A new study reveals that fish weights in the western North Pacific Ocean declined in the 2000s due to warming waters. In the 1980s and 2000s, the fish were lighter.
The study suggests that this is due to a mismatch between the amount of oxygen that fish need to maintain their body metabolism and the amount they can receive through their gills. Fish stocks will need to be managed differently than they were, taking into account the increasing impact caused by climate, the researchers say. The authors hope that fisheries managers and policy makers will use such research to better understand the changes occurring in the oceans regarding fish.