Habitat suitability modelling for sardine Sardina pilchardus in a highly diverse ecosystem: the Mediterranean Sea
Authors
Tugores, M.P. (María Pilar); Giannoulaki, M. (Marianna); Iglesias, M. (Magdalena); Bonanno, A. (Angelo); Ticina, V. (Vjekoslav); Leonori, I. (Iole); Machias, A. (Athanassios); Tsagarakis, K. (Konstantinos); Díaz, N. (Nuria); Giráldez, A. (Ana); Patti, B. (Bernardo); De-Felice, A. (Andrea); Basilone, G. (Gualtiero); Valavanis, V. (Vasilis)Date
2011Type
articleKeywords
SardineHabitat suitability modelling
Sardine potential habitat
Potential spawning habitat
Mediterranean Sea
Small pelagic
Abstract
Integrated information from different parts of the Mediterranean Sea was used to model the spatial and temporal variability of the distribution grounds of the sardine population. Acoustic data from the North Aegean Sea (Eastern Mediterranean), the Adriatic Sea (Central Mediterranean), the Sicily Channel (Central Mediterranean) and Spanish Mediterranean waters (Western Mediterranean) were analysed along with satellite environmental and bathymetric data to model the potential habitat of sardine during summer, autumn and early winter. Generalized additive models were applied in a presence−absence approach. Models were validated in terms of their predictive ability and used to construct maps exhibiting the probability of sardine presence throughout the entire Mediterranean basin as a measure of habitat adequacy for sardine. Bottom depth and sea surface temperature were the environmental variables that explained most of the data variability. Several areas along the Mediterranean coastline ...