Sea Surface Temperature Effects on the Mediterranean Marine Ecosystem: a Semiparametric Model Approach

Ocean warming is a worldwide phenomenon. The mean temperature of the catch (MTC) is becoming one of the leading indicators to assess the impact of sea surface temperature on fish communities. In this study, we apply a semiparametric regression approach to the MTC of the catches from MEDITS bottom trawl program in the Strait of Sicily (Central Mediterranean Sea) for the period 1995 to 2018 to evaluate the effects of climate change on continental shelf fish community. All covariates included in the model have a significant impact on the MTC level. Notably, the sea surface temperature (SST) effect on the MTC depends on depth, being positive near the surface and negative at the bottom.