Misapplied survey data and model uncertainty result in incorrect conclusions about the role of predation on alewife population dynamics in Lake Huron: a comment on He et al. (2015)

摘要: Drastic recent and ongoing changes to fish populations food webs in the Great Lakes have been well-described (Riley et al. 2008; Barbiero 2009; Nalepa Fahnenstiel 2010; Evans 2011; Gobin 2015), uncertainty regarding their potential effects on fisheries has caused concern among scientists fishery managers (e.g., Dettmers 2012). In particular, relative importance of “bottom-up” lower trophic level changes) versus “top-down” predation) factors community widely debated Eshenroder Lantry 2012; Bunnell 2014). Lake Huron, ecosystem particularly profound, alewife (Alosa pseudoharengus), an offshore pelagic prey fish, collapsed 2003 yet recover 2008, He (2015) recently used a series linked ecologicalmodels assess role predation dynamics Huron. While we believe that they provide novel method for combining bioenergetics stock assessment modeling, question validity conclusions because misapplication survey data lack critical interpretation theirmodeling efforts. Here describe howHe misapplied bottom trawl from examples how this resulted erroneous population collapse