Abundant, schooling species (such as sardines, herrings, Alaska pollock, menhaden, krill, and squid) that are described as ‘fuel for the food web’ because they are the food that sustains diverse assemblages of larger predators higher up in the ocean food chain – seabirds, marine mammals, and other fish species. Although highly abundant, their popul [..]

Species that play a vital role in the ocean food web as prey for larger fish, seabirds and marine mammals. On the Atlantic coast, this includes small, schooling species such as Atlantic herring, river herring, shad, mackerel, menhaden, smelt, sand lance and squid. Forage fish are also characterized by wide population swings and are vulnerable to fi [..]

Small fish which breed prolifically and serve as food for predatory fish. Fouled