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Abstract

By mainly targeting larger predatory fish, commercial fisheries have indirectly promoted rapid increases in densities of their prey; smaller predatory fish like sprat, stickleback and gobies. This process, known as mesopredator release, has effectively transformed many marine offshore basins into mesopredator-dominated ecosystems. In this article, we discuss recent indications of trophic cascades on the Atlantic and Baltic coasts of Sweden, where increased abundances of mesopredatory fish are linked to increased nearshore production and biomass of ephemeral algae. Based on synthesis of monitoring data, we suggest that offshore exploitation of larger predatory fish has contributed to the increase in mesopredator fish also along the coasts, with indirect negative effects on important benthic habitats and coastal water quality. The results emphasize the need to rebuild offshore and coastal populations of larger predatory fish to levels where they regain their control over lower trophic levels and important links between offshore and coastal systems are restored.

Keywords

Mesopredator release; Human transformation; Commercial fisheries; Cod; Baltic Sea; Swedish coast

Published in

AMBIO: A Journal of the Human Environment
2011, volume: 40, number: 7, pages: 786-797
Publisher: SPRINGER

SLU Authors

Associated SLU-program

Coastal and sea areas

Global goals (SDG)

SDG14 Life below water

UKÄ Subject classification

Fish and Aquacultural Science
Ecology

Publication identifier

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s13280-011-0158-0

Permanent link to this page (URI)

https://res.slu.se/id/publ/53522