Nicholas Institute for Environmental Policy Solutions
April 2026

A Global Meta-Analysis of the Impacts of Fishing on Marine Organism Species Richness

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A Global Meta-Analysis of the Impacts of Fishing on Marine Organism Species Richness cover
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Understanding the effect of fishing activities on marine organism species richness is important for managing fisheries. Previous reviews and meta-analyses have focused on the relationship between bottom-fishing gears and invertebrate species richness, but there is a lack of understanding around other fishing gears (e.g., long lines and gillnets) and other taxa (e.g., ray-finned fishes). The authors present an updated global meta-analysis to synthesize the effects of marine fishing on the species richness of invertebrates and ray-finned fishes and how a broader array of fishing gears affect marine organism species richness.