Small pelagic fish: new frontiers in ecological research Marine Ecology Progress Series

Populations of small pelagic fish (SPF), such as sardines, anchovies and herrings, support some of the largest marine fisheries globally and are critical for trophic transfer in large marine ecosystems and food security, particularly in low- to medium-income countries. Marked changes in population size, shifts in distribution on multiple time scales, and impacts on their populations from other pressures (e.g. overfishing, climate change) pose large challenges to sustainably manage these resources to avoid the serious socioeconomic and ecological impacts of population collapses. The ecology and management of SPF was discussed in an international symposium in Lisbon, Portugal, attracting participants from 38 countries and 6 continents. This Theme Section includes 18 research contributions examining SPF from 6 different ecological regions alongside 3 global analyses. These studies, including a wide range of topics from parasitology, behavior and trophodynamics to growth and spawning, provide important new knowledge that will improve science-based advice and tools needed for sustainable, ecosystem-based management of these resources. This symposium was an important milestone for a global working group and sowed the seeds for continued, globally coordinated research efforts on the role of SPF in complex socio-ecological systems.

小型中上层鱼类（small pelagic fish, SPF），如沙丁鱼、鳀鱼与鲱鱼，支撑着全球部分规模最大的海洋渔业，对于大型海洋生态系统的营养传递及粮食安全至关重要，在中低收入国家中尤为关键。其种群规模的显著变化、多时间尺度下的分布偏移，以及过度捕捞、气候变化等其他压力对种群造成的冲击，均给此类资源的可持续管理带来巨大挑战，需避免种群崩溃引发的严重社会经济与生态后果。葡萄牙里斯本曾举办一场国际学术研讨会，围绕小型中上层鱼类的生态学与资源管理展开探讨，吸引了来自6大洲38个国家的参会者。本专题栏目收录了18篇研究论文，分别针对6个不同生态区域的小型中上层鱼类开展研究，同时包含3项全球尺度分析。这些研究涵盖寄生虫学、行为学、营养动力学乃至生长与产卵等广泛议题，可为基于科学的管理建议与工具研发提供重要新知，助力实现此类资源的可持续、生态系统导向型管理。此次研讨会对于全球小型中上层鱼类研究工作组而言是一座重要里程碑，也为后续全球协同开展关于小型中上层鱼类在复杂社会-生态系统中作用的研究工作播下了种子。