Storms promote ecosystem resilience by alleviating fishing.

Marine ecosystems face numerous challenges from natural and anthropogenic sources. For example, excessive rainfall from storms rapidly lowers salinity, which can destroy coastal foundation species and their associated fauna [1], while fishing can alter coastal food webs, reduce biodiversity, and lower ecosystem resilience [2]. Concurrently, mass disruptions to fishing activity are common following disasters such as hurricanes, oil spills, and tsunamis, which may lead to increased populations of harvested species [3]. However, our understanding of how these disturbances interact to affect communities remains limited. We examined effects on estuarine communities following fishing disruptions and salinity changes caused by a tropical cyclone. Our results indicate that recreational fishing had large effects on fish populations that cascaded down the food web. Further, although destructive, hurricanes and other disturbances that simultaneously curtail human activities may promote recovery. VIDEO ABSTRACT.