Final answer:
The "funneling effect" refers to the biomagnification of toxic substances throughout the food chain and can also relate to the effects of fisheries targeting smaller species as larger ones are depleted.
Step-by-step explanation:
The "funneling effect" is a byproduct of processes such as the rate-determining step in chemical reactions, as well as the broader ecological impact of fishing down marine food webs. In the context of environmental science, this term often relates to the biomagnification of toxic substances through the food web, as described in the classic example of DDT from Rachel Carson's Silent Spring.
Fishing down marine food webs pertains to fisheries targeting progressively smaller and more abundant species as larger fish are depleted, which disrupts marine ecosystems and leads to negative effects like bottom fauna destruction by trawling and dredging. Similarly, biomagnification involves the increasing concentration of substances like DDT in organisms as you move up the trophic levels, which can have disastrous impacts on apex consumers such as birds, as noted with the thinning of eggshells.