Warming shelf seas drive the subtropicalization of European pelagic fish communities

摘要: Abstract Pelagic fishes are among the most ecologically and economically important fish species in European seas. In principle, these pelagic have potential to demonstrate rapid abundance distribution shifts response climatic variability due their high adult motility, planktonic larval stages, low dependence on benthic habitat for food or shelter during life histories. Here we provide evidence of substantial climate-driven changes structure communities shelf We investigated patterns species-level change using catch records from 57,870 fisheries-independent survey trawls across continental region between 1965 2012. analysed rate occurrence six common species, observed a strong subtropicalization North Sea Baltic assemblages. These areas shifted away cold-water assemblages typically characterised by Atlantic herring sprat 1960s 1980s, warmer-water including mackerel, horse pilchard anchovy 1990s onwards. next if warming sea temperatures forced temporally-comprehensive data region. Our models indicated primary driver has been surface all cases. Together, analyses highlight how individual responses combined result dramatic assemblage shelf.