Functional diversity in a marine fish community

Abstract

Calculations of fluxes in an end-to-end foodweb linear steady-state budget model are used to estimate constraints on the Georges Bank fish community that operate through decade-scale changes in nutrient input and fishing effort. The effects of these constraints are described in terms of fish functional groups and species diversity, and compensatory responses in fish community structure are considered. It is concluded that the overall fish community, rather than individual species, is resilient to external stresses imposed by combined fishing pressure and food limitation. © 2009 International Council for the Exploration of the Sea.