Submerging Our Seas

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HUMAN PRESSURES – SUBMERGING OUR SEAS The MSFD Landscape – did we know what we knew, what we didn’t know, and do we know it now? Chair: Mike Ellio, University of Hull PRESENTORS IN BLOCK 1 (09:35 – 11:00) Christopher Smith, Hellenic Centre for Marine Research Christopher Lynam, Cefas Next: Christopher Lynam, Cefas Christopher Lynam, Cefas Sergej Olenin, Klaipeda University

DEVOTES Final Conference, 17 – 19 October 2016, Brussels Distribuon of skates and sharks in the North Sea: 112 years of change

Christopher Lynam C. Sguo, B. Garcia-Carreras, JR. Ellis, GH. Engelhard.

DEVOTES Final Meeng, 18 Oct 2016, Brussels Elasmobranchs

• Skates and sharks are vulnerable to capture from an early age • Slow growing and late maturing • Fecundity rates are low • Some species have: Ä Disappeared from some areas (e.g. white skate) Ä Patchy distribuons (e.g. undulate ray)

Shark By-Watch UK

spurdogs 3 Elasmobranchs

Shark By-Watch UK

spurdogs 4 Skates and rays in the North Sea surveys

(a) starry ray Amblyraja radiata (b) common skate Dipturus cf. flossada (c) sandy ray Leucoraja circularis (d) shagreen ray L. fullonica (e) cuckoo ray L. naevus (f) blonde ray Raja brachyura (g) thornback ray R. clavata (h) small-eyed ray R. microocellata (i) spotted ray R. montagui (j) undulate ray R. undulata

8 species recorded to species level 4 species in abundance

5 Skates and rays in the North Sea surveys

8 species recorded to species level 4 species in abundance

6 Sharks in the North Sea surveys

Spurdog (‘Spiny dogﬁsh’) Squalus acanthias Spurdog Tope Galeorhinus galeus

Smooth-hound Mustelus spp.

Shark By-Watch UK Lesser-spoed dogﬁsh Scyliorhinus canicula

Angel shark Greater-spoed dogﬁsh Scyliorhinus stellaris

Angel shark Squana squana

6 species recorded 4 species in abundance 7 Cefas oer trawl data since 1902

From RV Huxley To Endeavour 1902 – 1909 2003- current

Joseph & Sarah Miles 1920-21 Georg Bligh 1922-1939 Platessa 1946-1965 Sir Lancelot 1947-1960 Tellina 1960-1971 Clione 1961-1971 Corella 1968 Ernest Holt 1970 Cirolana 1977-2003

8 Cefas oer trawl data since 1902

From RV Huxley To Endeavour 1902 – 1909 2003- current

Joseph & Sarah Miles 1920-21 Georg Bligh 1922-1939 Platessa 1946-1965 Sir Lancelot 1947-1960 Tellina 1960-1971 Clione 1961-1971 Corella 1968 Ernest Holt 1970 Cirolana 1977-2003

9 Community level change Skate and ray incidence

10 Communies have changed Skate and ray incidence Shark incidence

11 Skates and ray species

Common skate complex associated with cooler, deeper waters

12 Skates and ray species

Common skate complex associated with cooler, deeper waters

Thornback ray associated with warmer, shallow waters and mixed sediments

13 Skates and ray species

Common skate complex associated with cooler, deeper waters Thornback ray associated with warmer, shallow waters and mixed sediments Spoed ray associated with warmer waters and coarse sediments Starry ray associated with cooler, deeper waters muddy and sandy sediments

14 Shark species

Tope associated with warmer, shallow waters Spurdog associated with cooler waters moving to deeper waters

15 Shark species

Tope associated with warmer, shallow waters Spurdog associated with cooler waters moving to deeper waters

Smooth-hound associated with warmer waters mixed and coarse sediments Lesser spoed dogﬁsh associated with warmer, shallow waters mixed and coarse sediments

16 Shark species

Tope associated with warmer, shallow waters Spurdog associated with cooler waters moving to deeper waters

Smooth-hound associated with warmer waters mixed and coarse sediments Lesser spoed dogﬁsh associated with warmer, shallow waters mixed and coarse sediments

17 Larger species declines…

Common skate Largest species exrpated from southern North Sea angelshark last recorded in the surveys June 1966 common skate complex last recorded April 1970

Angelshark Thornback ray Tope long-term declines Spurdog Spurdog landings (ICES) Thornback ray Spurdog

TAC

Shark By-Watch UK 18 Smaller species increased…

Starry ray Spoed ray exhibited long-term rises Lesser-spoed dogﬁsh Smooth-hound

vgreater resilience to bycatch and discarding? vno clear response to climate change (3 associated with warm water)

19 Overall…

A shi from

Øhistorical dominance of – larger predatory species – commercially valuable species (spurdog, thornback ray) Øcurrent prevalence of – smaller – more producve species – oen of low commercial value

20 This project has received funding from the European Union’s Seventh Framework Programme for research, technological development and demonstraon under the Grant agreement nº 308392 grant agreement nº 308392

www.devotes-project.eu

DEVOTES Final Meeng, 18 Oct 2016, Brussels