Éditeur(s) : NRC
Résumé : We studied relationships between tropical tunas (albacore (Thunnus alalunga), bigeye (Thunnus obesus), and yellowfin (Thunnus albacares)) and their biotic and abiotic environments through simultaneous acoustic observations of tunas and their prey, experimental longline catch, and oceanographic data in French Polynesia. Vertical habitat limits were estimated based on temperature and dissolved oxygen at capture data. We then studied tuna-micronekton relationships to better understand how tuna occupy the pelagic space, At a regional scale, tunas were more abundant in areas rich in prey with favourable hydrological conditions. Inside such areas, at the scale of a longline set, however, the longline catches were maximal only when prey were not distributed in dense patches (except for yellowfin tuna). We interpreted this result by considering that areas with high prey abundance attract tunas, but at a small scale, if prey are patchy distributed, tunas are more inclined to feed on them rather than on longline baits. The effect of patches on yellowfin tuna catch per unit effort (CPUE) does not appear likely because this species also feeds on the mixed layer, where patch density was very low. Not only hydrological characteristics, but also prey density and prey patch characteristics, should be taken into account for interpreting longline CPUE data.
Thunnus obesus, et thon à nageoires jaunes, Thunnus albacares) à leurs environnements biotique et abiotique. Pour ce faire, nous avons réalisé simultanément, en Polynésie Française, des observations acoustiques des thons et de leurs proies, des pêches à l'aide d'une palangre instrumentée et des mesures hydrologiques. Des limites d'habitat vertical des thons calculées sur la base de données de température et d'oxygène dissous sont proposées. Nous étudions ensuite les relations thons-micronecton afin de mieux comprendre la stratégie d'occupation de l'espace des thons. A une échelle régionale, les thons sont plus abondants dans des zones riches en proies avec des conditions hydrologiques favorables. Cependant, à l'intérieur de telles zones, les captures sont maximales lorsque les proies ne sont pas distribuées sous forme de patchs (sauf pour le thon à nageoires jaunes). Nous interprétons ces résultats en considérant que les zones de fortes abondances en proies attirent les thons mais, qu'à une échelle fine, si les proies sont distribuées sous la forme de patchs denses, les thons s'en nourrissent préférentiellement, au détriment des appâts de la palangre. Ces patchs ne semblent pas influencer les prises par unité d'effort (PUE) des thons à nageoires jaunes, probablement parce que cette espèce se nourrit également dans la couche homogène où la densité en patchs est très faible. Les caractéristiques hydrologiques, mais également la densité en proies et leur type de distribution, devraient donc être pris en compte pour l'interprétation des données de PUE.
Canadian journal of fisheries and aquatic sciences (0706-652X) (NRC), 2002-06 , Vol. 59 , N. 6 , P. 1002-1013

Droits : 2002 NRC Canada
http://archimer.ifremer.fr/doc/2002/publication-733.pdf
DOI:10.1139/F02-073
http://archimer.ifremer.fr/doc/00000/733/

Éditeur(s) : Elsevier
Résumé : Sea cruises were conducted for 57 days over 16 months to characterise pelagic fish aggregations around 2 moored fish aggregating devices (FADs) in Martinique (Lesser Antilles). Echosounder surveys run in a star pattern were used in conjunction with obliquely beamed sonar observations. An echo-integration-by-shoal algorithm was implemented to isolate pelagic fish shoals from sound scattering layers and to compute mean morphometric, positional and density parameters. Tree regressions were used to select and classify pelagic fish Target Strengths (TS), with reference to their spatial and temporal characteristics. The main type of pelagic fish aggregation was a large sub-surface aggregation. It was observed during all daytime periods within a radius of 400 m of the FAD. A smaller type of aggregation was observed closer to the surface and to the FAD in 65% of daytime periods. Large scattered fish were observed in 16% of daytime periods. At night, a medium-sized aggregation was detected in the sub-surface in 75% of night-time periods. The sizes of the fish inside the aggregations (determined from TS values) were lower in the small near-surface aggregation than in the large sub-surface aggregation. Mean packing densities of sub-surface medium fish and near-surface small fish aggregations (determined from TS and shoal acoustic density) were respectively 0.2 fish per m3 and 1.3 fish per m3. The acoustic methodology and results are discussed with reference to the characteristics and performance of the echosounder and to the spatial structure of pelagic fish aggregations around moored FADs in Martinique.
Fisheries Research (0165-7836) (Elsevier), 2006-06 , Vol. 82 , N. 1-3 , P. 162-175

Droits : Elsevier 2006
http://archimer.ifremer.fr/doc/2006/publication-1734.pdf
DOI:10.1016/j.fishres.2006.06.025
http://archimer.ifremer.fr/doc/00000/1734/