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Global patterns of predator diversity in the open oceans

Global patterns of predator diversity in the open oceans
Global patterns of predator diversity in the open oceans
The open oceans comprise most of the biosphere, yet patterns and trends of species diversity there are enigmatic. Here, we derive worldwide patterns of tuna and billfish diversity over the past 50 years, revealing distinct subtropical ‘‘hotspots’’ that appeared to hold generally for other predators and zooplankton. Diversity was positively correlated with thermal fronts and dissolved oxygen and a nonlinear function of temperature (È25-C optimum). Diversity declined between 10 and 50% in all oceans, a trend that coincided with increased fishing pressure, superimposed on strong El Nino–Southern Oscillation–driven variability across the Pacific. We conclude that predator diversity shows a predictable yet eroding pattern signaling ecosystem-wide changes linked to climate and fishing.
0036-8075
1365-1369
Worm, B.
948979c4-e3b7-4634-9841-bfb831d9b6e2
Sandow, M.
56313cc1-4a01-473a-8c6e-affb8299b9ba
Oschlies, A.
1e17ff79-6084-4a56-b130-7d39dcd7568f
Lotze, H.K.
3415ae09-51ec-4af6-9fb4-66347f52a629
Myers, R.A.
d6d5718c-c502-4b72-a737-691b421aa3a4
Worm, B.
948979c4-e3b7-4634-9841-bfb831d9b6e2
Sandow, M.
56313cc1-4a01-473a-8c6e-affb8299b9ba
Oschlies, A.
1e17ff79-6084-4a56-b130-7d39dcd7568f
Lotze, H.K.
3415ae09-51ec-4af6-9fb4-66347f52a629
Myers, R.A.
d6d5718c-c502-4b72-a737-691b421aa3a4

Worm, B., Sandow, M., Oschlies, A., Lotze, H.K. and Myers, R.A. (2005) Global patterns of predator diversity in the open oceans. Science, 309 (5739), 1365-1369. (doi:10.1126/science.1113399).

Record type: Article

Abstract

The open oceans comprise most of the biosphere, yet patterns and trends of species diversity there are enigmatic. Here, we derive worldwide patterns of tuna and billfish diversity over the past 50 years, revealing distinct subtropical ‘‘hotspots’’ that appeared to hold generally for other predators and zooplankton. Diversity was positively correlated with thermal fronts and dissolved oxygen and a nonlinear function of temperature (È25-C optimum). Diversity declined between 10 and 50% in all oceans, a trend that coincided with increased fishing pressure, superimposed on strong El Nino–Southern Oscillation–driven variability across the Pacific. We conclude that predator diversity shows a predictable yet eroding pattern signaling ecosystem-wide changes linked to climate and fishing.

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Published date: 2005

Identifiers

Local EPrints ID: 24172
URI: http://eprints.soton.ac.uk/id/eprint/24172
ISSN: 0036-8075
PURE UUID: f513f552-f8e4-4b7a-a33c-fc7da3049eff

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Date deposited: 24 Mar 2006
Last modified: 15 Mar 2024 06:53

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Contributors

Author: B. Worm
Author: M. Sandow
Author: A. Oschlies
Author: H.K. Lotze
Author: R.A. Myers

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