Empirical links between natural mortality and recovery in marine fishes.

ABSTRACT: Probability of species recovery is thought to be correlated with specific aspects of organismal life history, such as age at maturity and longevity, and how these affect rates of natural mortality (M) and maximum per capita population growth (r_max). Despite strong theoretical underpinnings, these correlates have been based on predicted rather than realized population trajectories following threat mitigation. Here, we examine the level of empirical support for postulated links between a suite of life-history traits (related to maturity, age, size and growth) and recovery in marine fishes. Following threat mitigation (medium time since cessation of overfishing = 20 years), 71% of 55 temperate populations had fully recovered, the remainder exhibiting, on averag

SUBMITTER: Hutchings JA 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5474079 | biostudies-literature | 2017 Jun

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature