About the Authors

Danny J. Papworth

Affiliation Faculty of Science and Technology, School of Marine Science and Engineering, Plymouth University, Plymouth, Devon, PL4 8AA, United Kingdom

Simone Marini

Affiliation ISMAR–Marine Sciences Institute in La Spezia, CNR–National Research Council of Italy, Forte Santa Teresa, Loc. Pozzuolo, 19032, Lerici, SP, Italy

Alessandra Conversi

a.conversi@ismar.cnr.it

Affiliations ISMAR–Marine Sciences Institute in La Spezia, CNR–National Research Council of Italy, Forte Santa Teresa, Loc. Pozzuolo, 19032, Lerici, SP, Italy, Marine Institute, Plymouth University, Plymouth, Devon, PL4 8AA, United Kingdom

Competing Interests

The authors have declared that no competing interests exist.

Author Contributions

Conceived and designed the experiments: SM AC DP. Performed the experiments: DP SM. Analyzed the data: DP SM AC. Contributed reagents/materials/analysis tools: SM DP. Wrote the paper: DP AC SM. Designed the methodology used in GP based analysis: SM. Obtained and organized data, performed regime shift analyses: DP. Ecological interpretation of the GP based results: AC DP.