Centrality Analysis Shows Ecosystem Impact of Trawling in Core Sound, North Carolina, USA

A core question in ecology concerns the relative functional importance of species in communities and ecosystems. This information is useful for fisheries management as it can identify ecosystem components relevant for managing target species.  Here, we apply the centrality concept from social network analysis to characterize the relative importance of species in the food web of Core Sound, NC.  Specifically, we apply Hubbell's measure of influence and an ecological derivative called Throughflow Centrality to compare the ecosystem structure between regions with and without trawling.  Both centrality measures consider direct and indirect influences, and thus provide a holistic perspective.  Our results show ecosystem functional change likely due to this difference fisheries management.