Sardines, Anchovies and Other Fast-Growing Fish Species Vulnerable to Dramatic Population Plunges
http://news.rutgers.edu/research-news/sardines-anchovies-and-other-fast-growing-fish-species-vulnerable-dramatic-population-plunges/20150804[font face=Serif][font size=5]Sardines, Anchovies and Other Fast-Growing Fish Species Vulnerable to Dramatic Population Plunges[/font]
[font size=4]Overfishing, climate variability appear to be culprits, says Rutgers marine biologist[/font]
Tuesday, August 4, 2015
[font size=3]A Rutgers marine biologist studying the rise and fall of fish populations worldwide recently made a counterintuitive discovery: ocean species that grow quickly and reproduce frequently, such as sardines, anchovies and flounder, are more likely to experience dramatic plunges in population than larger, slower growing fish such as sharks or tuna.
Why is this counterintuitive? Because for life on land, the situation is in stark contrast.
Rabbits are doing pretty well compared to rhinos, said Malin Pinsky, assistant professor of ecology and evolution in the School of Environmental and Biological Sciences. Mice thrive while lions, tigers and elephants are endangered.
After studying population changes in 154 species of fish worldwide over 60 years, Pinsky was surprised to see marine equivalents of rabbits and mice collapsing to low levels still shy of extinction but serious enough to disrupt ocean food chains or fishing-based societies.
...[/font][/font]