Topology-based analysis of pelagic food web structure in the central and eastern tropical Pacific Ocean based on longline observer data

Qinqin Lin; Jiangfeng Zhu

doi:10.1007/s13131-020-1592-2

Volume 39 Issue 6

Jun. 2020

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Qinqin Lin, Jiangfeng Zhu. Topology-based analysis of pelagic food web structure in the central and eastern tropical Pacific Ocean based on longline observer data[J]. Acta Oceanologica Sinica, 2020, 39(6): 1-9. doi: 10.1007/s13131-020-1592-2

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Qinqin Lin, Jiangfeng Zhu. Topology-based analysis of pelagic food web structure in the central and eastern tropical Pacific Ocean based on longline observer data[J]. Acta Oceanologica Sinica, 2020, 39(6): 1-9. doi: 10.1007/s13131-020-1592-2

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Topology-based analysis of pelagic food web structure in the central and eastern tropical Pacific Ocean based on longline observer data

doi: 10.1007/s13131-020-1592-2

Qinqin Lin¹,
Jiangfeng Zhu^{1, 2
,
,}

1.
College of Marine Sciences, Shanghai Ocean University, Shanghai 201306, China
2.
Key Laboratory of Sustainable Exploitation of Oceanic Fisheries Resources of Ministry of Education, Shanghai Ocean University, Shanghai 201306, China

Funds: The National Natural Science Foundation of China under contract No. 41676120.

More Information

Corresponding author: E-mail: jfzhu@shou.edu.cn
Received Date: 2019-08-10
Accepted Date: 2019-10-10

Available Online: 2020-12-28

Publish Date: 2020-06-25

Abstract

Abstract

The tropical Pacific Ocean supports many productive commercial fisheries. However, few studies of ecosystem structure in the tropical Pacific Ocean have been carried out. In this study, we analyzed the food web structure in the central and eastern tropical Pacific Ocean based on trophic relationships of 35 pelagic species collected by Chinese tuna longline observers from June to November in 2017. Topology indices (node degree, D; centrality indices, BC and CC; topological importance indices, TI¹, TI³; keystone indices, K, K_t and K_b) and Key-Player algorithms (KPP-1, KPP-2) were used to select key species and construct a simplified food web combined with body size data. The Kendall rank correlation and hierarchical clustering analysis indicated that different topology indices resulted in consistent rankings of key species. Most key species were the same as those selected in other studies in the Pacific Ocean, such as Shortbill spearfish (Tetrapturus angustirostris), Swordfish (Xiphias gladius), Albacore tuna (Thunnus alalunga), cephalopods and scomber. The food web would be separated into many unconnected parts (F=0.632, F^D=0.795, R^D=0.957) after the removal of the five key species, indicating the key roles of these species in the food web structure and stability. Body size was considered an influential indicator in constructing the simplified food web. This study can improve our understanding of the food web structure in the tropical Pacific Ocean and provide scientific basis for further ecosystem dynamics studies.
- topology,
- food web structure,
- tropical Pacific,
- key species,
- size structure

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References(52)

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