Stable isotopes reveal the effect of trawl fisheries on the diet of commercially exploited species.

ABSTRACT: Bottom trawling can change food availability for benthivorous demersal species by (i) changing benthic prey composition through physical seabed impacts and (ii) by removing overall benthic consumer biomass increasing the net availability of benthic prey for remaining individuals. Thus trawling may both negatively and positively influence the quantity and quality of food available. Using δ ¹³C and δ ¹⁵N we investigated potential diet changes of three commercially exploited species across trawling gradients in the Kattegat (plaice, dab and Norway lobster (Nephrops)) and the Irish Sea (Nephrops). In the Kattegat, trawling affected primarily the biomass of benthic consumers, lowering competition. Nephrops showed significant positive relationships for δ ¹³C and

SUBMITTER: Hinz H 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5524968 | biostudies-literature | 2017 Jul

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature