Unclear associations between small pelagic fish and jellyfish in several major marine ecosystems.

ABSTRACT: During the last 20 years, a series of studies has suggested trends of increasing jellyfish (Cnidaria and Ctenophora) biomass in several major ecosystems worldwide. Some of these systems have been heavily fished, causing a decline among their historically dominant small pelagic fish stocks, or have experienced environmental shifts favouring jellyfish proliferation. Apparent reduction in fish abundance alongside increasing jellyfish abundance has led to hypotheses suggesting that jellyfish in these areas could be replacing small planktivorous fish through resource competition and/or through predation on early life stages of fish. In this study, we test these hypotheses using extended and published data of jellyfish, small pelagic fish and crustacean zooplankton biomass from four major ecosys

SUBMITTER: Opdal AF 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6395749 | biostudies-literature | 2019 Feb

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature