In a recent Viewpoint, Longhurst (2003) questions the concept of Large Marine Ecosystems (LMEs) and its application in two recently published volumes on the North Atlantic and Gulf of Guinea (Sherman and

• Main Authors: Mcglade, His Arguments
• Other Authors: The Pennsylvania State University CiteSeerX Archives
• Format: Text
• Language: English
• Subjects: Longhurst; North Atlantic
• Online Access: http://citeseerx.ist.psu.edu/viewdoc/summary?doi=10.1.1.179.2374; http://www.seaaroundus.org/researcher/dpauly/PDF/2003/JournalArticles/SuitabilityLargeMarineEcosystemConcept.pdf

are a mixture of criticism and opinion about marine research which do little to elucidate any genuine scientific concerns. It is our intention in this Letter to the Editor to correct the inaccuracies in Longhurst’s article and demonstrate how the systematic application of the LME concept has fostered an adaptive approach to fisheries management and ecosystem protection issues, worldwide. To counter Longhurst’s scepticism, it is important to examine the context in which the concept of LMEs arose. At the 1992 UN Conference on the Environment and Development (UNCED) in Rio, the oceans declaration called for countries to prevent, reduce, and control degradation of the marine environment so as to maintain and improve its life-support