ORIGINAL RESEARCH article
Front. Mar. Sci.
Sec. Deep-Sea Environments and Ecology
Volume 12 - 2025 | doi: 10.3389/fmars.2025.1634527
The spatial distribution relationship between mesoscale eddies and chub mackerel and its preliminary analysis of causes in the Northwest Pacific Ocean
Provisionally accepted
- East China Sea Fisheries Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Fishery Sciences, Shanghai, China
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Chub mackerel (Scomber japonicus) is a commercially important small pelagic fish species whose distribution is strongly influenced by marine environmental conditions.Mesoscale eddies, which are widespread in the Northwest Pacific Ocean, alter the spatial patterns of local environmental variables, thereby affecting the distribution of chub mackerel. This study analyzed fishery production data of chub mackerel in the Northwest Pacific, concurrent mesoscale eddy data, and oceanographic environmental datasets. Spatial comparisons between catch distributions and eddy polarity revealed distinct southwest-northeast-oriented cycloniccold eddy zones within fishing grounds.CyclonicCold eddy zones were located north of anticyclonicwarm eddy zones, with catches predominantly distributed between these zones and skewed toward cycloniccold eddies. Higher catch densities were observed near cycloniccold eddies compared to anticyclonicwarm eddies, with elevated yields both inside and along the edges of cycloniccold eddies. In contrast, anticyclonicwarm eddies exhibited higher catches along their peripheries but lower values within their cores. Spatial clustering analysis using Moran's Index and hotspot detection via the General G Index revealed statistically significant aggregation of chub mackerel catches in the southern-central regions of cycloniccold eddies and the northwestern margins of anticyclonicwarm eddies (p<0.01).The distribution characteristics of catch yields within eddy-affected areas exhibit notable similarities with environmental variable patterns. GAM modeling revealed significant correlations between Japanese chub mackerel distribution in these mesoscale eddy regions and environmental variables, with anticyclonicwarm eddies explaining 32.8% and cycloniccold eddies accounting for 47.2% of the deviance explained rate. These findings provide valuable insights into the mechanisms underlying mesoscale eddy impacts on mackerel distribution, which crucially contribute to the sustainable management and conservation of mackerel resources.
Keywords: Northwest Pacific Ocean, mesoscale eddy, Chub mackerel, Fishing ground, Fish catch
Received: 24 May 2025; Accepted: 21 Aug 2025.
Copyright: © 2025 Fan, Cui, Yang and Tang. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.
* Correspondence:
Xiumei Fan, East China Sea Fisheries Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Fishery Sciences, Shanghai, China
Xuesen Cui, East China Sea Fisheries Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Fishery Sciences, Shanghai, China
Fenghua Tang, East China Sea Fisheries Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Fishery Sciences, Shanghai, China
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