Sardines, Anchovies, Other Fast-growing Fish Vulnerable to Dramatic Population Plunges

A Rutgers marine biologist studying the rise and fall of fish populations worldwide recently made a counterintuitive discovery: ocean species that grow quickly and reproduce frequently, such as sardines, anchovies and flounder, are more likely to experience dramatic plunges in population than larger, slower growing fish such as sharks or tuna… "Rabbits are doing pretty well compared to rhinos," said Malin Pinsky, assistant professor of ecology and evolution in the School of Environmental and Biological Sciences. "Mice thrive while lions, tigers and elephants are endangered."… For example, this effect is apparent in sardines off the coast of southern California, whose populations have fluctuated naturally for thousands of years. But these fluctuations are not enough to explain why so many fast-growing fish species have collapsed in recent decades – meaning a drop to less than 10 percent of historical levels.