Large-Scale Diversity of Slope Fishes: Pattern Inconsistency between Multiple Diversity Indices

Type Article
Date 2013-07
Language English
Author(s) Gaertner Jean-Claude1, 2, Maiorano Porza3, Merigot Bastien4, Colloca Francesco5, Politou Chrissi-Yianna6, Gil De Sola Luis7, Bertrand Jacques8, Murenu Matteo9, Durbec Jean-Pierre10, Kallianiotis Argyris11, Mannini Alessandro12
Affiliation(s) 1 : Univ Polynesie Francaise, UPF,IRD,Ifremer,ILM, UMR EIO 241, Faaa, Tahiti, Fr Polynesia.
2 : Ctr Arue, IRD, UPF,IRD,Ifremer,ILM, UMR EIO 241, Papeete, Tahiti, Fr Polynesia.
3 : Univ Bari, Dept Zool, Bari, Italy.
4 : Ctr Rech Halieut Mediterrane enne & Trop, UMR Ecosyst Marins Exploites 212, Sete, France.
5 : Univ Roma La Sapienza, Dept Anim & Human Biol, I-00185 Rome, Italy.
6 : Inst Marine Biol Resources, Hellen Ctr Marine Res, Ellinikon, Greece.
7 : Ctr Oceanog Malaga IEO, Fuengirola, Malaga, Spain.
8 : IFREMER, Dept Ecol & Modeles Halieut, Nantes, France.
9 : Univ Cagliari, Dipartimento Biol Anim & Ecol, Cagliari, Italy.
10 : Univ Aix Marseille, UMR MIO, Ctr Oceanol Marseille, Marseille, France.
11 : Natl Agr Res Fdn, Fisheries Res Inst, Kavala, Greece.
12 : Univ Genoa, Dip Te Ris, Genoa, Italy.
Source Plos One (1932-6203) (Public Library Science), 2013-07 , Vol. 8 , N. 7 , P. 1-11
DOI 10.1371/journal.pone.0066753
WOS© Times Cited 21
Abstract Large-scale studies focused on the diversity of continental slope ecosystems are still rare, usually restricted to a limited number of diversity indices and mainly based on the empirical comparison of heterogeneous local data sets. In contrast, we investigate large-scale fish diversity on the basis of multiple diversity indices and using 1454 standardized trawl hauls collected throughout the upper and middle slope of the whole northern Mediterranean Sea (36 degrees 3' - 45 degrees 7' N; 5 degrees 3'W - 28 degrees E). We have analyzed (1) the empirical relationships between a set of 11 diversity indices in order to assess their degree of complementarity/redundancy and (2) the consistency of spatial patterns exhibited by each of the complementary groups of indices. Regarding species richness, our results contrasted both the traditional view based on the hump-shaped theory for bathymetric pattern and the commonly-admitted hypothesis of a large-scale decreasing trend correlated with a similar gradient of primary production in the Mediterranean Sea. More generally, we found that the components of slope fish diversity we analyzed did not always show a consistent pattern of distribution according either to depth or to spatial areas, suggesting that they are not driven by the same factors. These results, which stress the need to extend the number of indices traditionally considered in diversity monitoring networks, could provide a basis for rethinking not only the methodological approach used in monitoring systems, but also the definition of priority zones for protection. Finally, our results call into question the feasibility of properly investigating large-scale diversity patterns using a widespread approach in ecology, which is based on the compilation of pre-existing heterogeneous and disparate data sets, in particular when focusing on indices that are very sensitive to sampling design standardization, such as species richness.
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Gaertner Jean-Claude, Maiorano Porza, Merigot Bastien, Colloca Francesco, Politou Chrissi-Yianna, Gil De Sola Luis, Bertrand Jacques, Murenu Matteo, Durbec Jean-Pierre, Kallianiotis Argyris, Mannini Alessandro (2013). Large-Scale Diversity of Slope Fishes: Pattern Inconsistency between Multiple Diversity Indices. Plos One, 8(7), 1-11. Publisher's official version : https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0066753 , Open Access version : https://archimer.ifremer.fr/doc/00152/26299/