Article
Oceanography
Jose Carlos Mendoza, Raquel de la Cruz-Modino, Carmelo Dorta, Pablo Martin-Sosa, Jose Carlos Hernandez
Summary: This paper examines the recovery of small-scale fisheries after a submarine volcanic eruption in El Hierro Island. The study focuses on evaluating the sustainability of the fisheries and providing management options based on an ecosystem-based approach. The modeling results show the vulnerability of certain species, the resilience of migratory species, and the sustainability of diversification practices in small-scale fisheries. The findings can contribute to the development of adaptive management strategies with the local fishing community.
OCEAN & COASTAL MANAGEMENT
(2022)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Jie Yin, Jun Xu, Ying Xue, Binduo Xu, Chongliang Zhang, Yunzhou Li, Yiping Ren
Summary: This study compared the impact of El Nino events on the Haizhou Bay ecosystem in China seas and selected four optimal ENA indicators, showing a shrunken ecosystem size, increased energetic efficiency, and less organized ecosystem under El Nino conditions.
SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT
(2021)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Ekin Akoglu
Summary: The Black Sea is one of the most disturbed marine ecosystems due to human activities such as introduced species, overexploitation of fisheries, pollution, and climate change. This study used a dynamic food web model to analyze the multidecadal changes in the Black Sea ecosystem. The results revealed four regime shifts and highlighted the importance of basin-wide management efforts to prevent further ecosystem fluctuations in the future.
Article
Oceanography
Cong-Ying He, Shuo-Qian Mao, Xiao-Jun Yan, Kuan-Hong Meng, Dai-Fu Hu
Summary: The study constructed an Ecopath model for Xihu Harbor ecosystem based on survey data from 2010 and 2020, analyzing changes in ecosystem structure over 10 years and proposing management recommendations. Significant decreases in total resources and fishery resources, increases in benthic organisms and plankton, and a slight decrease in ecotrophic efficiency were observed.
OCEAN & COASTAL MANAGEMENT
(2021)
Article
Marine & Freshwater Biology
D. Szalaj, M. A. Torres, T. Veiga-Malta, M. M. Angelico, L. Sobrinho-Goncalves, C. Chaves, B. Alcoforado, S. Garrido, P. Re, H. Cabral, A. Silva
Summary: This study utilized the Ecopath food web model to describe the Portuguese continental shelf ecosystem and investigated the decline of the Portuguese sardine stock through available time series. The results highlighted trophic interactions, fishing, and environmental forcing as the main factors driving ecosystem dynamics and sardine decline.
ESTUARINE COASTAL AND SHELF SCIENCE
(2021)
Article
Ecology
Saachi Sadchatheeswaran, George M. Branch, Lynne J. Shannon, Marta Coll, Jeroen Steenbeek
Summary: This study investigated the impact of non-native ecosystem engineers on an intertidal rocky shore in South Africa, using non-spatial temporal modelling and spatial modelling. By incorporating the Ecoengineer plug-in, the simulations accurately matched empirical observations, highlighting the importance of considering structural habitat complexity when analyzing intertidal ecosystems.
ECOLOGICAL MODELLING
(2021)
Article
Ecology
Chengjie Yin, Li Gong, Yushun Chen, Leyi Ni, Tony J. Pitcher, Bin Kang, Longgen Guo
Summary: The introduction of the Japanese smelt into Lake Erhai has led to competition between invasive and native species, changes in trophic structures, and significant degradation of the lake ecosystem. The simulation results suggest that the top-down control of the Japanese smelt on its prey has a significant impact on the relative biomass of other fish species and zooplankton in the studied lake. It is important to regulate planktivorous fishes, especially the Japanese smelt, in Lake Erhai to mitigate these ecological impacts.
ECOLOGICAL INFORMATICS
(2022)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Bruce R. Hodgson
Summary: A theoretical basis for Ecosystem-based Fisheries Management (EBFM) for pelagic fish was derived by applying marine ecology theory and FAO guidelines. This study provides a simple method for estimating ecosystem-based F-MSY for data-limited fisheries, while maintaining ecological processes of biological production, biomass, and ecosystem stability. The theoretical estimates show similar results to other sustainable fisheries and have been tested using six tropical Ecopath Models.
Article
Environmental Sciences
Lingyan Xu, Puqing Song, Yuyu Wang, Bin Xie, Lingfeng Huang, Yuan Li, Xinqing Zheng, Longshan Lin
Summary: Fisheries management policies have been implemented in China since 1995 to ensure sustainable supply of seafood and species diversity. Research shows that the East China Sea ecosystem has been slowly recovering over the past two decades, with better recovery observed under the seasonal fishing moratorium. However, the mixed trophic impact suggests a negative impact if fisheries are further developed. Strengthening fishery management in the East China Sea is necessary by extending the fishing moratorium and reducing fishing pressure after the moratorium.
FRONTIERS IN MARINE SCIENCE
(2022)
Article
Ecology
Anne A. Innes-Gold, Tyler Pavlowich, Margaret Heinichen, M. Conor McManus, Jason McNamee, Jeremy Collie, Austin T. Humphries
Summary: Marine fisheries are complex social-ecological systems that require understanding of both ecological and human interactions. Coupled modeling can successfully represent interactions between the food web and fishers, highlighting the importance of incorporating human behavior into ecosystem models for effective fisheries management.
ECOLOGY AND SOCIETY
(2021)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Regina Therese M. Bacalso, Giovanni Romagnoni, Matthias Wolff
Summary: Fisheries surveys in the Visayan Sea have shown changes in fish abundance and composition, with increasing dominance of invertebrates and low trophic levels fish. Traditional assessments only considered fishing as the cause of these changes, without accounting for trophic interactions and environmental conditions. However, an ecosystem model analysis revealed that fishing and trophic effects are the major drivers of stock abundance, while environmental trends provide additional explanations. These findings highlight the importance of ecosystem modeling in assessing marine ecosystems.
FRONTIERS IN MARINE SCIENCE
(2023)
Article
Ecology
Jessica Boyer, Kasondra Rubalcava, Shawn Booth, Howard Townsend
Summary: Since the 1950s, the increased production of plastics worldwide has led to a rise in plastic pollution in marine environments. This pollution can contaminate marine organisms with microplastics, potentially causing harmful effects on humans who consume seafood. While plastic pollution is often seen as a global issue, its sources and health effects primarily occur at a local level. To address this problem, we have developed a proof-of-concept model that connects plastic inflow in a small-scale marine environment to a contaminants-based food web model.
ECOLOGICAL MODELLING
(2022)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Daniel E. Duplisea, Marie-Julie Roux, Karen L. Hunter, Jake Rice
Summary: This study highlights the impact of climate change on the sustainability of fishing strategies, proposing practical and effective ways to incorporate climate change into fisheries advice. The authors developed a model to study the risk effects of climate change on fishing, emphasizing the value of this risk-based approach for fisheries management.
Article
Environmental Sciences
Yefu Kong, Bin Kang, Xiaotao Shi
Summary: China's marine fisheries have contributed significantly to global food supply, but at the cost of overfishing and depletion of wild resources. To achieve sustainable fisheries, the government has implemented measures such as seasonal fishing moratorium. A study on the impact of the seasonal fishing moratorium in the Minjiang Estuary ecosystem showed that it was effective in improving certain parameters, such as total ecosystem flow and fishing trophic level. Scenario analysis suggested that extending the fishing moratorium and reducing fishing pressure could result in even better outcomes.
FRONTIERS IN MARINE SCIENCE
(2022)
Article
Environmental Studies
Daniel Vilas, Marta Coll, Xavier Corrales, Jeroen Steenbeek, Chiara Piroddi, Diego Macias, Alessandro Ligas, Paolo Sartor, Joachim Claudet
Summary: The study used a food-web model to investigate unsustainable fishing in areas like the Mediterranean, revealing inadequate protection for target demersal species under current management practices. By exploring climate scenarios under management options, possible avenues for the recovery of targeted species were identified.
Article
Environmental Sciences
Natalia Serpetti, Steven Benjamins, Stevie Brain, Maurizio Collu, Bethany J. Harvey, Johanna J. Heymans, Adam D. Hughes, Denise Risch, Sophia Rosinski, James J. Waggitt, Ben Wilson
Summary: Aquaculture and marine renewable energy are key sectors in Europe's Blue Economy, and utilizing Multi-Purpose Platforms (MPPs) to co-locate aquaculture systems and Marine Renewable Energy (MRE) devices is proposed as a solution. A high-resolution spatiotemporal Ecospace model was used to assess the impacts of MPP configurations on the surrounding ecosystem and how these impacts cascade through the food web.
FRONTIERS IN MARINE SCIENCE
(2021)
Article
Fisheries
P. Daniel van Denderen, Helen Holah, Laura M. Robson, Jan Geert Hiddink, Lenaick Menot, Debbi Pedreschi, Georgios Kazanidis, Marcos Llope, Phillip J. Turner, David Stirling, F. Javier Murillo, Andrew Kenny, Neil Campbell, A. Louise Allcock, Andreia Braga-Henriques, Jose M. Gonzalez-Irusta, Graham Johnston, Covadonga Orejas, Alberto Serrano, Joana R. Xavier, Peter Hopkins, Ellen Kenchington, Eugene Nixon, Sebastian Valanko
Summary: A data-driven approach has been developed to protect vulnerable marine ecosystems (VMEs) under the European Union deep-sea access regulations. Multiple protection options and closures have been proposed based on different scenarios and fishing activities.
ICES JOURNAL OF MARINE SCIENCE
(2022)
Article
Fisheries
Joanna K. Bluemel, Simon H. Fischer, David W. Kulka, Christopher P. Lynam, Jim R. Ellis
Summary: Anarhichas lupus, a boreo-Arctic species, has experienced declines in abundance, demographic characteristics, and geographical range in the North Sea since the 1980s. While still relatively frequent in the northern North Sea, the species faces potential threats from bycatch and predicted climate change impacts. The ability of A. lupus to re-establish viable populations in former habitats in UK coastal waters is unknown, highlighting the need for more regular assessments of population status and precautionary management measures.
JOURNAL OF FISH BIOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Ecology
Michael A. Spence, Christopher A. Griffiths, James J. Waggitt, Hayley J. Bannister, Robert B. Thorpe, Axel G. Rossberg, Christopher P. Lynam
Summary: The study utilized an ensemble approach with multiple ecosystem models to demonstrate the response of the North Sea fish community to potential fisheries management scenarios. If future fishing mortality aligns with maximum sustainable yield policy, the fish community is expected to recover. However, there is considerable uncertainty regarding future trends in fish biomass, plankton, and top predators.
MARINE ECOLOGY PROGRESS SERIES
(2021)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Robert B. Thorpe, Nina L. Arroyo, Georges Safi, Nathalie Niquil, Izaskun Preciado, Michael Heath, Matthew C. Pace, Christopher P. Lynam
Summary: Achieving Good Environmental Status (GES) requires managing ecosystems subject to a variety of pressures such as climate change, eutrophication, and fishing. This study uses an end-to-end ecosystem model for the North Sea to evaluate the impacts of warming and fishing on the foodweb structure and function, highlighting the importance of an ecosystem approach for management of human activities and the need to improve understanding of bottom-up processes.
FRONTIERS IN MARINE SCIENCE
(2022)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Michael A. Spence, Christopher P. Lynam, Robert B. Thorpe, Ryan F. Heneghan, Paul J. Dolder
Summary: Understanding the impact of climate change on fisheries requires understanding the changes in the base of the marine foodwebs. This study utilizes empirical measurements and downscaled Earth system models to estimate primary production in the North Sea under different climate scenarios. The results highlight the uncertainties in predicting primary production dynamics and its response to climate change.
FRONTIERS IN MARINE SCIENCE
(2022)
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
A. McQuatters-Gollop, L. Guerin, N. L. Arroyo, A. Aubert, L. F. Artigas, J. Bedford, E. Corcoran, V Dierschke, S. A. M. Elliott, S. C. Geelhoed, A. Gilles, J. M. Gonzalez-Irusta, J. Haelters, M. Johansen, F. Le Loc'h, C. P. Lynam, N. Niquil, B. Meakins, I Mitchell, B. Padegimas, R. Pesch, I Preciado, I Rombouts, G. Safi, P. Schmitt, U. Schuckel, A. Serrano, P. Stebbing, A. De la Torriente, C. Vina-Herbon
Summary: The Northeast Atlantic is experiencing widespread degradation in marine ecosystems and biodiversity, with marine birds, coastal bottlenose dolphins, benthic habitats, and fish being particularly affected. However, there are also signs of recovery in some fish and marine bird communities, as well as in certain seal populations and coastal benthic communities. The status of many indicators, especially those related to pelagic habitats, food webs, and non-indigenous species, remains uncertain due to gaps in data and unclear pressure-state relationships.
ECOLOGICAL INDICATORS
(2022)
Article
Fisheries
Francisco de Castro, Sarah B. M. Kraak, Samuel Shephard, Alexander Sadykov, David G. Reid, Keith D. Farnsworth
Summary: Recent research on harvest-induced evolution of behavior in aquatic animals has focused on the shy-bold axis, while foraging and dispersal behavior have been less studied. Using a simulation model of a demersal fish population and trawl fishing in a realistic seascape, this study found that concentrated fishing can lead to a micro-evolutionary shift towards more sedentary behavior in wide-ranging animals. The shift is influenced by fishing intensity, spatial precision, and habitat complexity, and can have significant implications for the management of fish stocks.
ICES JOURNAL OF MARINE SCIENCE
(2022)
Article
Fisheries
Erik Olsen, Maciej T. Tomczak, Christopher P. Lynam, Andrea Belgrano, Andrew Kenny
Summary: The complexities of ecosystem-based management require stepwise approaches involving stakeholders to scope key processes, pressures, and impacts. Fuzzy Cognitive Mapping (FCM) presents a qualitative method with a lower skill and data threshold than quantitative models to evaluate marine ecosystems under various impacts. The results of applying FCM models for subregions of the North Sea show the potential of combining FCM and quantitative modelling approaches in integrated ecosystem assessments (IEAs) and future ecosystem-based management advice.
ICES JOURNAL OF MARINE SCIENCE
(2023)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Mathilde Chomel, Jocelyn M. Lavallee, Nil Alvarez-Segura, Elizabeth M. Baggs, Tancredi Caruso, Francisco de Castro, Mark C. Emmerson, Matthew Magilton, Jennifer M. Rhymes, Franciska T. de Vries, David Johnson, Richard D. Bardgett
Summary: Land use intensification could reduce the recovery ability of soil food webs from drought. Intensive grassland management impairs the transfer of recent photosynthates to roots and soil biota after drought, while extensive grassland management buffers the impact of drought. This study provides insights into the interaction between grassland management and drought on carbon transfer pathways.
NATURE COMMUNICATIONS
(2022)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Debbi Pedreschi, Susa Niiranen, Mette Skern-Mauritzen, David G. G. Reid
Summary: Integrated Ecosystem Assessments require considering all pressures and impacts on ecosystems, but limited capacity prevents this in most cases. To address this, a hierarchical approach is outlined, demonstrating how an established risk assessment approach can be adapted into a rapid risk scoping tool. This tool has been successfully applied in the Mission Atlantic project and the ICES Integrated Ecosystem Assessment Working Groups.
FRONTIERS IN MARINE SCIENCE
(2023)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Julia Calderwood, Debbi Pedreschi, Macdara Cuaig, David G. Reid
Summary: The fishing industry has valuable insights to contribute to fisheries research, and collaboration between science and industry is crucial for sharing knowledge and understanding. However, there are barriers to establishing effective partnerships, such as mistrust and communication issues. This paper reflects on experiences of engaging with Irish fishers, highlighting the importance of trust and open communication in co-creating knowledge.
FRONTIERS IN MARINE SCIENCE
(2023)
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Murray S. A. Thompson, Elena Couce, Michaela Schratzberger, Christopher P. Lynam
Summary: This study uses Bayesian Additive Regression Trees to model the effects of climate change on the habitat suitability of marine fish species in the northeast Atlantic shelf seas. Predicted effects include decreases in species richness for lower trophic levels (planktivores) and increases for higher trophic levels (piscivores). Changing spatial patterns in predator-prey mass ratios and fish species size composition are also predicted. These changes could have significant impacts on ecosystem structure and functioning.
GLOBAL CHANGE BIOLOGY
(2023)
Review
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Alina M. Wieczorek, Amanda Schadeberg, Julie Krogh Hallin, Ingrid van Putten, Sarah B. M. Kraak, Andries Richter, Patricia M. Clay, Leyre Goti Aralucea, Debbi Pedreschi, Katell G. Hamon, Dorothy J. Dankel, Mary Mackay
Summary: This article discusses the opportunities that behavioural economics presents for integrated fisheries management and conservation, emphasizing the study of fisher behavior and decision-making, and highlighting the differences between behavioral economics and traditional economics. It also introduces a systematic literature review protocol focusing on the study of how behavioural economics mechanisms influence fisher behavior.