The dredge and trawl abundance indices were correlated showing a similar trend of increasing catch rates in the early years of the time series up to 2016 and a subsequent reduction. We make use of geostatistical methods and apply generalized additive models to model catch rates in relation to a number of explanatory variables (depth, distance to the coast, sediment type and year). Based on an analysis of dredge and trawl surveys taking place in the North Sea (2008–2018), we describe the spatial distribution of brown crab and for the first time, develop abundance and recruitment indices for the species. The habitat preferences of brown crab around Scotland are poorly documented and for the purposes of stock assessment, the species is considered data-poor. Brown crab ( Cancer pagurus) is a widely distributed crustacean that occurs around the British coastline supporting important commercial fisheries.
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