Climate-Driven Population Dynamics of Pelagic Squid Species
Summary
Pelagic squid exhibit some of the most rapid and pronounced responses to climatic variability among marine taxa. With life spans typically under one year, species such as Ommastrephes bartramii and Dosidicus gigas complete an entire generation within a single seasonal cycle, rendering them especially sensitive to fluctuations in sea surface temperature, primary productivity and large‐scale climate modes such as El Niño–Southern Oscillation and the Pacific Decadal Oscillation. Interannual changes in temperature and nutrient supply alter growth rates, body size at maturity and hatching phenology, while mesoscale oceanographic features—including cyclonic and anticyclonic eddies—mediate the distribution and concentration of forage organisms that support rapid squid growth. As a result, population centres shift on seasonal and interannual timescales, influencing catch rates, trophic interactions and the stability of associated fisheries. Concurrently, poleward and depth‐related range extensions have been documented under warming regimes, with some jumbo squid stocks expanding into higher latitudes. Understanding these dynamics is crucial not only for predicting fishery yields and ecosystem impacts but also for anticipating broader changes in midwater food webs under ongoing climate change.
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Climate-Driven Population Dynamics of Pelagic Squid Species publication trend
The graph below shows the total number of articles in climate-driven population dynamics of pelagic squid species across all publications each year (not limited to Nature Index journals).
Technical terms
Sea surface temperature (SST): The temperature of the ocean’s surface layer influencing metabolic rates and habitat suitability.
Chlorophyll-a concentration (Chl-a): A proxy for phytoplankton biomass and primary productivity in surface waters.
Mesoscale eddy: A rotating water mass ranging from tens to hundreds of kilometres in diameter that alters local temperature, nutrient levels and prey distribution.
Anticyclonic eddy: A warm-core, clockwise-rotating eddy in the Northern Hemisphere that often enhances thermal habitat quality for squid.
Habitat suitability index (HSI): A quantitative model integrating environmental factors to predict the distribution and abundance of squid populations.
References
- Climate-induced life cycle and growth variations of neon flying squid (Ommastrephes bartramii) in the North Pacific Ocean. Aquaculture and Fisheries (2023).
- Evaluating the impacts of mesoscale eddies on abundance and distribution of neon flying squid in the Northwest Pacific Ocean. Frontiers in Marine Science (2022).
- Trophic ecology of Humboldt squid, Dosidicus gigas, in conjunction with body size and climatic variability in the Gulf of California, Mexico. Limnology and Oceanography (2019).
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