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COVID-19 Pandemic Lockdown: An Excellent Opportunity to Study the Effects of Trawling Disturbance on Macrobenthic Fauna in the Shallow Waters of the Gulf of Gabès (Tunisia, Central Mediterranean Sea)

Author

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  • Nawfel Mosbahi

    (Laboratoire de Biodiversité Marine et Environnement, Faculté des Sciences de Sfax, Université de Sfax, BP 1171, Sfax 3038, Tunisia)

  • Jean-Philippe Pezy

    (Laboratoire Morphodynamique Continentale et Côtière, Normandie University, UNICAEN, CNRS, UMR 6143 M2C, 24 Rue des Tilleuls, 14000 Caen, France)

  • Jean-Claude Dauvin

    (Laboratoire Morphodynamique Continentale et Côtière, Normandie University, UNICAEN, CNRS, UMR 6143 M2C, 24 Rue des Tilleuls, 14000 Caen, France)

  • Lassad Neifar

    (Laboratoire de Biodiversité Marine et Environnement, Faculté des Sciences de Sfax, Université de Sfax, BP 1171, Sfax 3038, Tunisia)

Abstract

This study describes for the first time in the central Mediterranean Sea the effects of bottom trawling on macrobenthic fauna in tidal channels of the Kneiss Islands in the Gulf of Gabès, Tunisia. Following a BACI protocol, two control stations (protected by artificial reefs) and two trawled stations (impacted stations) were sampled during a period with the absence of bottom trawling activity (the COVID-19 pandemic lockdown period from March to May 2020) and during a trawled period. Although bottom trawling had no impact on sediment composition, this anthropogenic activity reduced the concentration of dissolved oxygen and had a noticeable effect on water column turbidity. The absence of trawling led to a significant increase in biomass, number of species, and abundance of total macrofauna. This illustrated the negative effect of trawling activity in shallow waters and the high resilience of macrobenthic communities of the tidal ecosystem of the Kneiss Islands. In the future, it would be very important to control the use of this destructive fishing gear due to its negative impact on the marine habitat and macrofauna, which represents essential prey for fishes and birds living in this protected area.

Suggested Citation

  • Nawfel Mosbahi & Jean-Philippe Pezy & Jean-Claude Dauvin & Lassad Neifar, 2022. "COVID-19 Pandemic Lockdown: An Excellent Opportunity to Study the Effects of Trawling Disturbance on Macrobenthic Fauna in the Shallow Waters of the Gulf of Gabès (Tunisia, Central Mediterranean Sea)," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(3), pages 1-17, January.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jijerp:v:19:y:2022:i:3:p:1282-:d:731988
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    1. Pere Puig & Miquel Canals & Joan B. Company & Jacobo Martín & David Amblas & Galderic Lastras & Albert Palanques & Antoni M. Calafat, 2012. "Ploughing the deep sea floor," Nature, Nature, vol. 489(7415), pages 286-289, September.
    2. Halouani, Ghassen & Ben Rais Lasram, Frida & Shin, Yunne-Jai & Velez, Laure & Verley, Philippe & Hattab, Tarek & Oliveros-Ramos, Ricardo & Diaz, Frédéric & Ménard, Frédéric & Baklouti, Melika & Guyenn, 2016. "Modelling food web structure using an end-to-end approach in the coastal ecosystem of the Gulf of Gabes (Tunisia)," Ecological Modelling, Elsevier, vol. 339(C), pages 45-57.
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