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Human forcing of the copepod–fish–jellyfish triangular trophic relationship

  • COPEPODA: BIOLOGY AND ECOLOGY
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Abstract

Copepods, the most abundant planktonic metazoans, constitute an intermediate trophic position between phytoplankton and higher trophic-level animals such as fish and jellyfish. Fish and jellyfish are adversaries because they often compete for prey copepods and also can be prey of each other. The classical food chain represented by phytoplankton–copepod–fish is the main process leading to efficient and sustainable production of fish as human food. At present, more than 75% of world fish stocks are fully or over exploited. On the other hand, jellyfish populations have increased world-wide, particularly in waters under significant human influences. Two such cases are seen in East Asian waters, where massive blooms of moon jellyfish (Aurelia aurita s.l.) and giant jellyfish (Nemopilema nomurai) have repeatedly occurred in recent decades, causing severe damage to local fisheries. In this article, I will review the pivotal role of copepods in marine ecosystems, particularly in the Inland Sea of Japan, where the annual fish catch per unit area is among the world’s highest. Then, I will describe an ongoing ecosystem shift from dominance by fish to dominance by jellyfish as a consequence of human forcing. Finally, I will propose to create “sato-umi”, a coastal sea with high productivity and biodiversity with wise human interaction, where copepod production would most efficiently transforms into food for humans.

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Acknowledgments

I entered the world of copepodology (e.g., on copepod resting eggs) by guidance of Dr. T. Onbe when I was a senior of Hiroshima University, and was enabled to widen my interest in biological oceanography (e.g., copepod production ecology) by advice of late Drs. A. Fleminger and M. M. Mullin when I was a visiting student at Scripps Institution of Oceanography. Since I became a faculty member of Hiroshima University, so many people have supported my work. I thank the captain and crew of the T&R/V Toyoshio Maru, Hiroshima University, for their tireless support at sea. My gratitude is extended to staff and students of my laboratory for assistance and collaboration. My jellyfish study was partially supported by research grants from the Japan Society for the Promotion of Science and from the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries. This article was presented as Maxilliped Lecture at the 10th International Conference on Copepoda in Pattaya, Thailand, July 2008. English of the early manuscript was edited by Sea Pen Scientific Writing, LLC. Constructive comments from three anonymous reviewers are greatly appreciated.

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  1. Graduate School of Biosphere Sciences, Hiroshima University, 4-4 Kagamiyama 1 Chome, Higashi-Hiroshima, 739-8528, Japan

    Shin-ichi Uye

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Guest editors: L. Sanoamuang & J. S. Hwang / Copepoda: Biology and Ecology

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10750_2010_208_MOESM1_ESM.pdf

Appendix 1. Bird-eye view of white carpet-like aggregation of Aurelia aurita in Uwa Sea, western Shikoku, in August, 2000 (from Uye et al., 2003) (111 kb)

10750_2010_208_MOESM2_ESM.pdf

Appendix 2. Medusae of Nemopilema nomurai trapped in a set-net in Iwate Prefecture in December, 2005 (from Uye, 2008) (857 kb)

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Uye, Si. Human forcing of the copepod–fish–jellyfish triangular trophic relationship. Hydrobiologia 666, 71–83 (2011). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10750-010-0208-9

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