Scientific name: Scomber scombrus
Habitat: Pelagic Main role: Predator Trophic level: 3,9
IUCN Red List Assessment: Least Concern
Diet: Mackerel are carnivorous and primarily feed on small fish, such as herring, and benthic organisms, worms and other invertebrates.
Threats: Of commercial interest. Mackerel are caught by a directed fishery for human consumption, which tends to target bigger fish, potentially causing smaller, less marketable fish to be discarded. They are highly migratory and can be found in both warm and cold waters worldwide.
The most common species of Mackerel in the North Sea is the Atlantic Mackerel (Scomber scombrus). This type of Mackerel has streamlined, torpedo-shaped bodies that are built for swift swimming, as well as blue-green back with vertical stripes along their sides. Both of these characteristics help them camouflage when in the water, as they primarily inhabitant open oceans rather than ocean floors.
The Mackerel in the North Sea mainly feeds on Benthic Invertebrates and Sandeel. Mackerel is prey to Windfarm avoiding seabirds, Demersal Fish, Cod, and Cetaceans, such as types of dolphins or whales. Mackerel avoid Surface Disturbance and Noise and get caught primarily through Industrial & Pelagic Trawl.
Mackerel is a month-by-month, computer generated data layer following calculations made by the ecosystem simulation (EwE). For more information on how Ecopath-with-Ecosim (EwE) works, please visit our Wiki page or visit the official EwE website at https://ecopath.org.
For detailed information on how the simulation works for the North Sea Edition, we recommend further exploring our research publication called "Combining ecosystem modeling with serious gaming in support of transboundary maritime spatial planning".
Not applicable. This layer is not available in the MSP Challenge Baltic Sea Edition.
Cod is a month-by-month, computer generated data layer following calculations made by the ecosystem simulation (EwE). For more information on how Ecopath-with-Ecosim (EwE) works, please visit our Wiki page or visit the official EwE website at https://ecopath.org.
For detailed information on how the simulation works for the Clyde Marine Region Edition, we recommend further exploring our research publication called "Combining ecosystem modeling with serious gaming in support of transboundary maritime spatial planning".
Not applicable. This layer is not available in the MSP Challenge Adriatic Sea Edition.
Not applicable. This layer is not available in the MSP Challenge Eastern Mediterranean Sea Edition.
Co-funded by the European Union.