"Things like sardines and anchovy, which are extremely abundant, are very important not just for fishery, but for feeding other creatures in the food web - mammals, birds, larger fish," she says. "It's very nice, we know these bird species are indicators of where these fish species of interest are."

This seabird dining survey is just one example of scientists paying greater attention to the fortunes of smaller fish. A significant transformation is even more noticeable among policy makers, managers and some environmental groups. Earlier this year, the Pew Environment Group started a campaign to protect small, schooling fish.

"We knew it was the next logical step," says Paul Shively, who manages the campaign out of Portland, Oregon. "This issue is picking up more and more steam all across the nation. There's more and more attention, more and more science pointing to the fact that we need to make sure there's enough food in the oceans."

Another environmental advocacy group, called Oceana, is running a similar healthy ocean campaign. Conservationists report progress in moving fishery managers to base decisions not just on the "big money" fish, but on the entire ocean food web. Insiders call this "ecosystem-based management."

But when talks turns to limits on fishing for small, schooling fish, then resistance crops up. On America's West Coast, ocean advocates want fishery managers to cap quotas for bait fish at current levels and put a moratorium on any new fisheries.