarding the levels of microplastics in coastal seafood and their toxicological effects are still limited. Accordingly, the dietary risk is still poorly explored. This review summarizes and discusses recent scientific findings on (i) the presence of microplastics in coastal waters, (ii) the occurrence of microplastics in coastal seafood and the likelihood of trophic transfer, and (iii) the effects of microplastics on coastal fish and shellfish species. Human toxicity data are also reviewed, but the risks for human health are difficult to determine due to limited data. Based on available worldwide data, the estimation of microplastics intake through seafood consumption shows a huge variation. Additionally, a lack of standardized analytical methods complicates the comparison of results between studies and therefore seriously affects the reliability of risk assessments. It is concluded that more exposure and toxicity data are needed properly to assess human health risks of microplastics in coastal seafood, and the lack of data currently impede the derivation of a risk-based food safety standard. The pros and cons of an interim solution, i.e. setting a provisional action level, are being discussed. This project was funded by the Ministry of Research, Technology, and Higher Education of Republic of Indonesia through Fundamental Research Grant scheme 2017; and supported by Faculty of Management, Science & Technology Open University of the Netherlands and Faculty of Agricultural Technology, Soegijapranata Catholic University, Indonesia.

13 pages, 6 figures, tables, In the deep sea, the sense of time is dependent on geophysical fluctuations, such as internal tides and atmospheric-related inertial currents, rather than day-night rhythms. Deep-sea neutrino telescopes instrumented with light detecting Photo-Multiplier Tubes (PMT) can be used to describe the synchronization of bioluminescent activity of abyssopelagic organisms with hydrodynamic cycles. PMT readings at 8 different depths (from 3069 to 3349 m) of the NEMO Phase 2 prototype, deployed offshore Capo Passero (Sicily) at the KM3NeT-Italia site, were used to characterize rhythmic bioluminescence patterns in June 2013, in response to water mass movements. We found a significant (p < 0.05) 20.5 h periodicity in the bioluminescence signal, corresponding to inertial fluctuations. Waveform and Fourier analyses of PMT data and tower orientation were carried out to identify phases (i.e. the timing of peaks) by subdividing time series on the length of detected inertial periodicity. A phase overlap between rhythms and cycles suggests a mechanical stimulation of bioluminescence, as organisms carried by currents collide with the telescope infrastructure, resulting in the emission of light. A bathymetric shift in PMT phases indicated that organisms travelled in discontinuous deep-sea undular vortices consisting of chains of inertially pulsating mesoscale cyclones/anticyclones, which to date remain poorly known

The angular crab Goneplax rhomboides is native to the north-eastern Atlantic and Mediterranean Sea. It has rarely been reported from the North Sea, with no evidence of sustain- able populations. Compiled survey data, however, revealed an increasing abundance of this spe- cies in the North Sea since 2000. The data were used to (1) describe the range expansion of the angular crab into the North Sea; and (2) to apply species distribution modeling (maximum entropy approach-MAXENT) to predict the potential habitats of this species. Habitats of species with a similar ecology were modeled to analyse habitat overlap and potential competition. The spatial and temporal patterns of records revealed that the expansion of the angular crab into the North Sea is due to natural larval dispersal rather than anthropogenic vectors. Modeled habitats of the angular crab showed a core distribution area along the Scottish coastline and in the southern North Sea. Sea bottom temperatures in February had the highest influence on the model results. We concluded that the angular crab has extended its distribution range from the north-eastern Atlantic to the North Sea, which was facilitated by an increase in water temperature and the pre- vailing hydrodynamics over the last decade. This was the first time that a benthic range expansion was observed in quasi real time for the North Sea. Habitats of the angular crab overlapped those of possible competitors to a large extent. However, co-existence of the species is expected rather than any negative effects resulting from the range expansion of the angular crab.

The Kattegat in the inner Danish waters has been trawled for at least 80 yr, but so far only few attempts have been made to quantify the trawl effort, its spatial distribution and its potential ecological impact on the benthic fauna. GIS-analyses of VMS-data from trawling in the Kattegat by both Danish (2005-2009) and Swedish (2007-2009) vessels show that 95% of all trawling occurs below 22 m depth. Most activity takes place on homogeneous benthic habitats with muddy sediment at depths below the halocline and with almost the same salinity across the entire area. Furthermore, the estimate of trawled area demonstrated that the habitats are nearly 100% impacted, and frequencies of trawling beneath 100 m depth can reach 20 events per year. Multivariate analysis of community composition could not discriminate between lightly trawled and heavily trawled areas. However, a strong habitat selectivity of the trawl activity and inter-correlation between trawl activity and depth-related community structures complicated interpretation of the results. Species with biological traits previously categorized as sensitive to physical disturbance showed higher abundance in areas with low trawl activity compared to areas with higher activity. Thus, the Kattegat has been impacted to an extent where areas with reference conditions for certain habitats below 22 m no longer exist. Consequently, it is unknown how the benthic communities would have appeared without trawl disturbance and, thus, difficult to determine the impact of continued disturbance.

North Sea cod Gadus morhua stock is outside safe biological limits, and total allowable catch (TAC) management has proved ineffective to rebuild the stock. The European Commission is considering the imposition of a discard ban to preserve vulnerable and economically important fish stocks. We explored the potential effects of a discard ban in mixed fisheries management using the French mixed fisheries in the Eastern English Channel as a model system. We examined in particular the performance of 2 different management scenarios: (1) individual quota management with a tolerance for discarding and (2) individual quota management in combination with a discard ban, using a dynamic state variable model. The model evaluates a time series of decisions taken by fishers to maximize profits within management constraints. Compliance to management was tested by applying an in-height varying fine for exceeding the quota. We then evaluated the consequences of individual cod quota in both scenarios with respect to over-quota discarding, spatial and temporal effort allocation and switching between metiers. Individual quota management without a discard ban hardly influenced fishers' behaviour as they could fully utilise cod quota and continue fishing other species while discarding cod. In contrast, a discard ban forced fishers to reallocate effort to areas and weeks in which cod catch is low, at the expense of lower revenue. In general, a restrictive policy for individual quota for cod needs to be combined with a discard ban and a high fine (>20 times the sale price) to reduce over-quota discarding.

The European lobster, Homarus gammarus, is a high value species, which is widely distributed from the northern part of Norway to Morocco in North Africa. It is also found throughout the Mediterranean including the Aegean Sea. Knowledge of the genetic structure is necessary for rational management of exploited species. As part of a comprehensive genetic investigation of European lobster (EU-project "Genetics of European Lobster"), 1514 lobsters from 14 locations were analysed for six polymorphic allozyme loci. Despite generally low levels of genetic differentiation (overall F(ST) = 0.016), the tests for population differentiation revealed highly significant values for all loci investigated. In particular, the lobsters from three areas including northern Norway, the Netherlands, and Aegean Sea in the Mediterranean were genetically different from lobsters from other regions. Lobsters from northern Norway have 30% of the genetic diversity observed in the samples from other areas, and polymorphism was only detected at the IDHP-1* locus. A new slow-moving allele at the GPI-1* locus was found in the samples from the Aegean Sea. Pairwise FST comparisons, as well as a UPGMA dendrogram based on Nei's genetic distance (calculated from allele frequencies across the six loci investigated), confirm the separate main groupings.