Continental slope and deep-sea fisheries: implications for a fragile ecosystem

• DOI: 10.1006/jmsc.2000.0722
• Publication Date: 2002-09-17T22:50:18Z
• Authors: J Koslow
• Keywords: Overfishing; Seamount; Overexploitation; Defaunation; Trophic cascade; Bottom trawling

Exploited deepwater (>500 m) species generally exhibit clear "K-selected" life-history characteristics markedly different from most shelf species: extreme longevity, late age of maturity, slow growth, and low fecundity. Many also aggregate on restricted topographic features such as seamounts, a consequence are notably unproductive, highly vulnerable to overfishing, have potentially little resilience overexploitation. Since 1964, fisheries contributed 800 000–1 000 t annually global marine fish landings. Underlying this apparent overall stability is the "boom bust" cycle that has characterized many individual fisheries. The accumulated biomass previously unfished stocks typically fished down, often within 5–10 years, point commercial extinction or very levels. Most today overfished even depleted. Depletion deep-sea environments dominate mid upper trophic levels may long-term ecological implications, but risks reduced stock size structure population viability, potential for replacement, impacts prey predator populations not known. However, trawl been shown severe benthic fauna where these aggregate. This fauna, dominated by suspension feeders, corals, seamount environment high endemism, which suggests limited reproductive dispersal. ability community recover, following its removal trawling,