Distribution patterns of benthic communities on the continental shelf of Suriname

The continental shelf of Suriname stretches some 200 km’s offshore South-America’s north coast, sloping gently before plunging into the depths of the Western Atlantic. The area is heavily influenced by sediment-laden freshwater discharge from the Amazon basin, creating major spatio-temporal variability in environmental characteristics of the coastal waters. At a depth of around 20 to 30 meters, the Atlantic seabob shrimp Xiphopenaeus kroyeri (Crustacea: Penaeoidea) occurs abundantly and is being exploited by a semi-industrial trawling fleet. The current study assesses the ecological preconditions for the occurrence of X. kroyeri and the communities of demersal fish and epibenthic organisms of which it is part. In the course of 2012, several survey cruises were conducted to sample benthic communities and measure environmental parameters in space and time. Analysis of these data will provide insights in the occurrence of demersal communities on Suriname’s continental shelf. This baseline information is needed for an upcoming study quantifying the impact of bottom trawl fisheries on the seabed ecosystem, framing into the wider aim of the PhD to provide an ecological basis for decisions in fisheries management.