Climate, fishing, and fluctuations of sardine and anchovy in the California Current

Type Article
Date 2013-08
Language English
Author(s) Lindegren Martin1, Checkley David M., Jr.1, Rouyer Tristan2, Maccall Alec D.3, Stenseth Nils Chr.4
Affiliation(s) 1 : Univ Calif San Diego, Scripps Inst Oceanog, San Diego, CA 92093 USA.
2 : Inst Francais Rech Exploitat Mer, Unite Mixte Rech Ecosyst Marins Exploites 212, F-34200 Sete, France.
3 : NOAA, SW Fisheries Sci Ctr, Natl Marine Fisheries Serv, Santa Cruz, CA 95060 USA.
4 : Univ Oslo, Dept Biol Sci, CEES, N-0316 Oslo, Norway.
Source Proceedings Of The National Academy Of Sciences Of The United States Of America (0027-8424) (Natl Acad Sciences), 2013-08 , Vol. 110 , N. 33 , P. 13672-13677
DOI 10.1073/pnas.1305733110
WOS© Times Cited 154
Keyword(s) species replacement, population modeling, climate change, ecosystem-based management
Abstract Since the days of Elton, population cycles have challenged ecologists and resource managers. Although the underlying mechanisms remain debated, theory holds that both density-dependent and density-independent processes shape the dynamics. One striking example is the large-scale fluctuations of sardine and anchovy observed across the major upwelling areas of the world. Despite a long history of research, the causes of these fluctuations remain unresolved and heavily debated, with significant implications for fisheries management. We here model the underlying causes of these fluctuations, using the California Current Ecosystem as a case study, and show that the dynamics, accurately reproduced since A.D. 1661 onward, are explained by interacting density-dependent processes (i.e., through species-specific life-history traits) and climate forcing. Furthermore, we demonstrate how fishing modifies the dynamics and show that the sardine collapse of the 1950s was largely unavoidable given poor recruitment conditions. Our approach provides unique insight into the origin of sardine-anchovy fluctuations and a knowledge base for sustainable fisheries management in the California Current Ecosystem and beyond.
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Lindegren Martin, Checkley David M., Jr., Rouyer Tristan, Maccall Alec D., Stenseth Nils Chr. (2013). Climate, fishing, and fluctuations of sardine and anchovy in the California Current. Proceedings Of The National Academy Of Sciences Of The United States Of America, 110(33), 13672-13677. Publisher's official version : https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.1305733110 , Open Access version : https://archimer.ifremer.fr/doc/00152/26353/