Oceanographic parameters associated with spatial occurrence of cephalopods in standardized demersal fishing trawls in the NE Atlantic

In this work, the environmental occurrence ranges of different European cephalopod species are described for the whole NE Atlantic shelf including the greater North Sea and Baltic Sea. This is done based on the environmental parameters collected in-situ during surveys that caught commercially important cephalopod species (1990–2022). Results are supplemented and compared with information available in the published literature and are discussed in relation to available habitat across the range, survey design, etc., and, in particular, which species are most likely to be affected by climate change. Our analyses illustrate that Loligo forbesii occupies a broader depth range than Loligo vulgaris and Alloteuthis spp. Because L. forbesii occurs further offshore and at greater depths, this species is likely more resilient to warming than the other loliginids in our study. Octopus vulgaris is documented in areas close to the coast with a more southerly distribution, whereas Eledone cirrhosa occurs further north and further away from the coast. Eledone cirrhosa occurs at lower temperatures and has a much broader depth range, which may provide resilience against warming. By contrast, both ommastrephid squid species (Illex coindetii and Todaropsis eblanae) showed a very similar tolerance to the three environmental variables (salinity, temperature, depth). This information should contribute to future species distribution modelling by allowing validation of realistic results against each species’ range, habitat requirements, and environmental ranges, while appreciating the data limitations caused by the timing and gear used in the survey cruises that supply occurrence and density data.