Investigation Highlights the Importance of Biodiversity to Commercial Fisheries

24 September 2025

An aerial view of the R/V Virginia, the lead vessel for the Chesapeake Bay Multispecies Monitoring and Assessment Program. (Image credit: Matthew Farnham)

A new study published in Ecological Applications demonstrates that commercial fisheries function much like an investment portfolio: diversity brings stability. The research shows that when different fish species in the Chesapeake Bay peak at different times, a dynamic known as “asynchrony,” the overall fishery becomes more resilient and watermen are better protected from boom-and-bust cycles.

The research was led by former University of Virginia Ph.D. student and Virginia Sea Grant Fellow Sean Hardison and was based on data compiled by William & Mary’s Batten School of Coastal & Marine Sciences and VIMS’ Chesapeake Bay Multispecies Monitoring and Assessment Program (CHesMMAP) from 2002 to 2018, in addition to recorded values of commercial landings as documented by the Virginia Marine Resources Commission and Maryland Department of Natural Resources. The work brought together an inte portfolios benefit from natural fluctuations in the ecosystem, but those benefits are mediated by management and human behavior,” Hardison said. “Our research shows the ecological and economic benefits of biodiversity.”

morefisheries & aquaculture

MBL Researcher Explores Heterotrophic Algae to Lower Shellfish Hatchery Costs

Review Finds Nanostructures Can Detect and Eliminate Aquaculture Hazards

Saitec Offshore Technologies Completes Multi-Trophic Aquaculture with Floating Offshore Wind Foundations Demonstration

latestnews

Protecting Columbia River Salmon Act Would Restore Tribal Sea Lion Removal Authority

Environmental Policy

Bipartisan WRDA 2026 Targets Water Resources Infrastructure Nationwide

Environmental Policy

Kyoto University Researchers Use Passive Acoustics to Track Dolphins Along Sea of Japan Coast

Research

Storms Shape Giant Kelp Forest Productivity More than Nutrients or Light

Coastal

latest edition

issue II

By translating complex ocean data into actionable strategies, the applied marine science community plays a pivotal role in ensuring the long-term resilience of coastal environments while bolstering the global Blue Economy.

read now