Preprint volume - SIBM

Pre-print Volume –Posters
Topic 4: THE ELASMOBRANCHS
Fig. 1 - MDS ordination of the elasmobranch density data and the corresponding zonation of
assemblages, with indication of the species percentage cumulative contribution to their
similarity.
Ordinamento mediante MDS dei dati di densità degli elasmobranchi e zonazione delle
associazioni corrispondenti, con indicazione del contributo percentuale cumulato alla loro
similarità.
Conclusions - A broader spectrum of elasmobranch species was found to characterize
the southernmost assemblage in the NW Ionian Sea. This result is in agreement with
previous studies along the Italian coasts (Relini et al., 2000) and could be linked to the
local environmental conditions, in terms of sea-water temperature, water mass
circulation and the steep and narrow slope that reduces the extension of trawlable
bottoms, leading to a lower level of exploitation. These characteristics, coupled with
the protection areas developed in the last years, seem to favour a higher presence of
sensitive species as those of the elasmobranches.
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