Canada’s Oceans Now: Atlantic Ecosystems, 2022 - Highs and lows of marine and diadromous fish

Highs and lows of marine and diadromous fish
A long history of overfishing and rapidly changing environment are impacting some marine fish species and favouring others, causing the entire marine food web to shift.

This infographic is a simplified ocean environment showing the water column with blue water and a greyish-brown sandy bottom. To the top left an Atlantic Mackerel, a Capelin, and an Atlantic Herring are illustrated. They are grouped within a white box outline and each labelled with black text:

Small pelagic fish remain at low abundance, limiting production of other fish

• Atlantic Herring
• Capelin
• Atlantic Mackerel

Below this box, another white box outline groups illustrations of an Atlantic Salmon and a Striped Bass. White title text to the upper left of the box says Diadromous fish and each species illustration has black text next to it:

• Atlantic Salmon remain at low abundances in most areas.
• Striped Bass are recovering and more widely distributed in the southern Gulf of St. Lawrence

To the bottom left of the infographic is another white box outline with an Atlantic cod slightly above the bottom, and a Greenland Halibut and thorny skate resting on the bottom. White text labels each species:

• Many demersal fish remain low, impacting both their predators and prey
  • Thorny Skate
  • Greenland Halibut
  • Atlantic Cod

To the upper right of the infographic, a Porbeagle Shark, and a White Shark are grouped by another white box outline. Black text within the box gives a status statement:

• Porbeagle and White sharks are showing signs of recovery

In the water column below, Sliver Hake and Redfish are illustrated, each labeled with black text.

• Redfish have become more prominent in all bioregions.
• Silver Hake, a warmer water species is becoming more common

Towards the bottom a Spiny Dogfish, and an Atlantic Halibut are illustrated with white text labels and status statements:

• Spiny Dogfish is at very low biomass and is virtually absent in some areas.
• Atlantic Halibut biomass has been higher than average in recent years.