The article describes the effect that climate change has had on the cod population of Maine. The cod population has been devastated by rapid warming in the Gulf of Maine that resulted from the combination of atmospheric warming and warm water pushed into the gulf. As a result, the cod fishing industry has almost entirely collapsed, and even though most fishing has ceased, the population of cod hasn’t recovered like originally thought it would. Researchers have concluded, in this recent study, that the rising temperatures led to the reduced reproduction by the cod and also an increased mortality rate. Any regulations that were placed to manage the dying population were based on inaccurate population figures that didn’t take into account the rising temperatures, so when fishermen were fishing within the set quotas, they were still overfishing because of these inaccuracies. According to the lead author of the study, few ocean ecosystems have undergone this severe a climate change. However, some species, like lobster, are thriving in this changing water, polar opposite to the cold-blooded cod that are suffering.
This article really opened my eyes to yet another aspect of the widespread issue of climate change. It is such a layered topic, with so many different levels, and the article calls attention to Maine specifically, in an issue I had heard nothing about before. It is important because we need to become more aware of all aspects of climate change and do what we can to stop them from worsening and try to reverse them, if possible.
The New York Times is a highly respectable newspaper with a reputation for delivering the best news in a professional fashion. This article furthered that reputation, as I found excellent research and couldn’t find any grammatical errors. Erica Goode, the author of this piece, has written several articles for the Times, most about climate or endangered species. The one thing she could have included in her writing was a possible solution to this issue, because it is left rather open-ended. Other than that, the article was well-written and an interesting read.
Goode, Erica. "Cod’s Continuing Decline Linked to Warming Gulf of Maine Waters." The New York Times. The New York Times, 29 Oct. 2015. Web. 29 Oct. 2015. <http://www.nytimes.com/2015/10/30/science/cods-continuing-decline-traced-to-warming-gulf-of-maine-waters.html?rref=collection%2Fsectioncollection%2Fscience&action=click&contentCollection=science®ion=rank&module=package&version=highlights&contentPlacement=2&pgtype=sectionfront&_r=0>.
ReplyDeleteMallory did a great job with her review on this article. I like how she came right out with the problem that was being addressed. Right away we knew that we were going to learn about the effects that climate change has on the cod population in Maine. Another great thing Mallory did was she mentioned a possible solution that the reader, or anyone concerned with the problem, may have proposed--to stop fishing cod. She said, even though fishing has stopped, the problem persists. One last great aspect of Mallory’s review was she was clear, concise, and to the point, using only relevant facts that really supported her topic. For example, the magnitude of the problem is revealed by showing that researchers have found that the rising temperatures are leading to reduced reproduction by and an increased mortality rate of the cod. I chose this review for that reason; it was easy to read but was a very well done review. It was not confusing at all and had no grammatical errors.
One thing I was waiting for in Mallory’s review was an explanation of why the increased temperatures were reducing the cod populations, other than the fact that it increased mortality rate and reduced reproduction. However, the article itself could have left this information out, so it may not be Mallory’s fault. Still, it would have been nice to know, so she could have told whether or not the information was there. Next, Mallory ended the review with the importance of the problem, but no solutions. This would have been nice to see because it is not a strong way to end the paragraph by saying “this problem needs to be fixed.”
Otherwise, Mallory did an excellent job in her review. She opened my eyes to “such a layered topic” that is really effecting the cod population in Maine. I was already aware of the problems being caused by climate change such as melting of ice caps in the Arctic, unpredictable floods and droughts, and now this. I always think of transportation and factories when I think about increased climate change because they are main factors in increased CO2 emissions, and this article has made me more aware.
Citation:
Goode, Erica. "Cod’s Continuing Decline Linked to Warming Gulf of Maine Waters." The New York Times. The New York Times, 29 Oct. 2015. Web. 29 Oct. 2015. .
Mallory begins by stating the fact of how climate change is negatively affecting the population of cod in Maine. Because warm water is pumped into the gulf and the atmospheric temperature is rising the cod fishing industry is decreasing dramatically. The change in temperature drags the cod’s reproduction rate downward and increases mortality rate, so the cod has not been able to repopulate regions that are not allowed to be fished. Mallory discussed how fishermen were overfishing the region, but it was not their fault because the set quota was too high of the real amount of fish. Mallory did not ramble and she did a great job stating relevant facts in a concise way. I chose this review because I love eating fish and once I began reading it I was intrigued by the facts she chose, so I continued to read; her review was very clear.
ReplyDeleteThe review did not go in depth about the reasons why the fish population was so impacted other than the fact that the cod are cold blooded; this is because the article did not mention much. The review is strong but it weakens towards the end when it becomes broad stating that there needs to be a solution; if the article didn’t mention a solution she could have conjured up a possible one like maybe gradually adding cool water to the gulf or something along those lines. Other than that this review was an excellent read. This article showed a specific example of how climate change is altering our ecosystems, and I am grateful to be more aware about that.
Citation:
Goode, Erica. "Cod’s Continuing Decline Linked to Warming Gulf of Maine Waters." The New York Times. The New York Times, 29 Oct. 2015. Web. 29 Oct. 2015.