Early evidence for historical overfishing in the Gulf of Mexico
Eric Guiry, J. Ryan Kennedy, Martin O’Connell, D. Ryan Gray, Chris M. Grant, Paul Szpak
Abstract
) populations and fishing practices in Louisiana, USA. Concurrent with human population growth, average sizes of sheepshead caught decreased from the 1720s to 1830s. The size of fish caught after the 1830s increased to pre-1720 levels at the same time that isotopic compositions of fish bone collagen show that fish were being caught from a more diverse range of ecosystems, including distant seagrass beds. Our findings provide the first evidence for large-scale depressions of historical sheepshead populations and the processes driving them, including rapid human population growth and sustained harvesting pressure.
Topics & Concepts
OverfishingVulnerability (computing)FisheryGeographyBiologyFish <Actinopterygii>Computer securityComputer scienceIsotope Analysis in EcologyMarine and fisheries researchArchaeology and ancient environmental studies