ECOLOGY OF ANTARCTIC FISH FROM THE SCOTIA ARC (SOUTH GEORGIA ISLANDS, SOUTH ORKNEY ISLANDS, SOUTH SHETLAND ISLANDS AND WEST ANTARCTIC PENINSULA). IMPACT OF THE COMMERCIAL FISHERY ON NEARSHORE FISH OF THE AREA

ENGLISH

Project PICTA 09 2004-2007

The Project deals with different aspects of the ecology (trophic position,
reproduction, age and growth, interaction with predators) of the Antarctic
ichthyofauna in the Scotia Arc (South Georgia Islands, South Orkney Islands,
South Shetland Islands and west Antarctic Peninsula). The fish species studied
belong to the endemic Antarctic Suborder Notothenioidei; most of them have been
or are presently object of commercial exploitation. These are the patagonian
toothfish Dissostichus eleginoides, the mackerel ice fish Champsocephalus
gunnari and the Antarctic cods Notothenia rossii, Gobionotothen gibberifrons
and N. coriiceps, among others. Another subject developed by the Project is the
monitoring of demersal fish at inshore sites of the South Shetland Islands, to
evaluate the impact of the former offshore commercial fishery in the area in
the late 1970s. Effect of long term shore-based sampling programs on near-shore
fish populations. Predator-prey interaction between the Antarctic Shag
Phalacrocorax bransfieldensis and demersal fish of the area, including species
that have been commercially exploited in the past. The scope of the Project is
in line with the aims of the Convention for the Conservation of Antarctic
Marine Living Resources (CCAMLR).

The present is continuation of the long-term project explained
CDA_AR_ECOLOGY_ANTARCTIC_FISH with the aggregate of the theme "predatory
interaction prey between cormorants and demersal fish". The name of the
previous Project is: Ecology of Antarctic fish of the Arch of Scotia (Islands
Georgia Southern, Orcadas Southern and Antarctic Peninsula). The Doctor R.
Casaux, was a Co-Director of the same.In the present Project, he is included in
the title "Impact of the commercial fishery" because this theme is not fit in
inside "general Ecology" and besides, by the importance that the same one has
acquired in recent years.