Description of the East Brazil Large Marine Ecosystem using a trophic model
The objective of this study was to describe the marine ecosystem off northeastern Brazil. A trophic model was constructed for the 1970s using Ecopath with Ecosim. The impact of most of the forty-one functional groups was modest, probably due to the highly reticulated diet matrix. However, seagrass a...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas
2008-09-01
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| Series: | Scientia Marina |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | http://scientiamarina.revistas.csic.es/index.php/scientiamarina/article/view/1005 |
| _version_ | 1818642406037258240 |
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| author | Kátia M.F. Freire Villy Christensen Daniel Pauly |
| author_facet | Kátia M.F. Freire Villy Christensen Daniel Pauly |
| author_sort | Kátia M.F. Freire |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | The objective of this study was to describe the marine ecosystem off northeastern Brazil. A trophic model was constructed for the 1970s using Ecopath with Ecosim. The impact of most of the forty-one functional groups was modest, probably due to the highly reticulated diet matrix. However, seagrass and macroalgae exerted a strong positive impact on manatee and herbivorous reef fishes, respectively. A high negative impact of omnivorous reef fishes on spiny lobsters and of sharks on swordfish was observed. Spiny lobsters and swordfish had the largest biomass changes for the simulation period (1978-2000); tunas, other large pelagics and sharks showed intermediate rates of biomass decline; and a slight increase in biomass was observed for toothed cetaceans, large carnivorous reef fishes, and dolphinfish. Recycling was an important feature of this ecosystem with low phytoplankton-originated primary production. The mean transfer efficiency between trophic levels was 11.4%. The gross efficiency of the fisheries was very low (0.00002), probably due to the low exploitation rate of most of the resources in the 1970s. Basic local information was missing for many groups. When information gaps are filled, this model may serve more credibly for the exploration of fishing policies for this area within an ecosystem approach. |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-16T23:42:33Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-b884e08defa743ed8f3b4d956d248d0e |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 0214-8358 1886-8134 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-16T23:42:33Z |
| publishDate | 2008-09-01 |
| publisher | Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Scientia Marina |
| spelling | doaj.art-b884e08defa743ed8f3b4d956d248d0e2022-12-21T22:11:34ZengConsejo Superior de Investigaciones CientíficasScientia Marina0214-83581886-81342008-09-0172347749110.3989/scimar.2008.72n3477995Description of the East Brazil Large Marine Ecosystem using a trophic modelKátia M.F. Freire0Villy Christensen1Daniel Pauly2Aquatic Ecosystems Research Laboratory (AERL)Aquatic Ecosystems Research Laboratory (AERL)Aquatic Ecosystems Research Laboratory (AERL)The objective of this study was to describe the marine ecosystem off northeastern Brazil. A trophic model was constructed for the 1970s using Ecopath with Ecosim. The impact of most of the forty-one functional groups was modest, probably due to the highly reticulated diet matrix. However, seagrass and macroalgae exerted a strong positive impact on manatee and herbivorous reef fishes, respectively. A high negative impact of omnivorous reef fishes on spiny lobsters and of sharks on swordfish was observed. Spiny lobsters and swordfish had the largest biomass changes for the simulation period (1978-2000); tunas, other large pelagics and sharks showed intermediate rates of biomass decline; and a slight increase in biomass was observed for toothed cetaceans, large carnivorous reef fishes, and dolphinfish. Recycling was an important feature of this ecosystem with low phytoplankton-originated primary production. The mean transfer efficiency between trophic levels was 11.4%. The gross efficiency of the fisheries was very low (0.00002), probably due to the low exploitation rate of most of the resources in the 1970s. Basic local information was missing for many groups. When information gaps are filled, this model may serve more credibly for the exploration of fishing policies for this area within an ecosystem approach.http://scientiamarina.revistas.csic.es/index.php/scientiamarina/article/view/1005modellingecosystemfisherysouth-western atlanticbrazilnortheastern brazil |
| spellingShingle | Kátia M.F. Freire Villy Christensen Daniel Pauly Description of the East Brazil Large Marine Ecosystem using a trophic model Scientia Marina modelling ecosystem fishery south-western atlantic brazil northeastern brazil |
| title | Description of the East Brazil Large Marine Ecosystem using a trophic model |
| title_full | Description of the East Brazil Large Marine Ecosystem using a trophic model |
| title_fullStr | Description of the East Brazil Large Marine Ecosystem using a trophic model |
| title_full_unstemmed | Description of the East Brazil Large Marine Ecosystem using a trophic model |
| title_short | Description of the East Brazil Large Marine Ecosystem using a trophic model |
| title_sort | description of the east brazil large marine ecosystem using a trophic model |
| topic | modelling ecosystem fishery south-western atlantic brazil northeastern brazil |
| url | http://scientiamarina.revistas.csic.es/index.php/scientiamarina/article/view/1005 |
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