Contrasting management regimes indicative of mesopredator release in temperate coastal fish assemblages
Abstract The absence of functional top predators has been proposed as a mechanism acting to shape fish assemblages in temperate marine ecosystems, with cascading effects on lower trophic levels. We explore this scenario by comparing the trophic and functional status of fish assemblages in Norwegian...
| Main Authors: | , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Wiley
2023-12-01
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| Series: | Ecology and Evolution |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1002/ece3.10745 |
| _version_ | 1797373172545224704 |
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| author | Ann‐Elin Wårøy Synnes Esben Moland Olsen Per Erik Jorde Halvor Knutsen Even Moland |
| author_facet | Ann‐Elin Wårøy Synnes Esben Moland Olsen Per Erik Jorde Halvor Knutsen Even Moland |
| author_sort | Ann‐Elin Wårøy Synnes |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Abstract The absence of functional top predators has been proposed as a mechanism acting to shape fish assemblages in temperate marine ecosystems, with cascading effects on lower trophic levels. We explore this scenario by comparing the trophic and functional status of fish assemblages in Norwegian marine national parks, open to fishing, to a nearby coastal seascape that harbors a system of marine protected areas (MPAs) including a no‐take zone. Demersal fish assemblages were sampled using fyke nets over three consecutive seasons. Atlantic cod (Gadus morhua) is potentially a dominant top predator in this ecosystem, and historically, this and other gadids have been targeted by the full range of former and present fisheries. In the present study, we find that average body size of the Atlantic cod was significantly larger in the zoned seascape compared to the unprotected areas (mean ± SD: 36.6 cm ± 14.38 vs. 23.4 ± 7.50; p < .001) and that the unprotected seascape was characterized by a higher abundance of mesopredator fish species. These observations are consistent with the hypothesis that the protection of top predators within MPAs aids to control the mesopredator populations and provides empirical support to the notion that the present state of many coastal fish assemblages is driven by mesopredator release linked to functional depletion of large top predators. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-08T18:45:29Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-e72ed732fc9d422690ff055e383c420b |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2045-7758 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-08T18:45:29Z |
| publishDate | 2023-12-01 |
| publisher | Wiley |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Ecology and Evolution |
| spelling | doaj.art-e72ed732fc9d422690ff055e383c420b2023-12-29T00:26:15ZengWileyEcology and Evolution2045-77582023-12-011312n/an/a10.1002/ece3.10745Contrasting management regimes indicative of mesopredator release in temperate coastal fish assemblagesAnn‐Elin Wårøy Synnes0Esben Moland Olsen1Per Erik Jorde2Halvor Knutsen3Even Moland4Centre for Coastal Research Department of Natural Sciences University of Agder Kristiansand NorwayCentre for Coastal Research Department of Natural Sciences University of Agder Kristiansand NorwayInstitute of Marine Research, Flødevigen His NorwayCentre for Coastal Research Department of Natural Sciences University of Agder Kristiansand NorwayCentre for Coastal Research Department of Natural Sciences University of Agder Kristiansand NorwayAbstract The absence of functional top predators has been proposed as a mechanism acting to shape fish assemblages in temperate marine ecosystems, with cascading effects on lower trophic levels. We explore this scenario by comparing the trophic and functional status of fish assemblages in Norwegian marine national parks, open to fishing, to a nearby coastal seascape that harbors a system of marine protected areas (MPAs) including a no‐take zone. Demersal fish assemblages were sampled using fyke nets over three consecutive seasons. Atlantic cod (Gadus morhua) is potentially a dominant top predator in this ecosystem, and historically, this and other gadids have been targeted by the full range of former and present fisheries. In the present study, we find that average body size of the Atlantic cod was significantly larger in the zoned seascape compared to the unprotected areas (mean ± SD: 36.6 cm ± 14.38 vs. 23.4 ± 7.50; p < .001) and that the unprotected seascape was characterized by a higher abundance of mesopredator fish species. These observations are consistent with the hypothesis that the protection of top predators within MPAs aids to control the mesopredator populations and provides empirical support to the notion that the present state of many coastal fish assemblages is driven by mesopredator release linked to functional depletion of large top predators.https://doi.org/10.1002/ece3.10745atlantic codfunctional statusmarine protected areastop predatortrophic cascade |
| spellingShingle | Ann‐Elin Wårøy Synnes Esben Moland Olsen Per Erik Jorde Halvor Knutsen Even Moland Contrasting management regimes indicative of mesopredator release in temperate coastal fish assemblages Ecology and Evolution atlantic cod functional status marine protected areas top predator trophic cascade |
| title | Contrasting management regimes indicative of mesopredator release in temperate coastal fish assemblages |
| title_full | Contrasting management regimes indicative of mesopredator release in temperate coastal fish assemblages |
| title_fullStr | Contrasting management regimes indicative of mesopredator release in temperate coastal fish assemblages |
| title_full_unstemmed | Contrasting management regimes indicative of mesopredator release in temperate coastal fish assemblages |
| title_short | Contrasting management regimes indicative of mesopredator release in temperate coastal fish assemblages |
| title_sort | contrasting management regimes indicative of mesopredator release in temperate coastal fish assemblages |
| topic | atlantic cod functional status marine protected areas top predator trophic cascade |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1002/ece3.10745 |
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