Assessing the impact of trawling on benthic megafauna: comparative study of video surveys vs. scientific trawling

Abstract Most studies about benthic community use small-scale sampling methods focused on the infauna such as grabs or box-corers. The data collected by scientific trawl surveys in all European waters, frame of Common Fishery Policy Data Collection Multiannual Program, can be used to study impact large-scale fisheries trawling. However, catchability trawls is very dependent nature seabed well resulting ground-gear adaptations. Due its non-destructive and ability focus macro-epifauna, towed video appears a good alternative monitor trawling communities. In present work, we studied influence fishery induced abrasion characteristics nine indices, which effect communities, was studied. Among them, three indices specific detection based biological traits appeared best performing with data: modified-Trawling Disturbance Index, partial-Trawling modified sensitivity index. effectiveness these evaluated compared between sampling. This work has highlighted that could alternative, at least complementary method, communities waters.