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November 22, 2008 8:34:05 AM CST

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Overfishing Oceans Leads to 'Rise of Slime'

Posted Jun 21, 08 6:00 AM CDT in Science & Health 

(Newser) – Overfishing results in more than just the depletion of one species—it can mean the degradation of entire ecosystems. As the populations of large, predatory fish such as sharks and tuna decline, their prey flourishes, with sometimes-devastating results. The Christian Science Monitor looks at the problem of the world's increasingly depleted oceans.

A combination of overfishing and pollution has led to a worldwide boom in primitive ocean life such as algae and jellyfish—something one professor calls "the rise of slime.” And in the eastern US, a decimated shark population has allowed lesser predators to thrive, setting off a chain reaction that has hit the scallop industry hard. To deal with such issues, scientists advocate a holistic approach—focus on improving the diversity of the entire ecosystem rather than the health of a few commercial species.

Source Christian Science Monitor

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Scientists say the burst of growth in primitive life forms like algae is harming global coral reefs.   (Getty Images)
Fish waiting to be weighed and shipped out at Blackburn Brothers Seafood in Carolina Beach, NC, Thursday, May 29, 2008.   (AP Photo/Logan Wallace)
Joe Blackburn weighs a commercial catch at on the dock at Blackburn Brothers Seafood in Carolina Beach, N.C., Thursday, May 29, 2008.   (AP Photo/Logan Wallace)
A Libyan couple shop for fresh fish at the new fish market in Tripoli, Libya, Sunday, June 15, 2008.   (AP Photo/Abdel Magid Al Fergany)
Indonesian fisherman loads fish at Benoa harbor, Bali, Indonesia, Tuesday, June 10, 2008.   (AP Photo/Firdia Lisnawati)
Indonesian fishermen load fish at Benoa harbor, Bali, Indonesia, Tuesday, June 10, 2008.   (AP Photo/Firdia Lisnawati)
A local fishermen, unseen, drags his catch of fish through the water as he returns to shore, after spearing them in Kosi Bay, South Africa, Tuesday, May 6, 2008.   (AP Photo/Schalk van Zuydam)
A fish vendor checks yellow fin tuna at a market in Manila.   (Getty Images)
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