Multi-level trophic cascades in a heavily exploited open marine ecosystem

Author:

Casini Michele1,Lövgren Johan1,Hjelm Joakim1,Cardinale Massimiliano1,Molinero Juan-Carlos2,Kornilovs Georgs3

Affiliation:

1. Swedish Board of Fisheries, Institute of Marine ResearchPO Box 4, 45321 Lysekil, Sweden

2. The Leibniz Institute of Marine Sciences IFM-GEOMARMarine Ecology/Experimental Ecology, Duesternbrooker Weg 20, 24105 Kiel, Germany

3. Latvian Fish Resources AgencyDaugavgrivas Street 8, 1048 Riga, Latvia

Abstract

Anthropogenic disturbances intertwined with climatic changes can have a large impact on the upper trophic levels of marine ecosystems, which may cascade down the food web. So far it has been difficult to demonstrate multi-level trophic cascades in pelagic marine environments. Using field data collected during a 33-year period, we show for the first time a four-level community-wide trophic cascade in the open Baltic Sea. The dramatic reduction of the cod ( Gadus morhua ) population directly affected its main prey, the zooplanktivorous sprat ( Sprattus sprattus ), and indirectly the summer biomass of zooplankton and phytoplankton (top-down processes). Bottom-up processes and climate–hydrological forces had a weaker influence on sprat and zooplankton, whereas phytoplankton variation was explained solely by top-down mechanisms. Our results suggest that in order to dampen the occasionally harmful algal blooms of the Baltic, effort should be addressed not only to control anthropogenic nutrient inputs but also to preserve structure and functioning of higher trophic levels.

Publisher

The Royal Society

Subject

General Agricultural and Biological Sciences,General Environmental Science,General Immunology and Microbiology,General Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology,General Medicine

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