Éditeur(s) : Wiley-blackwell
Résumé : Aim The aims of this study were: (1) to identify global communities of tuna and billfish species through quantitative statistical analyses of global fisheries data; (2) to describe the spatial distribution, main environmental drivers and species composition of each community detected; and (3) to determine whether the spatial distribution of each community could be linked to the environmental conditions that affect lower trophic levels by comparing the partitions identified in this study with Longhursts biogeochemical provinces. Location The global ocean from 60 degrees S to 65 degrees N. Methods We implemented a new numerical procedure based on a hierarchical clustering method and a nonparametric probabilistic test to divide the oceanic biosphere into biomes and ecoregions. This procedure was applied to a database that comprised standardized data on commercial longline catches for 15 different species of tuna and billfish over a period of more than 50 years (i.e. 1953-2007). For each ecoregion identified (i.e. characteristic tuna and billfish community), we analysed the relationships between species composition and environmental factors. Finally, we compared the biogeochemical provinces of Longhurst with the ecoregions that we identified. Results Tuna and billfish species form nine well-defined communities across the global ocean. Each community occurs in regions with specific environmental conditions and shows a distinctive species composition. High similarity (68.8% homogeneity) between the spatial distribution of the communities of tuna and billfish and the biogeochemical provinces suggests a strong relationship between these species and the physical and chemical characteristics of the global ocean. Main conclusions Despite their high tolerance for a wide range of environmental conditions, these highly migratory species are partitioned into clear geographical communities in the ocean at a global scale. The similarity between biogeochemical and biotic divisions in the ocean suggests that the global ocean is a mosaic of large biogeographical ecosystems, each characterized by specific environmental conditions that have a strong effect on the composition of the trophic web.
Journal Of Biogeography (0305-0270) (Wiley-blackwell), 2012-01 , Vol. 39 , N. 1 , P. 114-129

Droits : 2011 Blackwell Publishing Ltd
http://archimer.ifremer.fr/doc/00060/17141/14716.pdf
DOI:10.1111/j.1365-2699.2011.02582.x
http://archimer.ifremer.fr/doc/00060/17141/

Éditeur(s) : Amer Assoc Advancement Science
Science (0036-8075) (Amer Assoc Advancement Science), 2013-05 , Vol. 340 , N. 6134 , P. 810-811

Droits : 2013 American Association for the Advancement of Science. All Rights Reserved.
http://archimer.ifremer.fr/doc/00139/25068/23186.pdf
DOI:10.1126/science.340.6134.810-b
http://archimer.ifremer.fr/doc/00139/25068/

Éditeur(s) : Elsevier
Résumé : Bioaccumulation is difficult to document because responses differ among chemical compounds, with environmental conditions, and physiological processes characteristic of each species. We use a mechanistic model, based on the Dynamic Energy Budget (DEB) theory, to take into account this complexity and study factors impacting accumulation of organic pollutants in fish through ontogeny. The bioaccumulation model proposed is a comprehensive approach that relates evolution of hake PCB contamination to physiological information about the fish, such as diet, metabolism, reserve and reproduction status. The species studied is the European hake (Merluccius merluccius, L. 1758). The model is applied to study the total concentration and the lipid normalised concentration of 4 PCB congeners in male and female hakes from the Gulf of Lions (NW Mediterranean sea) and the Bay of Biscay (NE Atlantic ocean). Outputs of the model compare consistently to measurements over the life span of fish. Simulation results clearly demonstrate the relative effects of food contamination, growth and reproduction on the PCB bioaccumulation in hake. The same species living in different habitats and exposed to different PCB prey concentrations exhibit marked difference in the body accumulation of PCBs. At the adult stage, female hakes have a lower PCB concentration compared to males for a given length. We successfully simulated these sex-specific PCB concentrations by considering two mechanisms: a higher energy allocation to growth for females and a transfer of PCBs from the female to its eggs when allocating lipids from reserve to eggs. Finally, by its mechanistic description of physiological processes, the model is relevant for other species and sets the stage for a mechanistic understanding of toxicity and ecological effects of organic contaminants in marine organisms.
Journal of Sea Research (1385-1101) (Elsevier), 2009-10 , Vol. 62 , N. 2-3 , P. 124-134

Droits : 2009 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.
http://archimer.ifremer.fr/doc/2009/publication-6789.pdf
DOI:10.1016/j.seares.2009.02.006
http://archimer.ifremer.fr/doc/00000/6789/