Skip to main content
 

What’s the Catch?

Understanding and Managing Fisheries in Response to Climate Change

By Margaret A. Holzer, Carrie A. Ferraro, Malin L. Pinsky, Rebecca L. Selden, Eva A. Papaioannou

What’s the Catch?


 

Abstract

This interrupted case study explores how climate change is impacting the distribution and abundance of fish species, how fishers and fishing communities are adapting to shifts in species ranges and abundances, and how we can effectively manage fish species given the changing environment. The storyline centers on “Captain Joe Fraser,” a fisherman who recognizes changes in his catch and eventually determines that fish populations are shifting their locations as ocean waters become warmer. Students engage in systems thinking to understand the relationship between the environment and human activities, identify patterns and trends, and recognize how a system’s structure causes its behavior. This case study works well in entry-level (high school or undergraduate) biology, marine science, ecology, human geography, or environmental science courses; the interdisciplinary content of the case may also make it suitable for an entry-level economics or social science course.

   

Date Posted

05/16/2022

Overview

Objectives

  • Understand the complexities created when climate change affects our marine ecosystems and the livelihoods of those relying on them for income.
  • Understand the concept of “climate velocity” and how it affects marine life and marine ecosystems.
  • Apply the fisheries human-environment conceptual diagram to identify solutions that address the constraints presented in the case to determine if the solutions will be viable.

Keywords

Systems; marine science; climate change; fisheries; resource management; systems thinking; climate velocity; species distribution; sea bass; squid; ecosystem; management;

  

Subject Headings

Climatology / Meteorology
Ecology
Economics
Geography
Interdisciplinary Sciences
Marine Science / Oceanography
Natural Resource Management

EDUCATIONAL LEVEL

High school, Undergraduate lower division

  

FORMAT

PDF, PPTX

   

TOPICAL AREAS

Policy issues, Social issues

   

LANGUAGE

English

   

TYPE/METHODS

Interrupted

 

 

Asset 2