Year: 2009
Type: article
Abstract: MEPS Marine Ecology Progress Series Contact the journal Facebook Twitter RSS Mailing List Subscribe to our mailing list via Mailchimp HomeLatest VolumeAbout the JournalEditorsTheme Sections MEPS 401:173-182 (2010) - DOI: https://doi.org/10.3354/meps08415 Determining whether catch per unit effort is a suitable proxy for relative crab abundance L. G. Murray1,2,*, R. Seed1 1School of Ocean Sciences, College of Natural Sciences, Bangor University, Askew Street, Menai Bridge, LL59 5AB, UK 2Present address: Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry, Rose House, 51–59 Circular Road, Douglas, Isle of Man, IM1 1AZ, British Isles *Email: [email protected] ABSTRACT: Stock assessments of crabs commonly rely on catch per unit effort (CPUE) data derived from catches in baited traps. Baited traps have been used for many years to estimate the relative abundance of predators in the marine environment. However, traps may result in biased estimates due to inter- and intra-species variations in physiology and behaviour. The aim of this study was to determine the suitability of CPUE as a proxy for the relative abundance of Carcinus maenas. Crab abundance estimates were obtained using underwater camera surveys. The study was conducted on commercial mussel beds in the Menai Strait, United Kingdom. CPUE data were obtained from the local C. maenas fishery operating over the mussel beds. The influence of temperature-dependent feeding rates on CPUE was predicted from the number of mussels consumed at different experimental temperatures in laboratory aquaria. Both CPUE and estimated abundance showed marked seasonal variation. Abundance maxima preceded temperature maxima by 2 mo. CPUE increased with temperature up to 15°C, while relative crab abundance based on visual surveys exhibited a strong positive correlation with day-length. CPUE appears not to be a suitable proxy for the relative abundance of C. maenas because of the effects of temperature on crab activity levels and thus catches. KEY WORDS: Carcinus maenas · Day-length · Feeding · Fisheries · Migration · Photoperiod · Mytilus edulis Full text in pdf format PreviousNextCite this article as: Murray LG, Seed R (2010) Determining whether catch per unit effort is a suitable proxy for relative crab abundance. Mar Ecol Prog Ser 401:173-182. https://doi.org/10.3354/meps08415 Export citation RSS - Facebook - Tweet - linkedIn Cited by Published in MEPS Vol. 401. Online publication date: February 22, 2010 Print ISSN: 0171-8630; Online ISSN: 1616-1599 Copyright © 2010 Inter-Research.
Source: Marine Ecology Progress Series
DOI: 10.3354/meps08415
Authors: LG Murray, R Seed
Institution: Bangor University
Language: English
Subfield: Aquatic Science
Domain: Life Sciences
SDG: Life below water
Open Access status: bronze
OpenAlex ID: W1986807496