Abstract
Atlantic cod (Gadus morhua) in the northwest Atlantic has become the textbook example of overfishing. However, this narrative has blinded us from the larger environmental context of this decline. Cod prefer cold and shallow habitats, environments that are also the most susceptible to rapid climate change. Cod habitat deterioration was evident well before their numerical decline, and as such, cod was a harbinger of rapid climate change. Recovery requires their habitat quality to first improve and stabilize. Calls for a cull of seals, the consensus actor causing the lack of recovery of cod, may therefore be unwise. Recovery will only occur once the variability associated with rapid climate change subsides and habitat quality improves. The timeline for this is of course unknown.
One-Sentence Summary Was the decline of cod a harbinger of rapid climate change in the northwest Atlantic?
Competing Interest Statement
The authors have declared no competing interest.
Footnotes
A few typos and update to a cleaner area map
