Individual-based modelling to fine-tune management measures for commercial demersal sharks

Individual-based modelling to fine-tune management measures for commercial demersal sharks

Blog Article

Individual-Based Models (IBMs) can Jewelry be used to study population dynamics by emphasising individual variability in life-history traits and behaviour.Here, we built a zero-dimensional IBM to describe the population dynamics of smooth-hound sharks (Mustelus spp.) living in the northern Adriatic Sea, a highly exploited basin of the Mediterranean Sea.

We integrated the density-dependence of individual-level processes based on bioenergetic theory with the explicit consideration of the intra-specific variability of life cycle processes into the model.The individual-based approach allowed us to investigate population status, highlight and fill knowledge gaps in the biology of the species, and test the potential effectiveness of innovative conservation measures.Although IBMs are a complex and potentially data-intensive methodology, this work demonstrates their usefulness as screening tools to systematically identify and select, within a pool of options, promising Gift Card fisheries management measures for elasmobranch conservation and sustainable exploitation.