Transient dynamics of an altered large marine ecosystem

Kenneth T. Frank (), Brian Petrie, Jonathan A. D. Fisher and William C. Leggett
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Kenneth T. Frank: Bedford Institute of Oceanography, P.O. Box 1006
Brian Petrie: Bedford Institute of Oceanography, P.O. Box 1006
Jonathan A. D. Fisher: Queen’s University
William C. Leggett: Queen’s University

Nature, 2011, vol. 477, issue 7362, 86-89

Abstract: Will cod make a comeback? Cod populations in the northwest Atlantic suffered a sudden and dramatic collapse about 20 years ago, and despite the subsequent ban on cod fishing there has been no appreciable recovery in the intervening years. Frank et al. report on the nature of the collapse and the reasons for its persistence. They find that the prolonged duration of the alternate (collapsed) state of the ecosystem was governed by the oscillatory, runaway consumption dynamics of the predator's former prey — forage fish. These prey species are now in decline, however, having outstripped their zooplankton food supply. The trend now is towards an increase in large-bodied zooplankton abundance, so a gradual return to the earlier ecosystem state is possible — a conclusion that bodes well for other collapsed fisheries.

Date: 2011
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DOI: 10.1038/nature10285

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