Habitat structure and the survival of juvenile scallops Pecten novaezelandiae: comparing predation in habitats with varying complexity

Published source details Talman S., Norkko A., Thrush S. & Hewitt J. (2004) Habitat structure and the survival of juvenile scallops Pecten novaezelandiae: comparing predation in habitats with varying complexity. Marine Ecology Progress Series, 269, 197-207.
Share Tweet Email

This study is summarised as evidence for the following.

	Action	Category
	Translocate species - Translocate molluscs Action Link

Translocate species - Translocate molluscs

A replicated, site comparison study in 2001 of 12 sites across four areas of soft seabed in the Tasman Sea and South Pacific Ocean, New Zealand (Talman et al. 2011) found that, a week after translocation, >40% of translocated New Zealand scallop Pecten novaezelandiae had survived. In addition, mortality was lower in areas closed to commercial fishing compared to fished areas. Mortality in the two closed areas (15% and 24%) were lower compared to the two fished areas (39% and 59%) in three of four comparisons (24% not statistically different to 39%). In addition, across the two fished areas, mortality was significantly higher in the area also seeded with juvenile scallops (59%), than the area not seeded (39%). In 2001, scallops were translocated from nearby areas to two areas closed to commercial fishing (in February and April) and two fished areas (in April) (three sites/area). One of the fished areas had also been seeded with approximately 1.2 million juvenile scallops in February. At each site, a 4-m long chain was deployed, with 12 scallops attached at fixed intervals. The status (dead or alive) of all scallops was checked daily for three days and after a week, and mortality assessed.

(Summarised by: Anaëlle Lemasson & Laura Pettit)