Year: 2019
Type: article
Abstract: The Mediterranean Sea shows a trend of increasing temperature and decreasing productivity from the western to the eastern basin. In this work we investigate whether this trend is reflected in the cephalopod assemblages found throughout the Mediterranean. Data obtained with bottom trawl surveys carried out during the last 22 years by EU Mediterranean countries were used. In addition to analysing spatial differences in cephalopod assemblages, we also analysed putative temporal changes during the last two decades. For this purpose, the basin was spatially divided into bioregions, the trawling grounds were subdivided into depth strata, and the dataset was split into two time series of 11 years each. All analyses were done using PRIMER software. The species richness did not vary with the longitudinal gradient, though in most bioregions it showed a mild decrease with depth before plummeting in the deepest waters. Cluster analysis revealed four different bathymetric assemblages in all bioregions. Despite the contrasting conditions between basins and the claims of biodiversity loss, our study revealed that spatial and temporal differences during the last two decades were restricted to changes in the relative abundance of species from a common pool of species inhabiting the whole Mediterranean.
Source: Scientia Marina
Institutions: Instituto Español de Oceanografía, University of Bari Aldo Moro, University of Cagliari, Centro Oceanográfico de Málaga, Universidad de Málaga, University of Montenegro, University of Split, Institute for Coastal Marine Environment, Hellenic Centre for Marine Research, University of Crete, University of Bologna
Language: English
Domain: Life Sciences
SDG: Life below water
Open Access status: diamond
Funder: European Commission
Award: G568132630
OpenAlex ID: W2916639366