The Decline of Atlantic Cod - A Case Study

This instructional guide is designed to provide instructors with lecture support on the topic of marine fisheries using a case study of the Atlantic cod to illustrate major issues. For centuries the Atlantic cod was the mainstay of fisheries based in southeast Canada and New England. However, in the early 1990s, a dramatic decline in cod stocks forced fishery managers to close some of the world's most productive fishing grounds.  The ecological impacts of the decline and the economic impacts of the closures were dramatic.  This module describes the historical context of the collapse of the cod fishery as well as assessments of the current status of the resource. Recovery efforts and the future of the fishery are also discussed.

Instructional materials include student learning objectives, a general lecture outline, a PowerPoint  presentation with detailed instructor notes and student handouts.  Brief descriptions of other fisheries for development as case studies are also provided.  Print, video and web-based resources that cover the topic are summarized and cited.  Instructors who wish to obtain greater detail on any of the topics discussed in this module are encouraged to seek out these additional resources or those cited in the Comprehensive Resources for NCSR Marine Fisheries Series. 

Module Objectives

Lecture Outline

Sample PowerPoint Slide with instructor notes

Module download or request a hardcopy (13.8 MB)

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Curriculum produced by NCSR. Funding Provided by the National Science Foundation