Monday, August 15, 2011

A Plentitude of Top Predators?

This is weird! Wonder what it implies about humans???

"Biomass boomed over 460 percent, with carnivores increasing 4 times and top predators increasing 11 times. The plentitude of top predators is a hallmark sign of a healthy ecosystem."

http://www.ibtimes.com/articles/197624/20110814/underwater-california-baja-conservation-marine-park.htm

‘No Take’ Policy Works Wonders at Mexican Marine Park
By IBTimes Staff Reporter | August 14, 2011 7:47 PM EDT

A “no take” policy, which prohibits fishing and other extractive activities, has worked wonders at a Mexican marine park.
Just 15 years ago, the Cabo Pulmo National Park area in Mexico was devastated by overfishing. The large predators were gone and there were only medium sized fishes left.
Now, marine life is thriving so much that the 71-square-kilometer area is almost like a pristine environment left untouched by mankind, according to a 10-year study by the Scripps Institution of Oceanography at UC San Diego, which published its findings in the “Public Library of Science (PLoS) ONE” journal.
Large fish species now found in the park include parrotfish, groupers, snappers, and even sharks.
The scientists first measured the biomass of the park in 1999, a few year after the “no take” policy took place, and did not notice a dramatic change.
However, by 2009, the park almost made a full-fledged recovery. Biomass boomed over 460 percent, with carnivores increasing 4 times and top predators increasing 11 times. The plentitude of top predators is a hallmark sign of a healthy ecosystem.

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