Smaller Big Fish

Key West is a legendary fishery and generations of anglers have returned with stories and photos of their biggest catch. However, by examining historical photographs of the area from the 1950s to present, researcher Loren McClenachan has found that the size of the largest fish has diminished over time. Yet “Because these changes happen slowly, over a human lifetime,” explains Robert Krulwich on a recent feature on Radiolab, “they never startle. They just tiptoe silently along, helping us all adjust to a smaller, shrunken world.” McClenachan’s research can be read in full via the journal Conservation Biology.