Document of bibliographic reference 396339

BibliographicReference record

Type

Bibliographic resource

Type of document

Book/Monograph

Type of document

Dissertation

BibLvlCode

M

Title

Distribución temporal y espacial del pez vieja de California (Semicossyphus pulcher) con relación al erizo de mar y aspectos ambientales en el Pacífico norte de Baja California, México

Abstract

The North Pacific coast of Baja California, Mexico, is a region noted for its rich ecological diversity and dynamic environmental conditions, primarily characterized by the influence of the California Current and the presence of upwelling. These conditions create a unique environment for marine species such as the California sheephead (Semicossyphus pulcher) and sea urchins (Strongylocentrotus franciscanus and Strongylocentrotus purpuratus). The California sheephead is one of the few known predators of sea urchins, which, in turn, play a key role in maintaining kelp forests. However, the specific relationship between the abundance and distribution of these two species in this region is not well understood. Monthly catch data for 2021 was analyzed under La Niña oceanographic conditions to assess correlations between the species and environmental factors. The highest catches of California sheephead were recorded in Ensenada (46,383 kg), followed by El Rosario (40,102 kg) and San Quintín (12,082 kg). Regarding sea urchins, Ensenada also showed the highest catches (580,550 kg) of red urchin, compared to El Rosario (509,756 kg) and San Quintín (45,552 kg), with differences influenced by temperature. Although no significant correlation was found in San Quintín and El Rosario, Ensenada showed a weak but significant relationship between California sheephead and red urchin (r=0.13, p<0.05). It was observed that California sheephead showed greater seasonality in warm waters, while cooling waters favored the temporal distribution of sea urchins (65% – 82%). There is a moderately positive and strong correlation between the seasonal indices of red and purple sea urchins (r=0.66). The results suggest that additional factors beyond temperature and upwelling influence the population dynamics of these species. These findings highlight the importance of considering both oceanographic conditions and the temporal distribution of marine species, given the relevance of the studied regions for commercial and recreational fishing.

Bibliographic citation

Unger Cancela, T. (2024). Distribución temporal y espacial del pez vieja de California (Semicossyphus pulcher) con relación al erizo de mar y aspectos ambientales en el Pacífico norte de Baja California, México. MSc Thesis. Centro de Investigación Científica y de Educación Superior de Ensenada: Baja California. 57 pp.

Topic

Marine

Access rights

open access

Is accessible for free

true