Cascading effects of over-fishing marine systems.
Profound indirect ecosystem effects of over-fishing have been shown for coastal systems such as coral reefs and kelp forests. A new study from the ecosystem off the Canadian east coast now reveals that the elimination of large predatory fish can also cause marked cascading effects on the pelagic food web. Overall, the view emerges that, in a range of marine ecosystems, the effects of fisheries extend well beyond the collapse of fish exploited stocks.
Scheffer
Marten
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Aquatic Ecology and Water Quality Management Group, Department of Environmental Sciences, Wageningen University, PO Box 8080, 6700 DD Wageningen, the Netherlands. Marten.Scheffer@wur.nl
Carpenter
Steve
S
Young
Brad de
Bd