Deep antiquity of seagrasses supporting European eel fisheries in the western Baltic.
Proc Biol Sci
; 291(2027): 20240674, 2024 Aug.
Article
de En
| MEDLINE
| ID: mdl-39043239
ABSTRACT
Protecting ocean habitats is critical for international efforts to mitigate climate impacts and ensure food security, but the ecological data upon which policy makers base conservation and restoration targets often reflect ecosystems that have already been deeply impacted by anthropogenic change. The archaeological record is a biomolecular archive offering a temporal scope that cannot be gathered from historical records or contemporary fieldwork. Insights from biogeochemical and osteometric analyses of fish bones, combined with context from contemporary field studies, show how prehistoric fisheries in the western Baltic relied on seagrass meadows. European eels (Anguilla anguilla) harvested by Mesolithic and Neolithic peoples over millennia showed a strong fidelity for eelgrass foraging habitats, an ecological relationship that remains largely overlooked today, demonstrating the value of protecting these habitats. These data open new windows onto ecosystem- and species-level behaviours, highlighting the need for wider incorporation of archaeological data in strategies for protecting our oceans.
Mots clés
Texte intégral:
1
Collection:
01-internacional
Base de données:
MEDLINE
Sujet principal:
Écosystème
/
Pêcheries
Limites:
Animals
Pays/Région comme sujet:
Europa
Langue:
En
Journal:
Proc Biol Sci
Sujet du journal:
BIOLOGIA
Année:
2024
Type de document:
Article
Pays de publication:
Royaume-Uni