The European sea bassDicentrarchus labraxin the Dutch Wadden Sea: from visitor to resident species

A study on the European sea bass (Dicentrarchus labrax) in the Dutch Wadden Sea reveals significant shifts in its population dynamics and feeding ecology over the past 50 years. The research found that while the population primarily consists of individuals aged 3–5 years, with lengths ranging from 20 to 45 cm, juveniles also play a crucial role, particularly in autumn. Stomach content and nitrogen stable isotope analyses indicated an ontogenetic shift towards piscivory, with larger individuals increasingly preying on fish rather than invertebrates like the brown shrimp (Crangon crangon). Long-term data showed large annual fluctuations in abundance, with an increasing trend from 1990 to 2007 followed by a decline. Spring and autumn abundances were strongly linked to temperature, salinity, and prey availability, suggesting that optimal environmental conditions for juvenile growth have contributed to population changes since the mid-1980s. The study underscores the need for continued monitoring to understand the impacts of climate change on this species and its ecological role.

Cardoso, J. F. M. F., Freitas, V., Quilez, I., Jouta, J., Witte, J. IJ., & Van Der Veer, H. W. (2014). The European sea bassDicentrarchus labraxin the Dutch Wadden Sea: from visitor to resident species. Journal of the Marine Biological Association of the United Kingdom, 95(4), 839–850. https://doi.org/10.1017/s0025315414001714