Why we need more fish pee
Overfishing is taking away many of the big fish species that live in coral reefs, but just as importantly, it’s taking away their pee, according to a new study published the journal Nature Communications. Rich in phosphorus and nitrogen, the urine of large predator species like grouper and snapper are vital to coral ecosystems.
Mild and buttery, red snapper spawns a Gulf war over fishing
Over-fished for years, red snapper populations in the Gulf of Mexico have rebounded under federal regulation of the commercial catch that took effect in 2007. But this fisheries management success story has also spewed a bitter brawl between commercial boats and recreational anglers over who gets to fish and who should regulate the fishery. "How do we fairly divide the products of a finite sea while also respecting the constraints of biology?" writes Barry Yeoman in a story for FERN produced in partnership with Texas Monthly magazine.