Spatiotemporal variations in suitable areas for Japanese scallop aquaculture in the Dalian coastal area from 2003 to 2012

• We develop suitable aquaculture site selection model for Japanese scallop in the Dalian coastal area.
• We use the GIS-based model and satellite remote sensing data.
• We classify the Dalian coastal area into four zones based on marine conditions.
• We reveal the Changhai County (Zone II) and Lushunkou areas (Zone III) exhibit high potential for Japanese scallop aquaculture.
• We combine with climate events (winter Monsoon and ENSO) to examine the impact of climate variability on Japanese scallop aquaculture.

The Japanese scallop (Mizuhopecten yessoensis) is an important commercial species in the Dalian coastal area. The present study employed a suitable aquaculture site-selection model (SASSM) and used satellite remote-sensing data to analyze the spatiotemporal distribution of suitable areas for Japanese scallop aquaculture in the Dalian coastal area from 2003 to 2012. The study area was divided into four marine zones. The results demonstrated that the suitability scores of scallop aquaculture areas were high in May and low in February. The Changhai County (Zone II) and Lushunkou areas (Zone III) exhibited high potential for Japanese scallop aquaculture development. The results of the suitability models were consistent with the existing scallop aquaculture in the study area. These zones, combined with climatic events [the winter East Asian Monsoon (EAM) and El Niño/La Niña–Southern Oscillation (ENSO) events], were used to examine the impact of climate variability on scallop aquaculture. Results suggest that the suitability scores in Zone III were more sensitive to changes in environmental factors (e.g., sea surface temperature, chlorophyll-a, and suspended sediment) and climate changes, whereas the correlations among these factors were not significant in Zone II. Adaptation to these changes should be considered when developing plans and management strategies for scallop aquaculture.