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Offshore Surface 401 Oyashio current, subarctic waters

Note; The offshore surface areas have many physically fluid factors such as ocean current or seasonal changes, which may effect on the spawning grounds or distribution areas of certain organisms. Therefore, it is difficult to fix certain area as EBSAs of offshore surface spatially. In addition, available data for analysis are very limited. Therefore, the EBSAs of offshore surface shows the probabilistic distribution of important area as a result of mechanical analysis using best available data at the time, so that there are problems such as that some places considered to be consecutive from the ecological features are divided. Further analysis will be required to improve when the data became available in the future, and it is necessary to review the analysis method.

Basic Information A separate window opensReferences

Area (km2) 66812

Reason(s) for selection A separate window opensCriteria

Selected due to high levels on the criteria 5. And selected by the MARXAN software.

Characteristics A separate window opensReferences

These are waters where the Oyashio Current flows. The Oyashio Current is a low-temperature, low-salinity surface current rich in nutrients. The primary production of the open ocean is supported by the remarkable bloom of large phytoplankton (a diatom) in the spring. Large zooplanktons such as krill and copepods, and mesopelagic fish and squids are abundant. It is foraging area for organisms such as valuable fish species (salmons, cods and flatfish), seabirds, pinnipeds and whales that feed upon them. From summer to autumn, mackerels, sardines and squids migrate north and the Oyashio Current transition region becomes an important feeding and growing area for them.

Species information (*) A separate window opensData source

Criteria 2
<Pisces>
Ammodytes personatus (Japanese sand lance) [Sp]
Laemonema longipes (Threadfin hakeling) [Sp]
Theragra chalcogramma (Alaska pollock) [Sp]
Hippoglossoides pinetorum (Sôhachi) [Sp]
Clupea pallasii (Pacific herring) [Sp]
Gadus macrocephalus (Pacific cod) [Sp]

* This is the species list of which meet the criteria. In that matter, this list does not include all species that inhabit the individual area.
Abbreviation in the information is as follows.
[Br/Ne] : Adjacent water of breeding area or nesting site
[Sp] : Spawning area

 

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