Bottom-trawling along submarine canyons impacts deep sedimentary regimes
Paradis, Sarah (Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona. Institut de Ciència i Tecnologia Ambientals)
Masqué Barri, Pere (Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona. Institut de Ciència i Tecnologia Ambientals)
Juan Díaz, Xènia (Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona. Institut de Ciència i Tecnologia Ambientals)
Martín de Nascimento, Jacobo (Centro Austral de Investigaciones Científicas)
Puig i Alenyà, Pere (Institut de Ciències del Mar)
Masqué Barri, Pere (Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona. Institut de Ciència i Tecnologia Ambientals)
Juan Díaz, Xènia (Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona. Institut de Ciència i Tecnologia Ambientals)
Martín, Jacobo (Centro Austral de Investigaciones Científicas. Argentina)
Palanques, Albert (Institut de Ciències del Mar)

Date:	2017
Abstract:	Many studies highlight that fish trawling activities cause seafloor erosion, but the assessment of the remobilization of surface sediments and its relocation is still not well documented. These impacts were examined along the flanks and axes of three headless submarine canyons incised on the Barcelona continental margin, where trawling fleets have been operating for decades. Trawled grounds along canyon flanks presented eroded and highly reworked surface sediments resulting from the passage of heavy trawling gear. Sedimentation rates on the upper canyon axes tripled and quadrupled its natural (i. e. pre-industrialization) values after a substantial increase in total horsepower of the operating trawling fleets between 1960s and 1970s. These impacts affected the upper canyon reaches next to fishing grounds, where sediment resuspended by trawling can be transported towards the canyon axes. This study highlights that bottom trawling has the capacity to alter natural sedimentary environments by promoting sediment-starved canyon flanks, and by enhancing sedimentation rates along the contiguous axes, independently of canyons' morphology. Considering the global mechanisation and offshore expansion of bottom trawling fisheries since the mid-20th century, these sedimentary alterations may occur in many trawled canyons worldwide, with further ecological impacts on the trophic status of these non-resilient benthic communities.
Grants:	European Commission 287600 European Commission 226354 Ministerio de Economía y Competitividad CTM2015-65142-R Ministerio de Economía y Competitividad MDM2015-0552 Ministerio de Economía y Competitividad CGL2012-33989 Agència de Gestió d'Ajuts Universitaris i de Recerca 2014 SGR-1356 Agència de Gestió d'Ajuts Universitaris i de Recerca 2014 SGR-1642
Note:	Unidad de excelencia María de Maeztu MdM-2015-0552
Rights:	Aquest document està subjecte a una llicència d'ús Creative Commons. Es permet la reproducció total o parcial, la distribució, la comunicació pública de l'obra i la creació d'obres derivades, fins i tot amb finalitats comercials, sempre i quan es reconegui l'autoria de l'obra original.
Language:	Anglès
Document:	Article ; recerca ; Versió publicada
Published in:	Scientific reports, Vol. 7 (Feb. 2017) , ART. a43332, ISSN 2045-2322

DOI: 10.1038/srep43332
PMID: 28233856

12 p, 2.0 MB

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Research literature > UAB research groups literature > Research Centres and Groups (research output) > Experimental sciences > Institut de Ciència i Tecnologia Ambientals (ICTA)
Articles > Research articles
Articles > Published articles