| We tested whether synchronous long-term fluctuations in Atlantic bluefin tuna (Thunnus thynnus) trap catches, collected from the ancestral Mediterranean and Atlantic trap fishery, might be related to environmental changes in NAO and/or in temperature. Spectral analyses of trap catches and temperature displayed similar spectra with peak at low frequency whereas those of the NAO exhibited a broad band spectrum. Regression analyses and tests of correlation did not reveal any clear relationship between trap catches and NAO. In contrast, long-term fluctuations in trap catches appear to be negatively and significantly related to long-term trends in temperature. Underlying processes that could explain such a relationship are discussed, with special focus on... |
