Van Denderen et al (2015) Similar effects of bottom trawling and natural disturbance on composition and function of benthic communities across habitats Research Gate
This study investigates how bottom trawling and natural seabed disturbance interact to shape benthic communities across eight areas of the North and Irish Seas. The authors found that bottom trawling often produce similar effects on benthic community composition and ecosystem function than natural disturbance. Both tend to reduce long-lived, hard-bodied and suspension-feeding organisms, while favouring communities dominated by smaller species, deposit feeders, or mobile scavengers and predators. The study found no detectable additional effect of trawling in areas already exposed to high natural disturbance, whereas changes were observed in more stable environments with lower natural disturbance. The results suggest that the ecological impact of bottom trawling strongly depends on local environmental conditions, with naturally dynamic habitats being more resilient to fishing disturbance. The authors conclude that considering naturally disturbed areas can help identifying areas that are more or less sensitive to trawling and support the development of spatial management strategies for seabed protection.
