Physical Sciences and Mathematics Commons^™

Tambora And The Mackerel Year: Phenology And Fisheries During An Extreme Climate Event, Karen E. Alexander, William B. Leavenworth, Theodore V. Willis, Carolyn Hall, Steven Mattocks, Steven M. Bittner, Emily Klein, Michelle Staudinger, Alexander Bryan, Julianne Rosset, Benjamin H. Carr, Adrian Jordaan

Environmental Conservation Faculty Publication Series

Global warming has increased the frequency of extreme climate events, yet responses of biological and human communities are poorly understood, particularly for aquatic ecosystems and fisheries. Retrospective analysis of known outcomes may provide insights into the nature of adaptations and trajectory of subsequent conditions. We consider the 1815 eruption of the Indonesian volcano Tambora and its impact on Gulf of Maine (GoM) coastal and riparian fisheries in 1816. Applying complex adaptive systems theory with historical methods, we analyzed fish export data and contemporary climate records to disclose human and piscine responses to Tambora’s extreme weather at different spatial and temporal …