Diversity of Commercially Exploited Fish and Invertebrates in Regional Seas

W. Cheung, V. Lam, M. L. Palomares, R. Watson, D. Pauly, (2011). “Diversity of Commercially Exploited Fish and Invertebrates in Regional Seas.,” Fisheries Centre Research Report No. 19 (UBC, Vancouver, BC, Canada

Distribution range maps of commerically exploited species, defined as marine fishes and invertebrates that are listed in fisheries catch statistics submitted by member countries to the United Nations’ Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), plotted onto a global 1/2 degree latitude/longitude cell grid, can be used to characterize the diversity of commerically exploited species in Regional Seas. Some caveats are discussed, notably the fact that low-latitude countries tend to taxonomically over-aggregate their fisheries statistics.

1198-6727, http://www.ecomarres.com/downloads/diversitycomm.pdf