Satellite-Driven Synthesis of Fish Production Dynamics and Carrying Capacity Mechanisms in a High-Altitude Lake Ecosystem.

ABSTRACT: Understanding how limited energy constrains fish populations in fragile high-altitude lakes is essential for sustainable fisheries management. This study developed a satellite-based framework that integrated MODIS-derived chlorophyll a data with a vertically generalised production model. This framework was used to map Fish Potential Production (FPP) and establish a novel Fish Carrying Capacity Index (FCCI) for the endemic naked carp (Gymnocypris przewalskii) in Qinghai Lake, China, from 2002 to 2024. Over the 23-year period, lake-wide fish production increased 50-fold (from 2592 to 127,500 t) alongside an upward trend in FPP driven by primary production. Seasonally, FPP per unit area peaked in summer (July-August: 30-50 g/m²) and declined in spring (May-June: 0-30 

SUBMITTER: Xuan B 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12912843 | biostudies-literature | 2026 Feb

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature