I was actually surprised to see this thread, given recent success locally (Texas Gulf coast, over the last couple of decades) with the recovery of important sportfishing species. We had almost no red drum left 30 years ago, and now they abound. Snook, a species many thought at one time were on the road to extinction, are now reappearing all along the Texas coast. Heck, we're even seeing an upsurge in alligators.
Significantly, since I mention predatory species who are at the top of the marine food chain, this indicates similar health below them in the food chain - shellfish and species like pinfish, mullet, etc., plus what those food-for-fish critters eat. The top of the food chain doesn't thrive unless what's below it thrives as well.
Then I googled the story, and found another source (
LINK ) that showed a slightly different POV in the way it reported the story. Here's a quote:
Disaster can still be averted, scientists say
"The good news is that it is not too late to turn things around," Worm said. The scientists studied 48 areas worldwide that have been protected to improve marine biodiversity. "We see that diversity of species recovered dramatically, and with it the ecosystem's productivity and stability."
Researchers studied a variety of information in four meta-analyses, progressing from local to regional and global scales.
First, they analyzed 32 marine experiments that manipulated species diversity on small, local scales, and monitored the effects. Second, researchers tracked the 1,000-year-long history of change in species diversity and associated services across 12 coastal regions around the world. These included Chesapeake, Delaware, Massachusetts, Galveston, San Francisco Bay and Pamlico Sound (all U.S.), The Bay of Fundy and Gulf of St. Lawrence (Canada), The Adriatic, Baltic and North Seas (Europe), as well as Moreton Bay (Australia). Sources included archives, fishery records, sediment cores and archeological data.
National Geographic didn't emphasize this aspect of the story as clearly. The gist is that what the scientist (Worm) is trying to say is that there's a dangerous trend but also varied evidence worldwide that shows its clearly feasible to reverse it.
The sky isn't falling after all
culero
