Benthic-pelagic coupling mediates interactions in Mediterranean mixed fisheries: An ecosystem modeling approach
Agnetta; D. Badalamenti; F. Colloca; F. D'Anna; G. Di Lorenzo; M. Fiorentino; F. Garofalo; G. Gristina; M. Labanchi; L. Patti; B. Pipitone; C. Solidoro; C. Libralato; S.;
Benthic–pelagic coupling plays a pivotal role in aquatic ecosystems but the effects of fishery
driven interactions on its functioning has been largely overlooked. Disentangling the
benthic–pelagic links including effects of mixed fisheries, however, needs sketching a
whole description of ecosystem interactions using quantitative tools. A holistic food web
model has been here developed in order to understand the interplay between the benthicpelagic
coupling and mixed fisheries in a Mediterranean system such as the Strait of Sicily.
The reconstruction of the food web required review and integration of a vast set of local and
regional biological information from bacteria to large pelagic species that were aggregated
into 72 functional groups. Fisheries were described by 18 fleet segments resulting from
combination of fishing gears and fishing vessel size. The input-output analysis on the food
web of energy pathways allowed identifying effects of biological and fishery components.
Results showed that the structure of the Strait of Sicily food web is complex. Similarly to
other Mediterranean areas, the food web of the Strait of Sicily encompasses 4.5 trophic levels
(TLs) with the highest TLs reached by bluefin tuna, swordfish and large hake and largely
impacted by bottom trawling and large longline. Importantly, benthic-pelagic coupling is
affected by direct and indirect impacts among groups of species, fleets and fleets-species
through the whole trophic spectrum of the food web. Moreover, functional groups able
to move on large spatial scales or life history of which is spent between shelf and slope
domains play a key role in linking subsystems together and mediate interactions in the Mediterranean
mixed fisheries.
2019 - Articolo in rivista
PloS one 14 (2019). doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0210659
Keywords: Mediterranean, Strait of Sicily, Ecopath, ecological modelling, fisheries, food web