How will the oceans respond to changing climatic conditions? And how will this affect fish communities and fisheries production? I examine the importance of bentho-pelagic coupling processes for the structure of marine fish communities and energy flow. This is done using mathematical modelling approaches and analyses of global data of fish growth and fisheries catches.
|
"Large pelagic fish, such as the sailfish on the photo, are highly adapted to feeding on small pelagic fish. The global occurrence of these predators can be predicted from the degree to which production is driven by energy from the pelagic ocean or the benthic (bottom) community."
|
Bottom trawl fishing is responsible for about one fourth of the global capture fisheries production. The effects of trawling on the seabed and the benthic ecosystem have spurred numerous serious concerns starting in the 13th century, up to today. I study the ecosystem effects of bottom trawl fishing. Most of my recent work is related to developing methods to assess fisheries and seabed impact trade-offs.
|
"Benthic invertebrates from the Baltic Sea collected while studying the interactive effects of bottom trawing and oxygen limitation on benthos"
|