What is the impact of overfishing on marine ecosystems?

Overfishing has a significant impact on marine ecosystems primarily by disrupting the balance of these environments and depleting fish populations. When fish are removed from the ocean at a rate faster than they can reproduce, this can lead to a decline in their populations. As key species diminish, the entire food web can be affected. Predators may experience a food shortage, while species that are typically prey may increase in number, leading to overpopulation and further imbalance.

This disruption can also affect the habitats that fish occupy, such as coral reefs or underwater vegetation, which rely on a stable population of fish to thrive. Moreover, overfishing can eliminate certain species, resulting in a loss of genetic diversity, which is crucial for the resilience of marine ecosystems. The cascading effects of these changes can also impact human communities that rely on fishing for their livelihood, signaling just how interconnected these systems are.

In contrast, the other options suggest outcomes like promoting growth or leading to increased biodiversity, which don't occur as a result of overfishing. Instead, the reality is that continued overfishing leads to significant ecological consequences that can take decades to reverse, if they can be reversed at all.