Bottom trawling worsens climate change

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By Sebastiaan J. van de Velde et al, Science. 

Excerpt: Fishers for bottom-loving species like flounder sometimes use a controversial method called bottom trawling, dragging nets along the seafloor to scoop the animals up. Critics point out that this dragging can kill sensitive animals like turtles and marine mammals, plus it causes extensive damage to the delicate habitats on the seabed. Now, they have another reason to gripe about the practice: It worsens climate change. Researchers had already found that the act of stirring up sediment brings organic matter to the surface, where microbes can digest it and release its carbon into the atmosphere. The team behind a new paper wanted to quantify other effects, including how stirring up sediment affects water chemistry. Sure enough, they found that messing with the seabed introduces more oxygen and acidifies the water, which in turn decreases its ability to dissolve carbon dioxide. ...trawling could be reduced without having a dramatic impact on annual catch—so doing everything to reduce the practice “seems like a no-brainer,” Velde said.... 

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