The increasing temperature as driving force for spatial distribution patterns of Parapenaeus longirostris (Lucas 1846) in the Strait of Sicily (Central Mediterranean Sea)

The deep-water rose shrimp Parapenaeus longirostris (DPS), a demersal decapod representing the most important component of crustacean landings in the Mediterranean Sea, has been suggested as a species that may exhibit temperature-driven changes in the spatio-temporal dynamics. Considering that Mediterranean waters are warming up faster than oceans, understanding the relationships of DPS populations with temperature variations and the related changes in spatial patterns is absolutely key for its management. Using a long-term dataset covering 13-years from scientific surveys (International Bottom Trawl-Surveys in the Mediterranean, MEDITS; Italian national trawl surveys, GRUND) in the Strait of Sicily (central Mediterranean Sea), the annual DPS spatial patches and the depth distribution were investigated using geostatistical and quotient analyses. The patches dimension and depth range occupation were then related to sea temperature by using linear regression analysis. Results showed that both the dimension of DPS spatial patches and the depth distribution range occupied increased concurrently with temperature. Our findings corroborate that the ongoing sea warming widen areas suitable for this species and in which it can expand its spatial distribution.