Fishes, Young and Old, Are Shrinking in Michigan’s Inland Lakes

Climate change is changing the size of fishes in Michigan’s inland lakes, leaving the young and old of many species more vulnerable to predation.

A new study led by the University of Michigan shows that changes in climate are also changing the size of fishes in Michigan’s inland lakes. Using data that covered 75 years and nearly 1,500 lakes, researchers have shown that, for several species, old and young fish in 2020 were significantly smaller than their typical size in 1945.

“Climate change is altering the size of different organisms around the world, including fishes in lakes here in Michigan,” said Peter Flood, a postdoctoral research fellow at the U-M School for Environment and Sustainability, or SEAS. “And most of those changes we’re seeing in Michigan fishes are declines in size through time.”

Source: ENN