Partition of the Patagonian Continental Shelf based on remote sensing data: Identification of shortfin squid Illex argentinus fishing ground

DOGLIOTTI, A. I.; RIVARROSA, M.; ACHA, M.; GAGLIARDINI, D. A.

Kochi, India

Simposio; International Symposium on Remote Sensing and Fisheries; 2010

<!-- /* Font Definitions */ @font-face {font-family:"MS Mincho"; panose-1:2 2 6 9 4 2 5 8 3 4; mso-font-alt:"ＭＳ 明朝"; mso-font-charset:128; mso-generic-font-family:modern; mso-font-pitch:fixed; mso-font-signature:-536870145 1791491579 18 0 131231 0;} @font-face {font-family:"@MS Mincho"; panose-1:2 2 6 9 4 2 5 8 3 4; mso-font-charset:128; mso-generic-font-family:modern; mso-font-pitch:fixed; mso-font-signature:-536870145 1791491579 18 0 131231 0;} /* Style Definitions */ p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal {mso-style-parent:""; margin:0cm; margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:12.0pt; font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family:"MS Mincho";} @page Section1 {size:612.0pt 792.0pt; margin:70.85pt 3.0cm 70.85pt 3.0cm; mso-header-margin:36.0pt; mso-footer-margin:36.0pt; mso-paper-source:0;} div.Section1 {page:Section1;} --> In this study, we propose a partition of the Patagonian continental shelf (PCS) into a number of functional regions using remotely-sensed data of sea surface temperature (SST) and chlorophyll a. These data may be used to identify favorable fishing areas. The Argentinean shortfin squid, Illex argentinus, is a neritic-oceanic species distributed along the continental shelf and slope in the western south Atlantic Ocean. I. argentinus forms the bulk of the southwest Atlantic squid fishery and is the major exploited ommastrephid species in the region. Catches are made across the Patagonian shelf and in adjacent shelf slope waters. Fishery data collected by chartered commercial jiggers between January and May 2006 were analyzed in relation to environmental factors. Catch per unit effort (CPUE, kg per line hour), used as abundance index, of I. argentinus did not correlate with SST or with satellite-derived chlorophyll a values. Conversely, regions obtained using statistical analysis showed that clusters characterized by relatively high chlorophyll a concentration (center values between 8 mg m-3 and 11 mg m-3) and relatively cold temperatures (11ºC to 12ºC) were associated with high CPUE values. This analysis suggests that partition into provinces may help predicting abundance of this short-lived species with applications in fisheries forecasting and management.