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Quantifying use of kelp forest habitat by commercially important crustaceans in the United Kingdom

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  06 January 2023

Dan A. Smale Open the ORCID record for Dan A. Smale [Opens in a new window] ,
Nathan G. King ,
Mathilde Jackson-Bué  and
Pippa J. Moore
Dan A. Smale*
Affiliation:
The Laboratory, Marine Biological Association of the United Kingdom, Citadel Hill, Plymouth, UK
Nathan G. King
Affiliation:
The Laboratory, Marine Biological Association of the United Kingdom, Citadel Hill, Plymouth, UK
Mathilde Jackson-Bué
Affiliation:
Institute of Biological, Environmental and Rural Sciences, Aberystwyth University, Aberystwyth, UK
Pippa J. Moore
Affiliation:
Dove Marine Laboratory, School of Natural and Environmental Sciences, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE1 7RU, UK
*
Author for correspondence: Dan A. Smale, E-mail: dansma@MBA.ac.uk
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Abstract

Kelp forests are regarded as important nursery and foraging habitats for commercially important species of finfish and shellfish despite an absence of fishery-independent data in many regions. Here, we conducted targeted surveys at 12 subtidal reefs, distributed across 9° of latitude in the UK, using three complementary techniques (Underwater Visual Census (UVC), Baited Remote Underwater Video (BRUV) and deployment of prawn pots) to quantify the abundance of crustaceans within kelp forests. Commercially important species were recorded at all sites; Cancer pagurus (brown/edible crab) and Necora puber (velvet swimming crab) were the most abundant and commonly observed, although Maja brachydactyla (spider crab), Homarus gammarus (European lobster) and Palaemon serratus (common prawn) were also recorded. The abundance of some species exhibited pronounced regional variability, with higher abundances of C. pagurus within northern regions and, conversely, higher abundances of M. brachydactyla and P. serratus within southern regions. Each sampling technique yielded similar spatial patterns for the most abundant species but had varying sensitivity to some species. Most individuals observed were juvenile or sub-adults, suggesting kelp forests serve as important nursery grounds for commercially and ecologically important crustaceans. Further monitoring efforts, conducted across greater spatiotemporal scales and in different habitat types, are needed to provide a robust baseline against which to detect changes and to inform management and conservation actions.

Keywords

Coastal ecosystemsCrustaceaecosystem servicesinshore fisherieskelp forests
Type
Research Article
Information
Journal of the Marine Biological Association of the United Kingdom , Volume 102 , Issue 8 , December 2022 , pp. 627 - 634
Copyright
Copyright © The Author(s), 2023. Published by Cambridge University Press on behalf of Marine Biological Association of the United Kingdom

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