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Assessing changes in the distribution and range size of demersal fish populations in the Benguela Current Large Marine Ecosystem

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Abstract

Distributional change, expressed as range expansion or contraction , has been observed in many marine populations and related to changes in the environment. The extent of such distributional changes is also expected to increase in response to future climate change. The Benguela Current Large Marine Ecosystem (BCLME) which adjoins the south-western coast of Africa is a global marine hotspot with long-term warming occurring over a large area. The area is also an important centre of marine food production for three countries—South Africa, Namibia and Angola and is considered to be vulnerable to future climate change or increased climate variability. In this study we analysed change in distribution and range size of several demersal fish species in the BCLME over the period 1985–2010, including both commercial and non-commercial fish populations. Some of the observed changes in distribution and range size correspond to what is expected with increased warming whereas others appear to the contrary. Overall the results of the study highlight the complex nature of the response of fish population to climate change.

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Acknowledgments

The authors would like to acknowledge contributions of regional institutes (Fisheries Management branch of DAFF in South Africa, NatMirc of Namibia, and INIP of Angola) that supported this study and made data available, and NORAD for supporting the NANSCLIM project and facilitating meetings of the demersal task team. The authors would also like to thank the two anonymous reviewers and editor of this special issue for their invaluable comments and suggestions that improved the manuscript.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Fisheries Management, Department of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries, Foretrust Building, Foreshore, Rogge Bay, Cape Town, 8012, South Africa

    Dawit Yemane

  2. Marine Research Institute (MA-RE), University of Cape Town, Private Bag X3, Cape Town, South Africa

    Dawit Yemane & Toufiek Samaai

  3. Department of Environmental Affairs, Branch Oceans and Coasts, P.O. Box 52126, Victoria & Alfred Waterfront, Cape Town, 8000, South Africa

    Stephen P. Kirkman & Toufiek Samaai

  4. Animal Demography Unit, Department of Zoology, University of Cape Town, Rondebosch, Cape Town, 7701, South Africa

    Stephen P. Kirkman

  5. National Marine Information and Research Center, P.O. Box 912, Swakopmund, Namibia

    John Kathena

  6. Instituto Nacional de Investigação Pesqueira, Ministério da Agricultura e Desenvolvimento Rural e Pescas, Angola, Ilha de Luanda, CP 2601, Luanda, Angola

    Silvi E. N’siangango

  7. Institute of Marine Research, P.O. Box 1870 Nordnes, NO-5817, Bergen, Norway

    Bjørn Erik Axelsen

Authors
  1. Dawit Yemane
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  2. Stephen P. Kirkman
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  6. Toufiek Samaai
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Dawit Yemane.

Appendices

Appendix 1

In this appendix the list of species that showed significant changes in the four indices of distribution are presented in tables for each country. The tables also contain the exploitation status of each species (Tables 2, 3, 4)

Table 2 Summary of the direction of distributional changes of demersal species off the west coast of South Africa, for each of four indices
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Table 3 Summary of the direction of distributional changes of demersal species off Namibia, for each of four indices
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Table 4 Summary of the direction of distributional changes of demersal species off Angola, for each of four indices
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Appendix 2

The depth and latitudinal coverage of sampling stations during a routine bottom trawl survey are presented in Figs. 10, 11, 12, 13, 14 and 15. Figure 10 shows the distribution of sampling depth of the surveys in South Africa for each year with the exception of 1989 the survey sampling depth covers relatively the same depth range. Figure 11 shows the distribution of sampling latitude of the surveys in South Africa for each year with the exception of 1989 the survey sampling latitude covers relatively the same latitude range. With the exception for the first few years the depth range of the sampling stations off Namibia remained the same (Fig. 12). Similarly the latitudinal coverage of the sampling stations remained the same except for 1995 where it only covered a smaller area of the typical survey region. The latitudinal and depth coverage of the sampling stations off Angola are shown in Figs. 14 and 15 respectively. With the exception of the early sampling years both the depth and latitudinal range of sampling stations remained relatively the same.

Fig. 10
figure 10

Distribution of the sampling depth of trawl stations during the routine annual bottom trawl survey in South Africa

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Fig. 11
figure 11

Distribution of the sampling latitude of trawl stations during the routine annual bottom trawl survey in South Africa

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Fig. 12
figure 12

Distribution of the sampling depth of trawl stations during the routine annual bottom trawl survey in Namibia

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Fig. 13
figure 13

Distribution of the sampling latitude of trawl stations during the routine annual bottom trawl survey in Namibia

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Fig. 14
figure 14

Distribution of the sampling depth of trawl stations during the routine annual bottom trawl survey in Angola

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Fig. 15
figure 15

Distribution of the sampling latitude of trawl stations during the routine annual bottom trawl survey in Angola

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Yemane, D., Kirkman, S.P., Kathena, J. et al. Assessing changes in the distribution and range size of demersal fish populations in the Benguela Current Large Marine Ecosystem. Rev Fish Biol Fisheries 24, 463–483 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11160-014-9357-7

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