Setting the record straight on drivers of changing ecosystem states. (24th November 2012)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Frank, Kenneth T.; Petrie, Brian; Fisher, Jonathan A.D.; Leggett, William C.
• Is Part Of: Fisheries oceanography. Volume 22:Number 2(2013:Mar.)
• Page Start: 143
• Page End: 146
• Publication Date: 2012-11-24
• Subjects: Fishery oceanography -- Periodicals; 639.2
• DOI: 10.1111/fog.12007
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 1054-6006

Abstract

<abstract abstract-type="main" id="fog12007-abs-0001"> <title>Abstract</title> <p>This short communication is a response to the critique by Greene (2012), who puts forward the argument that the dynamics of northwest Atlantic continental shelf ecosystems are strongly influenced by changes in Arctic climate, as indexed by surface salinity. The argument, in its essence, discounts any indirect effects from over‐exploitation of top predators on lower trophic levels in northwest Atlantic ecosystems. Frank <italic>et al</italic>. (<italic>Science </italic><bold>308</bold>, 2005, 1621; <italic>Nature </italic><bold>477</bold>, 2011, 86) reported the existence of cascading trophic interactions with particular emphasis on the eastern Scotian Shelf. Greene argues that the events occurring in the Gulf of Maine/Georges Bank region are representative of all Northwest Atlantic shelf systems, despite previous research (Frank <italic>et al. Trends Ecol. Evol</italic>. <bold>22</bold>, 2007, 236; Petrie <italic>et al. Fish. Oceanogr</italic>. <bold>18</bold>, 2009, 83) that has shown a differential pattern of forcing ranging from top‐down in species‐poor, cold water systems to bottom‐up in warmer, more species‐rich systems, including Georges Bank.</p> </abstract>