In a new study, environmental effects on the competition between fish and jellyfish are examined through a trait-based food web model.
Why are jellyfish a big nuisance in some areas of the ocean but not in others? The primary factors behind patterns in jellyfish occurrence are hard to identify, but competition with fish for their common prey may be an important factor. With a simple model of fish-jellyfish competition and satellite data on primary production and water turbidity we are able to simulate global occurrence of jellyfish blooms. We show that differences in foraging mode between fish and jellyfish can interact with local values of ecosystem productivity and fishing mortalities to drive ecosystems towards higher risks of jellyfish dominance.
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Schnedler-Meyer, N.A., Mariani, P. og Kiørboe, T. (2016) The global susceptibility of coastal forage fish to competition by large jellyfish. Proceedings of the Royal Society, B: doi: 10.1098/rspb.2016.1931