Demersal groundfish assemblages and depth-related trends on Flemish Cap (NAFO division 3M): 2004–2013

We examine groundfish assemblage structure and diversity in relation to depth on the Flemish Cap using data from a multispecies bottom trawl survey performed by the EU. The data include 1699 hauls prosecuted between 129 and 1460 m and collected from 2004 to 2013. We focused on the 29 most abundant species, which made up 99.2% and 99.1% of the fish catch in terms of biomass and abundance respectively. Assemblage structure was strongly correlated with depth. We identified three main assemblages: assemblage I (Shallow, shelf, <250 m), assemblage II (Intermediate, upper-slope, 251–600 m) and as... Mehr ...