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Energy, Climate change, Environment

Modelling of European hake nurseries in the Mediterranean Sea: An ecological niche approach

20 Mar 2020

Outcomes: Researchers were able to model the suitable habitat for European hake, Merluccius merluccius, in their first year of life (0-group) in the Mediterranean Sea.  The results show that hake nurseries require stable bottom temperatures, low bottom currents and a frequent occurrence of productive fronts in low chlorophyll-a areas in order to support successful recruitment, with conditions occurring recurrently in outer shelf and shelf break areas.  This prediction explains the role of unfavourable environmental conditions on low recruitment in past years.

How EMODnet Seabed Habitats helped the user:  EUSeaMap habitat classification data provided the information required on main seabed substrate types in the western Mediterranean Sea.

Who used it:

JRCEuropean Commission Joint Research Centre

When was it used2015

What product was used: EUSeaMap 2010

How was the product used: Information on life history and ecological traits were identified from literature.  This was combined with environmental gridded data (including EUSeaMap substrate types, satellite and ocean circulation models), species field observations and biomass index of results.  Together, this was used to identify links between species and the environment, creating an ecological niche model of the spatio-temporal prediction of European hake nurseries in the Mediterranean Sea. 

Article available: here