The Most Important Fish in the Sea.THE MOST IMPORTANT FISH IN THE SEA H. BRUCE FRANKLIN Franklin recounts how the menhaden menhaden: see herring. menhaden or pogy Any of several species of Atlantic coastal fishes (genus Brevoortia of the herring family), used for oil, fish meal (mainly for animal feed), and fertilizer. , a fish that most people today have never heard of, helped shape the natural history of the United States “American history” redirects here. For the history of the continents, see History of the Americas. The United States of America is located in the middle of the North American continent, with Canada to the north and the United Mexican States to the south. . Native Americans and early settlers buried the small and unappetizing fish with seeds to encourage crop growth. Following the Civil War, manufacturers extracted oil from the fish and used it in fertilizer. Later, as the health benefits of omega proteins became apparent, the demand for these fish rose precipitously pre·cip·i·tous adj. 1. Resembling a precipice; extremely steep. See Synonyms at steep1. 2. Having several precipices: a precipitous bluff. 3. . Overfishing Overfishing occurs when fishing activities reduce fish stocks below an acceptable level. This can occur in any body of water from a pond to the oceans. More precise biological and bioeconomic terms define 'acceptable level'. of menhaden eventually had a negative impact on the ecosystems of the U.S.-Atlantic and Gulf coasts. The numbers of larger fish species, which relied on menhaden for food, dwindled. And in the absence of menhaden, algal algal pertaining to or caused by algae. algal infection is very rare but systemic and udder infections are recorded. See protothecosis. algal mastitis the algae Prototheca trispora and P. growth threatened to choke the other organisms living in the coastal waters. Franklin reveals how an unlikely alliance between recreational anglers and environmentalists helped save the menhaden populations of the Eastern seaboard. Island Press, 2007, 264 p., b&w photos & illus., hardcover, $25.00. |
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