Marine fish ranges are expanding and shifting deeper across the European continental shelf
Arnaud Auber · Martin P. Marzloff · David Mouillot · Kari E. Ellingsen · Kirsteen M. MacKenzie · Fabien Leprieur · Patrica Belloeil · Matthew J. McLean · Daniel G. Boyce · Adrián A. González Ortiz · Rita Vasconcelos · David M. Keith · Eva Maire · Aurore Receveur · Bastien Mourguiart · Camille Albouy
期刊Nature Communications / Nat Commun
类型Article
发表2026-07-15 (online)
卷期页17(1): 8702
收录2026-10-09
被浏览…
关键词marine fishrange shiftslatitudinal shiftclimate changefishing pressureEuropean continental shelfspecies traitspopulation abundancebiodiversity conservation
标签—
Understanding how climate change and exploitation affect marine species distribution is key for biodiversity conservation. While warming is typically expected to drive species poleward and into deeper waters, unexpected patterns such as equatorward shifts and shallowing also occur. Fishing pressure may further contract species’ ranges. Yet, the mechanisms underpinning these 3-dimensional range shifts remain largely unresolved. Using 92,961 bottom trawl samples across the European continental shelf, covering 607 fish species over four decades, we show that deepening is predominant, with 60% of populations experiencing an increase in their average depth. Contrary to expectations, latitudinal shifts are balanced, with 49% of populations shifting poleward and 51% equatorward. Here, we quantify how population relocations are driven by the interplay between environmental factors and species traits as species track their optimal ecological niches. We also highlight that the recent reduction in fishing pressure has likely facilitated spatial expansions and increases in populations abundance.

@article{auber2026,
author = {Arnaud Auber and Martin P. Marzloff and David Mouillot and Kari E. Ellingsen and Kirsteen M. MacKenzie and Fabien Leprieur and Patrica Belloeil and Matthew J. McLean and Daniel G. Boyce and Adrián A. González Ortiz and Rita Vasconcelos and David M. Keith and Eva Maire and Aurore Receveur and Bastien Mourguiart and Camille Albouy},
title = {Marine fish ranges are expanding and shifting deeper across the European continental shelf},
journal = {Nature Communications},
year = {2026},
volume = {17},
number = {1},
pages = {8702},
doi = {10.1038/s41467-026-74371-8},
publisher = {Springer Science and Business Media LLC},
}· END ·