Dec
15
The Higher Council for Scientific Research (CSIC), through the Institute of Marine Research (IIM) in Spain, has completed the study on the life cycle of European hake (Merluccius merluccius) in Galicia.
The research, which aims to help improve the management of the species and ensure sustainable exploitation, has addressed the population dynamics of hake in the Galician platform area between Finisterre and Stake Bars.
“The hake fishery resource is a first magnitude and demersal species which live near the bottom of most important framework on marine ecosystems of the North Atlantic. As is heavily exploited, it is essential to ensure sustainable fishing “explains Francisco Saborido Rey, CSIC scientist.
After 15 years on the project, researchers have concluded that hake lays eggs throughout the year, but with two main seasons: late winter-early spring and early summer, moments that have occurred more larvae.
“We have also observed that most contribute hake recruitment (ie, production of larvae) are 65-75 inches; the smallest are little fertile, and the elderly are scarce, so their contribution is less, “says Sabol.
In addition, scientists have determined that the larvae of this species of hake abundance in the Gulf Ártabro and Cape Ortegal, 50 and 80 meters deep, and not all grow in the same way: those who do the most are the winter , unlike the summer.
Other results indicate that the factors that influence egg production process until -which is known as recruitment- variability is captured is the survivability of larvae in the early stages of life. This depends, in turn, from the time when born and peak upwelling ecosystem, providing food.
“Arise now new research on issues like females breeding in winter are the same as in summer, or whether on the contrary are different,” Saborido progresses.
The project has, plus had the collaboration of the IEO and AZTI-Tecnalia, with Argentine scientists who have contributed their experience with Argentina hake and acoustic to detect larvae techniques, and have made a comparative analysis between European hake ( M. merluccius) of Galicia and Argentina hake (M. hubbsi) of Patagonia.
“Although it has not been possible to distinguish the different species of fish, the results are promising and need further studies to perfect the technique, which would open the door to studying the larval ecology of more efficiently,” concludes Saborido.
Comments
Leave a Reply
You must be logged in to post a comment.