There's more fish out there

Fish resources in the mesopelagic zone are of great interest to scientists. The mesopelagic zone is the vertical layer of the ocean that extends down 200 metres to 1,000 metres. This zone is also called the Twilight zone as the reach of sunlight is less here, but just enough for photosynthesis.

It was earlier estimated that with 1,000 million tonnes, the mesopelagic fish population constitutes the dominant fish biomass in the ocean.  Now, a study by Spanish National Research Council (CSIC) published in the Nature Communications  journal claims that the mesopelagic biomass may be 10 times more than expected.

The new estimates are based on acoustic observations made by the Malaspina expedition. For the scientists, the mesopelagic zone is important as it is through this layer that carbon dioxide must pass to darker lower layers of the ocean.

The exact mechanism of carbon flux and the interactions of living beings in this ocean layer are still unknown. For example, the organisms in this zone play a major role in the amount of oxygen available at the lower depths of the ocean.

The Malaspina circumnavigation expedition is an interdisciplinary research project aimed at studying the biodiversity of oceans. The expedition was led by the Spanish National Research Council (CSIC).

Reference:
“Fish biomass in the ocean may be 10 times higher than estimated: Stock of mesopelagic fish changes from 1,000 to 10,000 million tons.” Science Daily, n.d, n.p, 7 Feb. 2014.
“La biomasa de peces en el océano es 10 veces superior a lo estimado.” Web. 9 Feb. 2014.
“Malaspina Expedition 2010.” Wikipedia. n.d, n.p. Web. 21 March 2013.