Unravelling the Influence of ENSO and SAM Patterns on Skate Growth: The Case of the Shorttail Yellownose Skate in Patagonia, Argentina

Abstract

In recent decades, the growth, physiology and distribution of many elasmobranch species have been altered as a result of environmental changes that affect prey abundance, availability and composition. Consequently, variations in nutrient input during climate events could manifest in the growth of their hard tissues. This study focuses on assessing the impact of the El Niño-Southern Oscillation (ENSO) and the Southern Annular Mode (SAM) on the growth of Shorttail Yellownose skate (Zearaja brevicaudata) in Patagonia, Argentina. To achieve this, vertebrae from 115 Z. brevicaudata specimens were analysed, and growth rings were dated and measured. By using cubic splines with varying flexibility, we constructed three standard chronologies. Generalized additive models (GAMs), the chronology with the best the R-bar (r) and expressed population signal (EPS) were employed and values obtained from them linked to annual time series data of the Multivariate ENSO Index (MEI) and SAM, considering lags in the biological response. Surprisingly, no significant association was found with the MEI time series. However, a noteworthy positive association emerged between the chronology and the SAM time series lagged by 1 year, suggesting that SAM-related climatic conditions could delay their transfer into the Patagonian marine ecosystem, subsequently impacting the growth of this ectothermic predator.