This study examines ocean circulation, waves, and suspended sediment transport on the high-energy, upwelling-dominated Northwest Iberian Margin. Using the 3D oceanic numerical model CROCO (v1.0) with an integrated sediment transport module, a high-resolution simulation from November 2008 to December 2009 was conducted. Coupled offline with 2D spectral wave and atmospheric models, the system was validated against in situ observational data, showing good agreement in wave field evolution and mean circulation patterns. Performance metrics demonstrate results comparable to or better than similar studies, confirming its effectiveness. The successful validation of the forcing terms, driving the sediment dynamics, allowed the representation of different processes controlling the sediment transport and their interrelationship. The sediment transport model depicted relatively satisfactorily the seasonal dynamics of the sediment transport patterns, controlled by the intensity of the wave and current activity. This study provides the first assessment of seasonal sediment transport variability on a high-wave-energy, upwelling-dominated continental shelf using a offline coupled CROCO-SWAN system, validated against observations, integrating realistic wave fields and sediment bed grain size distributions, not implemented in previous ROMS-based simulations. This numerical framework provides a valuable tool for advancing sediment transport and coastal dynamics research, aiding regional marine management and conservation efforts.

Harmful algal blooms (HABs) pose major environmental, socio-economic, and health risks, mainly due to toxins produced by microalgae such as Dinophysis acuminata and D. acuta, responsible for diarrhetic shellfish poisoning. These blooms are particularly problematic in shellfish production areas, including the Galician Rías Baixas (NW Spain), at the northern limit of the Canary Current Upwelling System. This region, one of the world's leading mussel producers, suffers recurrent economic losses from HABs. Blooms of D. acuta typically occur from late summer to autumn, and when preceded by D. acuminata, harvesting closures are extended. To investigate the role of alongshore transport in D. acuta dynamics, we applied a biophysical modeling approach combining a high-resolution hydrodynamic model (CROCO) with a lagrangian model (ROMSPath), covering August-November of 2015, 2017, and 2019. Monitoring programs in Portugal and Spain confirmed D. acuta presence in Aveiro (Portugal) and the Rías Baixas (Spain), with cells also detected at intermediate stations in 2015 and 2019, but not in 2017. Lagrangian simulations, validated with monitoring data, revealed poleward transport in 2015 and 2019, driven by alternating wind relaxation and southerly winds that promoted a coastal current extending from the shoreline to the 50 m isobath. In contrast, persistent northerly winds in 2017 prevented the onset of this current, consistent with the absence of cells at intermediate locations. The integration of monitoring and biophysical modeling improves understanding of HAB transport pathways across transnational aquaculture areas, underscoring the need for international cooperation to mitigate their impacts on the shellfish industry.

Sediment transport in the continental shelf regions affects many interdisciplinary problems, including ecological and social issues. Understanding the underlying processes influencing sediment transport is essential for coastal management, distribution of nutrients, pollutants and abundance of benthic flora and fauna, which can impact the entire food chain in the marine ecosystem. The present work aims to enhance our understanding of the spatial and temporal variability of sediment transport in the upwelling affected continental shelves. A stateof-the-art 3D oceanic numerical model CROCO (v1.0) was used to simulate the suspended sediment transport on NW Iberian Peninsula continental shelf, considering an entire annual cycle from November 2008 to December 2009. The sediment transport patterns were influenced by the seasonality of the shelf current and wave dynamics. While low sediment movement was observed during spring and summer, considerable transport could be seen from mid-autumn and winter, associated with storms. The shelf circulation, mainly driven in response to atmospheric forcing, determined the transport direction, while wave energy regulated the resuspended sediment mass. Storm-driven upwelling and downwelling events predominantly promoted sediment transport southward and northward through the bottom boundary layer, respectively. The morphological features of the shelf and the frontal dynamics between the oceanic and fresh water in the mid-and inner shelf, modulated by upwelling and downwelling, shaped the suspended sediment transport across and along the water column. In the northern region of the study area, the simulated shelf-scale near-bottom eddies induced transport pathways to the open ocean.

The presence of toxin-producers phytoplankton is a natural phenomenon that threatens marine ecosystems, endangers human health, and causes significant economic losses in shellfish harvesting. The Galician Rías Baixas (NW Spain) are one of the main mussels producing regions worldwide and the leading producer in Europe. Annual occurrence of Dinophysis acuminata, responsible for diarrhetic shellfish poisoning toxins, lead to a ban on the mussel harvesting for several months, each year. To help mitigate these impacts, this study explores the prediction of D. acuminata cells densities 3-days ahead in the outer and inner parts of three of the Rías Baixas (Arousa, Pontevedra and Vigo), testing three local machine learning (ML) models: Artificial Neural Network (ANN), Random Forest (RF) and Support Vector Machine (SVM). Local ML models were selected to account for the differences in occurrence and variability of D. acuminata densities across the different parts of each Ría. These ML models were assessed by (1) reducing the number of features through a feature selection approach to identify the most relevant ones, (2) exploring different sets of features and (3) comparing models trained with 7 and 30 days of past information. The dataset combined daily hydrodynamic and biological features, from 2013 to 2019, obtained from a high-resolution 3D hydrodynamic model (CROCO), and in-situ observations. Our results show that RF provided the best predictive performance. Increasing the number of days of past information did not significantly improve results, as similar averaged R2 values were obtained for 7 and 30 days: 0.75 for Ría de Arousa, 0.72 for Ría de Pontevedra, and 0.67 for Ría de Vigo. Feature selection process showed that, as expected, previous cells densities of D. acuminata were essential for capturing bloom timing and amplitude. Also, the temperature, salinity, and the vertical and meridional components of current velocity were key predictors at outer stations of the Ría de Pontevedra and Vigo, where more features were required. In contrast, for the other stations, good predictions were achieved using only five features. This study represents one of the first attempts to predict D. acuminata in the Rías Baixas using local ML models. Our findings highlight the need for local approaches, as bloom dynamics vary between Rías and within different parts of each Ría. We also demonstrate the value of hydrodynamic model outputs to train ML models and compensate for the lack of long-term, spatially extensive in-situ data.

A high-resolution image sequence of sea surface temperature (SST) and Chlorophyll-a (Chl-a), together with numerical model solutions, is used to study the spatio-temporal variability of the two variables under intermittent upwelling-favourable winds. It is shown that the evolution of the cross-shore SST and Chl-a profiles over the shelf is linked to the intensity, duration and temporal separation between the wind events. The model’s realistic representation of the cross-shore SST supports the interpretation that the observed variability is governed, in the inner-shelf, by the offshore separation of upwelling divergence and, over the mid-shelf, by offshore Ekman transport and mesoscale circulation. The observation of an alongshore low SST / low Chl-a band, bounded by the 30 m and 50 m isobaths, for the days of maximum wind stress, matching the model’s solution for the outcrop of colder subsurface waters, constitute a satellite-based evidence of upwelling separation from the coast. The results are in close agreement with previous works on upwelling in shallow waters, straight coastline and gentle slope, but were not yet reported in the study area off NW Portugal. This evidence prompts for the need to use high-resolution (< 1 km) numerical models/imagery to properly assess the inner-shelf circulation in the region, and the effects on the marine ecosystem, namely the offshore transport of marine organisms or pollutants.

Diarrhetic Shellfish Poisoning (DSP) is a global health issue caused by shellfish contaminated with toxins from dinoflagellates, posing significant risks to public health and the shellfish industry. Harmful Algal Blooms (HABs), driven by toxin-producing algae like DSP, require effective monitoring and forecasting systems. Predicting HABs is challenging due to the time-series nature of the problem, influenced by historical seasonal patterns and recent anomalies from meteorological and oceanographic changes. Stream Learning shows promise for handling time-series problems with concept drifts but has yet to be validated for HAB prediction compared to Batch Learning. Limited historical data availability in oceanography highlights the importance of advanced tools like the CROCO ocean hydrodynamic model, which provides high-resolution temporal and spatial data. This study developed a machine learning workflow to predict toxic dinoflagellate (Dinophysis acuminata) cell counts, comparing seven algorithms across two learning paradigms. The CROCO model data addressed historical data gaps. The DoME model, with an average R 2 of 0.77 for 3-day-ahead predictions, proved the most effective and interpretable, underscoring the value of model explainability and rigorous comparison methodologies.

Diarrhetic Shellfish Poisoning (DSP) is a global health threat arising from shellfish contaminated with toxins produced by dinoflagellates. The condition, with its widespread incidence, high morbidity rate, and persistent shellfish toxicity, poses risks to public health and the shellfish industry. High biomass of toxin-producing algae such as DSP are known as Harmful Algal Blooms (HABs). Monitoring and forecasting systems are crucial for mitigating HABs impact. Predicting harmful algal blooms involves a time-series-based problem with a strong historical seasonal component, however, recent anomalies due to changes in meteorological and oceanographic events have been observed. Stream Learning stands out as one of the most promising approaches for addressing time-series-based problems with concept drifts. However, its efficacy in predicting HABs remains unproven and needs to be tested in comparison with Batch Learning. Historical data availability is a critical point in developing predictive systems. In oceanography, the available data collection can have some constrains and limitations, which has led to exploring new tools to obtain more exhaustive time series. In this study, a machine learning workflow for predicting the number of cells of a toxic dinoflagellate, Dinophysis acuminata, was developed with several key advancements. Seven machine learning algorithms were compared within two learning paradigms. Notably, the output data from CROCO, the ocean hydrodynamic model, was employed as the primary dataset, palliating the limitation of time-continuous historical data. This study highlights the value of models interpretability, fair models comparison methodology, and the incorporation of Stream Learning models. The model DoME, with an average R2 of 0.77 in the 3-day-ahead prediction, emerged as the most effective and interpretable predictor, outperforming the other algorithms.

IntroductionThe production of resting cysts is a key dispersal and survival strategy of many dinoflagellate species. However, little is known about the role of suspended cysts in the benthic nepheloid layer (BNL) in the initiation and decline of planktonic populations.MethodsIn September 2019, sampling of the dinoflagellate cyst community at different water depths in the water column and in the bottom sediments, and studies of spatio-temporal changes in physical properties (temperature, salinity, density and suspended sediment concentration), were carried out along a land-sea transect off Figueira da Foz (NW Portugal) to investigate the dinoflagellate cyst distribution and the factors (physical and biological) affecting it. A clustering analysis was used to compare the BNL and sediment cyst records with the cyst rain recorded by a sediment trap at a fixed station. Furthermore, Lagrangian particle experiments enabled simulating cyst trajectories in the BNL 5 and 10 days before sampling and assessing cross-shore, vertical and alongshore transport within the studied region.ResultsA well-developed BNL was present during the survey, which covered a change from active (14th of September) to relaxed (19th of September) upwelling conditions. Organic-walled dinoflagellate cysts were dominant in all samples, although calcareous dinoflagellate cysts consistently occurred (at low abundances). High proportions of full cysts were observed in the BNL, of which a significant portion was viable as shown by excystment experiments. Moreover, BNL cyst records collected on the 19th of September along the land-sea transect were similar to the sediment trap cyst record but greatly differed from sediment cyst records. The heterotrophic small spiny brown cysts (SBC) and cysts of the autotrophic yessotoxin-producer Protoceratium reticulatum notably increased during the survey, in the BNL and in the water column above.DiscussionThe comparison of the BNL, surface sediment and sediment trap cyst records supported that the main origin of cysts in the BNL was the recent production in the water column. The spatial coincidences in the distribution of cysts and vegetative cells of Protoceratium reticulatum also supported that full cysts in the water column were being produced in surface waters. New data evidenced the presence of a significant reservoir of viable cysts in the BNL that have the potential to seed new planktonic blooms. Furthermore, back-track particle modelling evidenced that alongshore advection was the main physical mechanism controlling cyst dynamics in the BNL during most part of the survey period, being particularly intense in coastal stations (<100 m depth). Consequently, the sediment cyst signal is a mixture of locally and regionally produced cysts. We provide multi-disciplinary data evidencing that cysts recently formed in the photic zone can be laterally advected within the studied region through the BNL, contributing to a better understanding of the role of the BNL in cyst dynamics and tracing the seed sources of the new blooms.

Understanding large-scale spatial and temporal patterns of marine populations is a central goal in ecology, which has received renewed attention under climate change. However, few studies explore the large-scale dynamics of populations using standardized protocols and during the same time frames. We studied the phenology and intensity of reproduction and recruitment for the intertidal stalked barnacle Pollicipes pollicipes over an European scale and described their potential linkages with environmental variables. This species supports profitable fisheries in the Iberian Peninsula (Spain and Portugal). In Brittany (France), we had observed a significant lower reproductive effort (long non-breeding season, short breeding period in summer) and low values of recruitment intensity. This pattern may be related to the fact that Brittany corresponds to the northern limit of the distribution of this species in continental Europe. On the Iberian Peninsula, the most different region was Galicia (Spain), with Asturias (Spain) and SW Portugal being more similar. In Galicia, we have observed a contradictory pattern characterized by the absence of a non-breeding period and by a shorter recruitment season than observed in other Iberian regions. Our results suggest that air temperature, SST and chlorophyll-a might be related to the variability in reproduction and recruitment patterns of P. pollicipes . Moreover, spring and early summer upwelling in SW Portugal and Galicia might be inhibiting recruitment in this period. At the northern limit, the expected increase in performance under climate change might facilitate the recovery of populations after exploitation, increasing the resilience of the resource to fishing pressure.

In January 2020, a stakeholder workshop was organized as a knowledge sharing strategy among European stalked barnacle fisheries. Management of this fishery differs greatly among regions and ranges from less organized and governed at large scales (>100 km, coasts of SW Portugal and Brittany in France) to highly participatory systems which are co-managed at small spatial scales (10's km and less, Galicia and Asturias). Discussions revealed that poaching is ubiquitous, hard to eradicate, and adapts to all types of management. The stakeholders identified some key management initiatives in the fight against poaching: granting professional harvesters with exclusive access to the resource, increasing social capital among harvesters through tenure systems (e.g. Territorial Use Rights in Fisheries) that empower them as stewards of their resource and intensification of surveillance with the active participation of the harvesters. Furthermore, increased cooperation between fishers associations and regional fisheries authorities, improved legal frameworks, adoption of new technologies and the implementation of market-based solutions can also help coping with this systemic problem.

Numerical biophysical models are a standard methodology used to provide estimates of larval dispersal and population connectivity for marine species with a bi-phasic life cycle. However, confidence on biophysical models, tested by confronting model estimates with empirical evidence, is seldomly assessed. We compared time-series estimates of larval supply of the stalked barnaclePollicipes pollicipesto rocky shores in 3 regions around the Iberian Peninsula (Asturias, Galicia, SW Portugal) with recruitment observations made at monthly intervals for 2 yr. Supply estimates were made with the Regional Ocean Modelling system using several larval behaviour scenarios, while the number of recruits on the stalks of adult barnacles was used as a measure of recruitment intensity. Cross-correlation analysis showed that passive, surface-dwelling and ontogenetically migrating larval scenarios generally produced significant positive correlations at time lags of 0 to +2 mo at the regional level but not at sub-regional or site levels. None of the scenarios produced a substantially better fit than the others, and all 3 produced estimates of average realized dispersal (-73 to +63 km in the S/W and N/E directions) and larval retention (2.0 to 2.4%) that were numerically very similar. These estimates indicate high levels of connectivity, either during larval life or via steppingstone processes, within and between the 3 regions. Based on these estimates, we advocate that the management of theP. pollicipesfishery requires an interactive, polycentric governance system at transregional, regional and local scales, which will give the resource a higher possibility of persistence by diversifying the fishery’s management portfolio.

Timescales in the ocean can range from the transient turbulence to the long-term climate scales. Quantifying its changes involves establishing meaningful background states, but that can be challenging if an extensive array of wave phenomena is masking the ocean's variability. Internal Waves (IWs) are a fundamental part of these wave phenomena, which are now widely acknowledged as major contributors in ocean dynamics. In this study we use satellite imagery from Synthetic Aperture Radars (SAR) and moored temperature records to assess the variability scales and magnitudes of coastal IW systems propagating onshore off the western Portuguese shelf. The data shows significant variability in timescales of just a few days, and hence within the waves' typical propagation lifespan. A regional ocean circulation model is used together with linear theory to assess how mesoscale variability is contributing to the observed variability patterns observed in the IWs in the SAR and in situ data. According to linear theory, the IW variability is mostly owing to variable mesoscale currents, which off the Portuguese coast typically result from geostrophic flows, eddies and upwelling dynamics. IW variability owing to changes in stratification is found to amount to about half of that in background flows, but their effect can go unnoticed within the largest contributions from mesoscale currents. One extreme event is highlighted in which IWs from consecutive tidal cycles could possibly decouple from (i.e. not traceable back to) their originating tides in just a few days and hence within their typical lifespans.

Estuarine exchange flow plays an important role in the biogeochemical properties exchange between the coastal ocean and the estuaries. Circulation patterns inside the Rias Baixas (NW Iberian Peninsula) have been widely studied, while the Ría de Pontevedra has received less attention. A high-resolution ROMS-AGRIF system configuration with three online two-way nesting domains was used and validated to enhance the knowledge about the circulation patterns of this Ría. Two representative estuarine circulation patterns were studied: a coastal upwelling event and a downwelling event associated with a maximum river runoff of 84 m3/s. An analysis using Empirical Orthogonal Functions (EOF) was applied to the horizontal subtidal velocity fields at the surface layer and at 20 m depth and to the subtidal normal velocity across vertical cross-sections. Upwelling events are characterized by a reinforcement of the positive estuarine circulation, in which the surface waters outflow and deep waters inflow at the main sill of the Ría, whilst full water column inflow (outflow) is observed at the northern (southern) openings. Conversely, downwelling events induce an opposite behavior, consisting of a negative estuarine circulation with the surface (deep) inflow (outflow) at the main sill of the Ría and outflow (inflow) at the northern (southern) openings. Evidences of a front splitting two vertical clockwise circulation cells were found. These cells are associated with the ocean water subduction that enters through the surface layer under downwelling favorable winds and this surface inflow opposes to the direction of the inner estuarine circulation. The EOF study confirms that shelf wind forcing has an important contribution to the variability of the velocity field, inducing positive or negative estuarine like circulation. The temporal principal components (PC) of EOF analysis present correlations of 0.92 between the meridional wind component and the first mode, and 0.77 between the zonal wind component and the second mode. Third EOF mode represents the circulation during transitional winds when some vorticity structures are visible. The realistic high-resolution simulation of the physical conditions at the Ría de Pontevedra provides new insights into the ocean-estuarine water exchanges and allow the visualization of recirculation processes and characteristic structures that have consequences in the marine ecosystem and in their productivity.

The hydrography and circulation of the Northwestern Iberian Margin (NWIM) was studied over an annual cycle from November 2008 to December 2009. The study was focused on the Cape Silleiro border region that separates the rugged northern coastline of the Rias Baixas embayments and the smoother southern coastline, a source of major fresh water outflows. Monthly across-shelf transects off Cape Silleiro monitored hydrography and currents, while an upward-looking ADCP registered currents in 72 m depth on the shelf over the period. To provide greater detail of the variability both spatial and temporal, during the annual cycle, a ROMS-AGRIF configuration of the region was built. Validation of the model against the observations produced robust results that reproduced many aspects of the observed variability. It was therefore possible to examine features of the NWIM, such as the seasonal cycle, wind-induced upwelling and downwelling and their associated horizontal circulations, as well as nearshore countercurrents related to freshwater plumes, in unprecedented detail. Five different scenarios were investigated in the study year through examination of characteristic physical processes: (1) late autumn up welling, (2) high energy winter conditions, (3) spring upwelling-downwelling cycles, (4) summer upwelling, and (5) autumn transition to high energy conditions. The demonstration of the robust capacity of this model configuration, to reproduce in detail the phenomena observed in this region, suggests that the physical model could be reliably extended to other years in order to provide the basis for multidisciplinary studies in relation to biogeochemical cycles and harmful blooms. Other applications could include transport of sediments, larvae, microplastics and other contaminants as well as operational application for general ocean forecasting.

Marine landings in Portugal have decreased at a higher rate than fishing effort in the last 20 years. Identifying the variables driving the quantity and composition of landings is pivotal to understand the dynamics of the fisheries sector, which entails complex social and environmental aspects. In this study, we investigate the main drivers of marine fish landings in continental Portugal between 1989 and 2014. To identify common trends in time series, and quantify the importance of environmental factors, we applied a dynamic factor analysis considering four regions and three types of gear (trawling, purse-seine, and a multi-gear fishery). Our results show the importance of fishing effort as the most relevant factor driving marine landings in Portugal, both at the long and short terms. In addition, the effect of environmental factors such as the winter river discharge and the spring East Atlantic Teleconnection index should not be neglected, probably through mechanisms affecting coastal productivity. We provide a comprehensive amount of information that permits to improve our understanding of the trends of the most important commercial species in Portugal during the period of study.

Upwelling systems are very productive regions of the ocean that strongly contribute to the local economies holding very different fisheries. These dynamic systems are characterized by a high degree of spatial and temporal variability of biogeochemical properties, including carbon, which is generally poorly represented in coarse-resolution global models. The importance of the marine carbon system characterizing these systems has been demonstrated in different regions from multiple perspectives. For the first time, we evaluate the drivers of the spatiotemporal variability of the seawater partial pressure of CO2 (pCO2) in the Canary-Iberian Upwelling System (25.5-45ºN, 5.5-20.5ºW) to better understand the inorganic carbon cycle in this highly-productive upwelling region. To do so, we first coupled a regional high-resolution ocean circulation model CROCO with the ocean biogeochemical model PISCES and run a climatological simulation. A first-order Taylor expansion was applied over this simulation to compute the contribution of four variables to the pCO2 spatiotemporal variability: salinity-normalized dissolved inorganic carbon (sCT), salinity-normalized total alkalinity (sAT), temperature (T) and freshwater fluxes (FW). Modeled pCO2 is in agreement with that of recent data-based monthly climatologies (open ocean RMSE: 5.2-10.8 µatm; coastal ocean RMSE: 7.9-18.7 µatm), measured data from the Surface Ocean CO₂ Atlas (SOCAT) (RMSE: 6.6-13.9 µatm) and computed pCO2 from measured AT and pH at the European Station for Time series in the Ocean Canary islands (ESTOC) (RMSE: 5.1 µatm). The spatial distribution of the pCO2 anomalies relative to the domain mean shows two different areas with opposite anomalies: positive anomalies around the coast in the entire domain and in open ocean south of 33ºN and negative anomalies in open ocean north of 33ºN. This pattern is mainly driven by the contribution of the T component and a minor influence of sAT and FW, with the sCT component largely counteracting the effects of the other drivers but contributing to the positive anomaly along the Iberian coast. The seasonal variability is controlled by T and sCT, with a minor influence of sAT and a negligible importance of FW. The seasonal cycle shows a direct covariation between the T contribution and the δpCO2 (monthly mean minus annual mean of pCO2) and an inverse covariation between the sCT contribution and the δpCO2 that counteracts the effect of T in the δpCO2 amplitude. A decrease in the δpCO2 amplitude was found from open ocean (depths > 200m) to coastal ocean (depths < 200m) determined mainly by a decrease in the influence of the T driver and, less significant, also by a reduction of the sCT contribution. The general agreement between modeled and observed contributions to pCO2 variability at the ESTOC time-series station, in terms of both phase and amplitude, lends credibility to our deconvolution and model, which has been applied across the Canary-Iberian Upwelling System, to assess the processes behind the spatiotemporal variability of pCO2.

Event Abstract Back to Event The PERCEBES project: science for the spatial management of the stalked barnacle fishery in the Atlantic Arc Katja Geiger1*, José Luis Acuña2, Alba Aguión3, Arrontes Julio2, Marion Ballenghiem4, Yaisel J. Borrell5, Caroline Broudin4, João Castro6, Juliette Chiss4, Teresa Cruz7, Dominique Davoult4, Jesus Dubert8, Pierre-Antoine Dumont9, Feis Marieke4, Joana N. Fernandes10, Consolación Fernández1, Lucía García11, Eva Garcia-Vazquez5, Céline Houbin4, David Jacinto10, Didier Jollivet4, Christophe Lejeusne4, Gonzalo Macho12, David Mateus10, Paloma Morán13, Carlota Muñiz12, Amandine Nicolle9, Rita Nolasco8, Elena Ojea12, Marina Parrondo5, Lucille Perrier4, Henrique Queiroga14, José Manuel Rico1, Antonella Rivera15, María Del Pino Rueda11, Teresa Silva10, Jorge Sostres1, Eric Thiebaut4 and Elsa Vazquez12 1 Department of Organisms and Systems Biology, University of Oviedo, Spain 2 Department of Organisms and Systems Biology, University of Oviedo, Spain 3 Department of Ecology and Animal Biology, University of Vigo, Spain 4 Station Biologique de Roscoff, France 5 Department of Functional Biology, University of Oviedo, Spain 6 Center for Marine and Environmental Sciences (MARE), Portugal 7 Center for Marine and Environmental Sciences (MARE), Portugal 8 Centre for Environmental and Marine Studies, Department of Chemistry, University of Aveiro, Portugal 9 National Institute of Advanced Technologies of Brittany, France 10 Center for Marine and Environmental Sciences (MARE), Portugal 11 Center for Fisheries Experimentation, Government of the Principality of Asturias, Spain 12 Department of Ecology and Animal Biology, University of Vigo, Spain 13 Department of Biochemistry, Genetics and Immunology, University of Vigo, Spain 14 Centre for Environmental and Marine Studies, Department of Chemistry, University of Aveiro, Portugal 15 Coral Reef Alliance, United States In the Atlantic Arc, the stalked barnacle fishery is managed using a variety of spatial tools ranging from open access, through Territorial User Rights for Fishers (TURFs) to Marine Reserves (MR). In addition, co-management in some places allows the emergence of new management practices, which makes this fishery an interesting example to investigate the implications of distinct spatial management options on the biology and ecology of exploited coastal species. It also provides a learning platformto guide marine spatial planning of Small Scale Fisheries in other contexts in the EU. The PERCEBES project is a Portuguese, French and Spanish initiative co-funded by the ERA-Net BiodivERsA intended as a scientific and practical demonstration of the effects of Stalked Barnacle (SB) harvesting on the biodiversity, productivity and connectivity of SB populations/stocks? both at local and landscape level. This is done through two approaches: 1-A continental-scale, Human Exclusion Experiment (HEE). By using steel cages that simulate the effects of 1 and 2 year bans and open plots as controls where harvest continues unimpeded. The HEE tests the effect of those treatments on the biodiversity, productivity and economic value of SB stands and on their potential to produce larvae. 2-Construction of regional, spatially explicit Bioeconomic Models (BM). We are building biophysical larval dispersal models to visualize the seeding effects of fallow or protected areas on other regions and the patterns of connectivity among managed or co-managed spatial units. These models are being validated by direct measurement of recruitment distributed in time and space. Additionally, the biophysical models will be coupled with landings and sales data to assess the sustainability and cost effectiveness of distinct spatial management options. These two objectives are carried out at four experimental sites: coast of Alentejo (Portugal), , NW coast of Galicia (Spain), Western Asturias coast (Spain) and South Brittany (France), covering the latitudinal range where the barnacles are exploited in the EU. PERCEBES benefits from/has the collaboration of stakeholders, fishers, administration and NGOs for site selection, experiment surveillance and sample collection. The project has established a consortium with the fishers to secure a large number of recruitment observations distributed in time and space. PERCEBES combines results from experiments, hydrodynamic models and landings data into spatially explicit bioeconomic models which will allow generation of “policyscapes” to optimize the conservation/exploitation tradeoff. This is of interest for Administrations seeking to manage the SB fishery. At a final collaborative workshop, fishers, scientists, administrators and ONGs will discuss the potential for crossbreeding of good management practices across the Atlantic Arc. PERCEBES is also producing a video documentary focused on the effects of harvesting on biodiversity patterns, intended for a general audience, and focused on the science of the interaction humans-ecosystem. Acknowledgements This is a BiodivERsA project financed by the Spanish Ministerio de Economía y Competitividad, the Portuguese Fundação para a Ciência e Tecnologia and the French Agence Nationale de la Recherche. We thank the barnacle harvesters at the Alentejo, Galicia, Asturias and Brittany coasts, WWF, Ecologistas en Acción, DOCUMENTAZUL and the different Regional Governments and Administrations for their collaboration and support. Keywords: Marine reserve (MR), Territorial User Rights Fisheries (TURFs), Co-management, biophysical model, Bioeconomic model, human exclusion experiment Conference: XX Iberian Symposium on Marine Biology Studies (SIEBM XX) , Braga, Portugal, 9 Sep - 12 Sep, 2019. Presentation Type: Poster Presentation Topic: Fisheries, Aquaculture and Biotechnology Citation: Geiger K, Acuña J, Aguión A, Julio A, Ballenghiem M, Borrell Y, Broudin C, Castro J, Chiss J, Cruz T, Davoult D, Dubert J, Dumont P, Marieke F, Fernandes J, Fernández C, García L, Garcia-Vazquez E, Houbin C, Jacinto D, Jollivet D, Lejeusne C, Macho G, Mateus D, Morán P, Muñiz C, Nicolle A, Nolasco R, Ojea E, Parrondo M, Perrier L, Queiroga H, Rico J, Rivera A, Rueda M, Silva T, Sostres J, Thiebaut E and Vazquez E (2019). The PERCEBES project: science for the spatial management of the stalked barnacle fishery in the Atlantic Arc. Front. Mar. Sci. Conference Abstract: XX Iberian Symposium on Marine Biology Studies (SIEBM XX) . doi: 10.3389/conf.fmars.2019.08.00156 Copyright: The abstracts in this collection have not been subject to any Frontiers peer review or checks, and are not endorsed by Frontiers. They are made available through the Frontiers publishing platform as a service to conference organizers and presenters. The copyright in the individual abstracts is owned by the author of each abstract or his/her employer unless otherwise stated. Each abstract, as well as the collection of abstracts, are published under a Creative Commons CC-BY 4.0 (attribution) licence (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/) and may thus be reproduced, translated, adapted and be the subject of derivative works provided the authors and Frontiers are attributed. For Frontiers’ terms and conditions please see https://www.frontiersin.org/legal/terms-and-conditions. Received: 03 Jun 2019; Published Online: 27 Sep 2019. * Correspondence: Mrs. Katja Geiger, Department of Organisms and Systems Biology, University of Oviedo, Oviedo, Spain, katjes.gecko@gmail.com Login Required This action requires you to be registered with Frontiers and logged in. To register or login click here. Abstract Info Abstract The Authors in Frontiers Katja Geiger José Luis Acuña Alba Aguión Arrontes Julio Marion Ballenghiem Yaisel J. Borrell Caroline Broudin João Castro Juliette Chiss Teresa Cruz Dominique Davoult Jesus Dubert Pierre-Antoine Dumont Feis Marieke Joana N. Fernandes Consolación Fernández Lucía García Eva Garcia-Vazquez Céline Houbin David Jacinto Didier Jollivet Christophe Lejeusne Gonzalo Macho David Mateus Paloma Morán Carlota Muñiz Amandine Nicolle Rita Nolasco Elena Ojea Marina Parrondo Lucille Perrier Henrique Queiroga José Manuel Rico Antonella Rivera María Del Pino Rueda Teresa Silva Jorge Sostres Eric Thiebaut Elsa Vazquez Google Katja Geiger José Luis Acuña Alba Aguión Arrontes Julio Marion Ballenghiem Yaisel J. Borrell Caroline Broudin João Castro Juliette Chiss Teresa Cruz Dominique Davoult Jesus Dubert Pierre-Antoine Dumont Feis Marieke Joana N. Fernandes Consolación Fernández Lucía García Eva Garcia-Vazquez Céline Houbin David Jacinto Didier Jollivet Christophe Lejeusne Gonzalo Macho David Mateus Paloma Morán Carlota Muñiz Amandine Nicolle Rita Nolasco Elena Ojea Marina Parrondo Lucille Perrier Henrique Queiroga José Manuel Rico Antonella Rivera María Del Pino Rueda Teresa Silva Jorge Sostres Eric Thiebaut Elsa Vazquez Google Scholar Katja Geiger José Luis Acuña Alba Aguión Arrontes Julio Marion Ballenghiem Yaisel J. Borrell Caroline Broudin João Castro Juliette Chiss Teresa Cruz Dominique Davoult Jesus Dubert Pierre-Antoine Dumont Feis Marieke Joana N. Fernandes Consolación Fernández Lucía García Eva Garcia-Vazquez Céline Houbin David Jacinto Didier Jollivet Christophe Lejeusne Gonzalo Macho David Mateus Paloma Morán Carlota Muñiz Amandine Nicolle Rita Nolasco Elena Ojea Marina Parrondo Lucille Perrier Henrique Queiroga José Manuel Rico Antonella Rivera María Del Pino Rueda Teresa Silva Jorge Sostres Eric Thiebaut Elsa Vazquez PubMed Katja Geiger José Luis Acuña Alba Aguión Arrontes Julio Marion Ballenghiem Yaisel J. Borrell Caroline Broudin João Castro Juliette Chiss Teresa Cruz Dominique Davoult Jesus Dubert Pierre-Antoine Dumont Feis Marieke Joana N. Fernandes Consolación Fernández Lucía García Eva Garcia-Vazquez Céline Houbin David Jacinto Didier Jollivet Christophe Lejeusne Gonzalo Macho David Mateus Paloma Morán Carlota Muñiz Amandine Nicolle Rita Nolasco Elena Ojea Marina Parrondo Lucille Perrier Henrique Queiroga José Manuel Rico Antonella Rivera María Del Pino Rueda Teresa Silva Jorge Sostres Eric Thiebaut Elsa Vazquez Related Article in Frontiers Google Scholar PubMed Abstract Close Back to top Javascript is disabled. Please enable Javascript in your browser settings in order to see all the content on this page.

This work presents the results of two oceanographic surveys conducted off NW Iberia during successive summer upwelling seasons, aiming at the identification of the physical processes underlying the phytoplankton distribution in the area. Mooring (ADCP and thermistors) and ship-based CTD-F observations corroborate previous results that wind-driven upwelling circulation, (sub)mesoscale eddies and the stratification induced by the Western Iberia Buoyant Plume (WIBP) are the main processes affecting the chlorophyll distribution, but also provide new insights on key oceanographic structures governing the shelf circulation and phytoplankton structuring, namely (i) the link between frontal activity along the shelf break south of similar to 41 degrees N, the flow bifurcation at that latitude and the establishment of a cyclonic area with low frontal activity over the mid-shelf; (ii) the measurement of a previously unreported, remarkably persistent (> 1 month), near bottom poleward flow at the 30 m isobath, interpreted as the response to the alongshore pressure gradient driven by the stronger upwelling intensity north of 41 degrees N; (iii) the impact of low salinity buoyant plumes expressed on the shallowing of the Ekman layer, with the consequent frictional (Ekman) currents intensity increase, their low chlorophyll content contrary to previous winter/spring observations, and the lack of a direct relationship between plume salinities and river runoff; and (iv) the strong coupling between the chlorophyll distribution and the small-scale (O(1 - 10)km) oceanographic features providing further evidence that the phytoplankton distribution off NW Iberia in the summer upwelling season is strongly coupled to submesoscale processes.

Marine larval dispersal is a complex biophysical process that depends on the effects of species biology and oceanography, leading to logistical difficulties in estimating connectivity among populations of marine animals with biphasic life cycles. To address this challenge, the application of multiple methodological approaches has been advocated, in order to increase confidence in estimates of population connectivity. However, studies seldom account for sources of uncertainty associated with each method, which undermines a direct comparative approach. In the present study we explicitly account for the statistical uncertainty in observed connectivity matrices derived from elemental chemistry of larval mussel shells, and compare these to predictions from a biophysical model of dispersal. To do this we manipulate the observed connectivity matrix by applying different confidence levels to the assignment of recruits to source populations, while concurrently modelling the intrinsic misclassification rate of larvae to known sources. We demonstrate that the correlation between the observed and modelled matrices increases as the number of observed recruits classified as unknowns approximates the observed larval misclassification rate. Using this approach, we show that unprecedented levels of concordance in connectivity estimates (r = 0.96) can be achieved, and at spatial scales (20–40 km) that are ecologically relevant.