Transient dynamics of an altered large marine ecosystem

@article{Frank2011TransientDO,
  title={Transient dynamics of an altered large marine ecosystem},
  author={Kenneth T. Frank and Brian Petrie and Jonathan A. D. Fisher and William C. Leggett},
  journal={Nature},
  year={2011},
  volume={477},
  pages={86-89}
}
Overfishing of large-bodied benthic fishes and their subsequent population collapses on the Scotian Shelf of Canada’s east coast and elsewhere resulted in restructuring of entire food webs now dominated by planktivorous, forage fish species and macroinvertebrates. Despite the imposition of strict management measures in force since the early 1990s, the Scotian Shelf ecosystem has not reverted back to its former structure. Here we provide evidence of the transient nature of this ecosystem and its… 
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248 Citations
Highly Influential Citations
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248 Citations

Irruptive prey dynamics following the groundfish collapse in the Northwest Atlantic: an illusion?

The results of the re-analysis of the population dynamics and behaviour of herring on the eastern Scotian Shelf, lead to the conclusion that the SHO hypothesis, at least as it relates to the post-cod collapse dynamics of the affected Northwest Atlantic ecosystems, is not supported.

Towards a more balanced view of marine ecosystems

Frank et al. (Nature, 477, 2011, 86) hypothesize that the slow recovery of the Scotian Shelf ecosystem to its structure prior to the early 1990s is a result of the oscillatory, runaway consumption…

Signatures of the collapse and incipient recovery of an overexploited marine ecosystem

Evidence is found that community-level signals of the collapse and recovery of the cod are apparent in the spatial and temporal dynamics of the broader groundfish community and should be useful for designing more effective management strategies to ensure the persistence of exploited marine ecosystems.

Trophic interactions between key predatory fishes and crustaceans: comparison of two Northwest Atlantic systems during a period of ecosystem change

The NL and nGSL ecosystems are similar in form and function, differ- ing from Canadian Atlantic ecosystems further south, but the implications of a change inpredation species from capelin to shrimp in these systems are unknown.

The rise of a marine generalist predator and the fall of beta diversity

Spatial β diversity of fish assemblages in the Barents Sea decreased with increasing cod abundance, while decadal scale changes in temperature did not play a significant role, indicating a reversibility of the Fish assemblage structure in response to changing levels of an apex predator.

The role of a dominant predator in shaping biodiversity over space and time in a marine ecosystem.

It is found that alpha and beta diversity increased with decreases in cod occurrence; fish communities were less homogeneous and more variable in systems where cod no longer dominated, and these effects were most pronounced in the colder north-eastern parts of the Scotian Shelf.

Overfishing and the Replacement of Demersal Finfish by Shellfish: An Example from the English Channel

It is argued that a network of fisheries closures would help rebalance the trophic status of the Channel and allow regeneration of marine ecosystems.

Marine Ecosystem Regime Shifts Induced by Climate and Overfishing: A Review for the Northern Hemisphere

The rise of the three-spined stickleback – eco-evolutionary consequences of a mesopredator release

The phenotype distribution suggest that a novel low-predation regime favours sticklebacks with less armour, and an interaction between evolutionary and ecological effects of the stickleback take-over has the potential to affect food web dynamics.

Interactions between small pelagic fish and young cod across the north Atlantic.

The findings suggest that the strength of predation or competition effects on young cod varies among small pelagic species but appears consistently for Atlantic herring; this effect may need to be considered in recovery trajectories for depleted cod populations.
...

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