TABLE 1.
Summary of studies which investigated the impact of mobile demersal fishing on the seabed and directly measured organic carbon (OC) or organic matter (OM), and/or remineralization rates of OC/OM in the sediment. The last two columns indicate whether the presence or increase in demersal fishing activity was reported to cause lower (red), higher (green), no significant effect (orange) or mixed effects (grey) in the concentration or content of OC/OM (‘OC/OM’), or organic carbon remineralization rate (‘Remin’ rate’), within seabed sediments
| Reference | Oceanic region | Sediment | Depth (m BCD) | Gear | Study type | Impact type | Sediment depth | Investigations | OC/OM | Remin' rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Adriano et al. (2005) | N Mediterranean | Sandy‐mud | ~1 | Clam dredge | BA | Commercial fishing | Homog' surface | 1 | ||
| Atkinson et al. (2011) | SE Atlantic | Muddy‐sand | 346–459 | Otter‐trawl | LH | Commercial fishing | Homog' surface | 1 | ||
| Bhagirathan et al. (2010) | N Indian | Mud | 15–40 | Otter‐trawl | BA | Experimental | Homog' surface | 1 | ||
| Brown et al. (2005) | NE Pacific | Muddy‐sand | 25–35 | Otter‐trawl |
BACI IC |
Experimental Commercial fishing |
0–5 cm | 2 | ||
| Dolmer et al. (2001) | NE Atlantic | Muddy‐sand | 7 | Mussel dredge | IC | Experimental | Homog’ surface | 1 | ||
| Eleftheriou and Robertson (1992) | NE Atlantic | Sand | ~7 | Scallop dredge | BA | Experimental | 0–6 cm | 1 | ||
| Ferguson et al. (2020) | SW Pacific | Muddy‐sand | 4 | Otter trawl | BACI | Experimental | 0.5 cm | 1 | ||
| Fiordelmondo et al. (2003) | N Mediterranean | Sand | ~2 | Clam dredge | IC | Experimental | 1 cm | 1 | ||
| Goldberg et al. (2014) | NW Atlantic | Fine sand | 3–5 | Hydraulic dredge | IC | Experimental | ~0–20 cm | 1 | ||
| Hale et al. (2017) | NE Atlantic | Mud & Sand | 19–29 | Otter trawl & Scallop dredge | LH | Commercial fishing | 1 cm | 2 | ||
| Lamarque et al. (2021) | NE Atlantic | Sandy‐mud | 33–78 | Mixed trawls | LH | Commercial fishing | 0–1 cm | 1 | * | |
| Lindeboom and de Groot (1998) | NE Atlantic | Mud & Sand | 30–75 | Mixed trawls |
BACI IC |
Experimental Commercial fishing |
Homog’ surface/0–10 cm | 3 | ||
| Liu et al. (2011) | W Pacific | Sandy‐mud | 20 | Mixed trawls | IC | Commercial fishing | Homog’ surface | 1 | ||
| Martín, Puig, Masque, et al. (2014) | NW Mediterranean | Mud | 453–591 | Otter trawl | IC | Commercial fishing | 0–50 cm | 1 | ||
| Mayer et al. (1991) | NW Atlantic | Mud & Mixed | 8–20 | Otter trawl & Scallop dredge | IC | Experimental | 0–12 cm | 2 | ||
| McLaverty et al. (2020) | NE Atlantic | Sandy‐mud | 3–11 | Mussel dredge | LH | Commercial fishing | Homog’ surface | 4 | * | |
| Mercaldo‐Allen et al. (2016) | NW Atlantic | Fine sand | 3–5 | Hydraulic dredge | IC | Experimental | Homog’ surface | 1 | ||
| Meseck et al. (2014) | NW Atlantic | Fine sand | 5–6 | Hydraulic dredge | BACI | Experimental | ~0–20 cm | 1 | ||
| Morys et al. (2021) | Baltic | Muddy‐sand | 12 | Benthic Dredge | IC | Experimental | 0–15 cm | 1 | ||
| Palanques et al. (2014) | NW Mediterranean | Mud | 40–70 | Otter trawl | IC | Commercial fishing | 0–30 cm | 1 | ||
| Paradis et al. (2019) | SW Mediterranean | Mud | 550 | Otter trawl | IC | Commercial fishing | 0–35 cm | 1 | ||
| Paradis et al. (2021) | NW Mediterranean | Mud | 425–494 | Otter trawl | IC | Commercial fishing | 0–10 cm | 1 | ||
| Polymenakou et al. (2005) | NE Mediterranean | Sandy‐mud | 30–51 | Otter trawl | BA | Commercial fishing | 0–1 cm | 1 | ||
| Pusceddu et al. (2005a) | NE Mediterranean | Sandy‐mud | 30–80 | Otter trawl | BA | Commercial fishing | 0–10 cm | 1 | ||
| Pusceddu et al. (2014) | NW Mediterranean | Mud | 454–556 | Otter trawl | IC | Commercial fishing | 0–10 cm | 1 | ||
| Rajesh et al. (2019) | N Indian | Sand | 5–35 | Beam trawl | BA | Experimental | Homog’ surface | 2 | ||
| Ramalho et al. (2018) | NE Atlantic | Muddy‐sand | 285–550 | Otter trawl | IC | Commercial fishing | Homog’ surface | 1 | ||
| Ramalho et al. (2020) | NE Atlantic | Muddy‐sand | 285–550 | Otter trawl | LH | Commercial fishing | 0–5 cm | 1 | ||
| Rosli et al. (2016) | SW Pacific | Sandy‐mud | 670–1561 | Otter trawl | LH | Commercial fishing | 0–1 cm | 2 | * | |
| Sciberras et al. (2016) | NE Atlantic | Mud & Sand | 20–43 | Otter trawl & Scallop dredge | LH | Commercial fishing | Homog’ surface | 2 | ||
| Serpetti et al. (2013) | NE Atlantic | Muddy‐sand | 769–823 | Mixed trawls | IC | Commercial fishing | 0–10 cm | 1 | ||
| Sheridan and Doerr (2005) | NW Atlantic | Mud & Sand | 5–20 | Otter trawl | IC | Commercial fishing | 0–5 cm | 1 | ||
| Smith (2000) | NE Mediterranean | Sandy‐mud | ~200 | Otter trawl | BACI | Commercial fishing | 0–4 cm | 1 | ||
| Tiano et al. (2019) | NE Atlantic | Muddy‐sand | 34 | Mixed trawls | BA | Experimental | 0–2.5 cm | 2 | ||
| Trimmer et al. (2005) | NE Atlantic | Muddy‐sand | ~20–80 | Beam trawl | LH | Commercial fishing | 0–10 cm | 2 | * | |
| van de Velde et al. (2018) | NE Atlantic | Mud | ~7 | Unknown | BA | Commercial fishing | 0–30 cm | 1 | ||
| Wang et al. (2021) | W Pacific | Mud & Sand | 1–28 | Mixed trawls | Recovery | Commercial fishing | Homog’ surface | 1 | ||
| Watling et al. (2001) | NW Atlantic | Muddy‐sand | 15 | Scallop dredge | BA | Experimental | 0–15 cm | 1 | * |
For ‘Study type’: BA = Before–after fishing impact, IC = Impact–control site comparison, LH = low to high impacted sites, BACI = before–after control–impact, ‘Recovery’ = change after removal of commercial fishing. ‘Investigations’ = the number of individual investigations conducted in each study. ‘Homog’ surface’ = A homogenized sample of surface sediment was measured (often taken from a grab sample). ‘BCD’ = Below chart datum. For ‘OC/OM’, those with an asterisk (*) indicate where further analysis was needed—see Supporting Information. The ‘OC/OM’ column is empty for Polymenakou et al. (2005) as the result was based on the same data which are reported in Pusceddu et al. (2005a).