NOTICE Changes in Biomass, Production and Species Composition of the Fish Populations in the Northwest Atlantic Over the Last

• Main Author: Their Possible Causes
• Other Authors: The Pennsylvania State University CiteSeerX Archives
• Format: Text
• Language: English
• Subjects: Northwest Atlantic
• Online Access: http://citeseerx.ist.psu.edu/viewdoc/summary?doi=10.1.1.601.1786; http://journal.nafo.int/j08/backpage.pdf

Fish populations in the Northwest Atlantic have undergone dramatic changes during the last 30years in response to environmental effects, exploitation and other anthropogenic factors. The primary objective of the session is to document changes in abundance, production and community composition and to examine hypotheses regarding underlying mechanisms. The principal focus will be on the northwestern Atlantic but comparative studies from other regions will be welcome. Specific Topics 1. Community-level Change. Descriptive and theoretical studies of long-term changes in fish populations in the Northwest Atlantic at the community level. Consideration of the ecological implications of long-term anthropogenic or natural perturba-tions on fish community structure. 2. Exploitation Effects. Examination of the role of fishing pressure in inducing long-term changes in production, biomass and community structure. 3. The Biotic Environment. Consideration of the role of changes in the biotic environment and its effect on fish populations. Examples include changes in primary or secondary production and changes in predator-prey fields. 4. The Physical Environment. Analysis of effects of persistent changes in physical factors on fish populations. The emphasis will be on the linkages between environmental change and production (recruitment, growth, and mortality) and the implications for community structure.