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Cited by 2,969Marine and fisheries researchFish Ecology and Management StudiesIchthyology and Marine Biology

Rapid worldwide depletion of predatory fish communities

Myers, Ransom A., Worm, Boris·2003·Nature
DOI 10.1038/nature01610
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Abstract

Serious concerns have been raised about the ecological effects of industrialized fishing, spurring a United Nations resolution on restoring fisheries and marine ecosystems to healthy levels. However, a prerequisite for restoration is a general understanding of the composition and abundance of unexploited fish communities, relative to contemporary ones. We constructed trajectories of community biomass and composition of large predatory fishes in four continental shelf and nine oceanic systems, using all available data from the beginning of exploitation. Industrialized fisheries typically reduced community biomass by 80% within 15 years of exploitation. Compensatory increases in fast-growing species were observed, but often reversed within a decade. Using a meta-analytic approach, we estimate that large predatory fish biomass today is only about 10% of pre-industrial levels. We conclude that declines of large predators in coastal regions have extended throughout the global ocean, with potentially serious consequences for ecosystems. Our analysis suggests that management based on recent data alone may be misleading, and provides minimum estimates for unexploited communities, which could serve as the 'missing baseline' needed for future restoration efforts.

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Crossref · 10.1038/nature01610

Cites

2 of 2 references verified0 citation errors · 0 not checkable

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  • Overpredictions of relative species richness in the Atlantic Ocean are possibly the result of prolonged and well-documented exploitation in this region relative to the Pacific Ocean, where exploitation has been substantial but with a potentially lesser effect.

    “Overpredictions of relative species richness in the Atlantic Ocean are possibly the result of prolonged and well-documented exploitation in this region (Myers & Worm 2003) relative to the Pacific Ocean, where exploitation has been substantial but with a potentially lesser effect (Sibert et al. 2006).”

    From Effects of temperature on global patterns of tuna and billfish richness (2008) · cites this paper as Myers & Worm 2003

  • Longlines resemble long baited transects and catch a wide range of species in a consistent way over a vast spatial scale.

    “Longlines resemble long baited transects and catch a wide range of species in a consistent way over a vast spatial scale and longline catch data have been previously used to analyse changes in abundance (Myers and Worm, 2003), diversity (Worm et al., 2005), range contraction (Worm and Tittensor, 2011) and biogeography (Reygondeau et al., 2012).”

    From Global habitat preferences of commercially valuable tuna (2015) · cites this paper as Myers and Worm, 2003

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Authors
Myers, R. A., & Worm, B.
Affiliations
Dalhousie University (CA)
Corresponding author
Myers, Ransom A.
ORCID
Worm, Boris
Venue
Nature
Publisher
Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Published
2003-05
Volume
423
Issue
6937
Pages
280-283
ISSN
  • 0028-0836 (ISSN-L)
  • 1476-4687
DOI
10.1038/nature01610
OpenAlex
W2048020255
Cited by
2,969
References
2
Citations by year
2026: 34 · 2025: 65 · 2024: 100 · 2023: 77 · 2022: 84 · 2021: 131 · 2020: 90 · 2019: 141 · 2018: 104 · 2017: 136 · 2016: 123 · 2015: 117 · 2014: 179 · 2013: 145 · 2012: 150
FWCI
13.32
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
closed
Licence
www.springer.com/tdm (tdm)
Locations
  • Nature (publishedVersion)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
  • Helmholtz Centre for Ocean Research Kiel (GEOMAR) (acceptedVersion)
  • RePEc: Research Papers in Economics (submittedVersion)
  • Knowledge Repository of Yantai Institute of Coastal Zone Research, CAS (Yantai Institute of Coastal Zone Research) (submittedVersion)
Topics
  • Physical Sciences › Environmental Science › Global and Planetary Change › Marine and fisheries research
  • Physical Sciences › Environmental Science › Nature and Landscape Conservation › Fish Ecology and Management Studies
  • Physical Sciences › Environmental Science › Nature and Landscape Conservation › Ichthyology and Marine Biology
Keywords
fisheries depletion, pre-industrial baseline, compensatory growth, fast-growing species, marine ecosystem restoration, continental shelf fisheries, marine fisheries, fisheries management
MeSH terms
Animals, Conservation of Natural Resources, Fishes, Geography, Oceans and Seas, Population Density, Predatory Behavior, Time Factors, Ecosystem, Biomass

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