ABSTRACT Marine cobble habitats in shallow waters are rich in faunal assemblages and known settli... more ABSTRACT Marine cobble habitats in shallow waters are rich in faunal assemblages and known settling grounds for valuable fishery resources such as lobsters and crabs. Sampling these grounds is challenging as traditional techniques do not efficiently collect fast-moving benthic invertebrates. Typically, fast moving crustaceans are not sampled according to actual densities. This study used airlift suction sampling, pioneered in North America, to quantify benthic faunal assemblages in cobble grounds across 68 sampling locations in south-western Norway. In total, 72 species of benthic invertebrates (5276 individual specimens) were identified, with an overall sampling efficiency of 76.4%. Polychaeta and decapod crustaceans dominated the samples, with species diversity (Shannon Index, H′) highest in Location 3. Cluster and Ordination analyses were further used to relate assemblages to a number of selected variables. Overall, the study highlights that suction sampling provides a low-cost and efficient method for quantifying mobile benthic fauna in structurally complex marine habitats (i.e., cobble).
ABSTRACT Marine cobble habitats in shallow waters are rich in faunal assemblages and known settli... more ABSTRACT Marine cobble habitats in shallow waters are rich in faunal assemblages and known settling grounds for valuable fishery resources such as lobsters and crabs. Sampling these grounds is challenging as traditional techniques do not efficiently collect fast-moving benthic invertebrates. Typically, fast moving crustaceans are not sampled according to actual densities. This study used airlift suction sampling, pioneered in North America, to quantify benthic faunal assemblages in cobble grounds across 68 sampling locations in south-western Norway. In total, 72 species of benthic invertebrates (5276 individual specimens) were identified, with an overall sampling efficiency of 76.4%. Polychaeta and decapod crustaceans dominated the samples, with species diversity (Shannon Index, H′) highest in Location 3. Cluster and Ordination analyses were further used to relate assemblages to a number of selected variables. Overall, the study highlights that suction sampling provides a low-cost and efficient method for quantifying mobile benthic fauna in structurally complex marine habitats (i.e., cobble).
ABSTRACT At the request of the Norwegian Government, a comprehensive index aimed at monitoring th... more ABSTRACT At the request of the Norwegian Government, a comprehensive index aimed at monitoring the state of and trends in biodiversity across and within all aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems has been developed and implemented in Norway. The Nature Index (NI) aggregates information from a number of standardised indicators representing species, diversity measures or biodiversity surrogates. For coastal waters, a total of 65 indicators were entered, covering algae, invertebrates, fish, sea-birds and sea mammals. The index indicated that the overall status of coastal waters was good, with a slight worsening from 1990 and 2000 to 2010. The pelagic status improved in south-eastern Norway following reduced nutrient inputs, but deteriorated in mid-Norway due to a strong decrease of seabirds. The benthic status had deteriorated due to reductions in kelp, invertebrates and fish. Compared to terrestrial systems, the coastal waters showed a better status than forests, mires, wetlands and open lowland. The Nature Index is intended to become a permanent tool for use in Norwegian nature management and political planning, with yearly updates.
ABSTRACT At three-yearly intervals, the International Conference & Workshop on Lobster Bi... more ABSTRACT At three-yearly intervals, the International Conference & Workshop on Lobster Biology & Management (ICWL) summarizes the state of the art lobster research and management. The 9th ICWL at Bergen continued the tradition established through the previous eight conferences, with high-quality scientific oral and poster presentations mingling scientists, academia, managers, and industry representatives of over 150 attendees from more than 20 countries. From the rich spectrum of conference contributions, 11 papers have been selected to elucidate a mutual close dependency of biological research and lobster conservation and management issues.
ABSTRACT Marine cobble habitats in shallow waters are rich in faunal assemblages and known settli... more ABSTRACT Marine cobble habitats in shallow waters are rich in faunal assemblages and known settling grounds for valuable fishery resources such as lobsters and crabs. Sampling these grounds is challenging as traditional techniques do not efficiently collect fast-moving benthic invertebrates. Typically, fast moving crustaceans are not sampled according to actual densities. This study used airlift suction sampling, pioneered in North America, to quantify benthic faunal assemblages in cobble grounds across 68 sampling locations in south-western Norway. In total, 72 species of benthic invertebrates (5276 individual specimens) were identified, with an overall sampling efficiency of 76.4%. Polychaeta and decapod crustaceans dominated the samples, with species diversity (Shannon Index, H′) highest in Location 3. Cluster and Ordination analyses were further used to relate assemblages to a number of selected variables. Overall, the study highlights that suction sampling provides a low-cost and efficient method for quantifying mobile benthic fauna in structurally complex marine habitats (i.e., cobble).
ABSTRACT Marine cobble habitats in shallow waters are rich in faunal assemblages and known settli... more ABSTRACT Marine cobble habitats in shallow waters are rich in faunal assemblages and known settling grounds for valuable fishery resources such as lobsters and crabs. Sampling these grounds is challenging as traditional techniques do not efficiently collect fast-moving benthic invertebrates. Typically, fast moving crustaceans are not sampled according to actual densities. This study used airlift suction sampling, pioneered in North America, to quantify benthic faunal assemblages in cobble grounds across 68 sampling locations in south-western Norway. In total, 72 species of benthic invertebrates (5276 individual specimens) were identified, with an overall sampling efficiency of 76.4%. Polychaeta and decapod crustaceans dominated the samples, with species diversity (Shannon Index, H′) highest in Location 3. Cluster and Ordination analyses were further used to relate assemblages to a number of selected variables. Overall, the study highlights that suction sampling provides a low-cost and efficient method for quantifying mobile benthic fauna in structurally complex marine habitats (i.e., cobble).
ABSTRACT At the request of the Norwegian Government, a comprehensive index aimed at monitoring th... more ABSTRACT At the request of the Norwegian Government, a comprehensive index aimed at monitoring the state of and trends in biodiversity across and within all aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems has been developed and implemented in Norway. The Nature Index (NI) aggregates information from a number of standardised indicators representing species, diversity measures or biodiversity surrogates. For coastal waters, a total of 65 indicators were entered, covering algae, invertebrates, fish, sea-birds and sea mammals. The index indicated that the overall status of coastal waters was good, with a slight worsening from 1990 and 2000 to 2010. The pelagic status improved in south-eastern Norway following reduced nutrient inputs, but deteriorated in mid-Norway due to a strong decrease of seabirds. The benthic status had deteriorated due to reductions in kelp, invertebrates and fish. Compared to terrestrial systems, the coastal waters showed a better status than forests, mires, wetlands and open lowland. The Nature Index is intended to become a permanent tool for use in Norwegian nature management and political planning, with yearly updates.
ABSTRACT At three-yearly intervals, the International Conference & Workshop on Lobster Bi... more ABSTRACT At three-yearly intervals, the International Conference & Workshop on Lobster Biology & Management (ICWL) summarizes the state of the art lobster research and management. The 9th ICWL at Bergen continued the tradition established through the previous eight conferences, with high-quality scientific oral and poster presentations mingling scientists, academia, managers, and industry representatives of over 150 attendees from more than 20 countries. From the rich spectrum of conference contributions, 11 papers have been selected to elucidate a mutual close dependency of biological research and lobster conservation and management issues.
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