Kerr and Dickie propose the development of a new ecological theory, one that can lead to a more effective remedy for the drastic effects of heavy fishing on natural communities of organisms in both marine and freshwater environments.

By plotting the densities of the biomass of all organisms in a given community by body-size classes, the authors provide empirical evidence of what they term "the biomass body-size spectrum" in the world's oceans. After examining this evidence, they propose an underlying theory of predator-prey energy transfer: larger species eat smaller species, providing...