Project
Connecting models and empirical research to better understand marine food webs
Human activities are transforming our marine ecosystems at an unprecedented rate. Understanding how these systems function and how human actions impact them is critical to successfully manage and conserve them. This research focuses on ecosystem resilience, emphasizing the role of the marine food web in buffering or amplifying changes driven by human activities. To achieve this, we combine empirical research with marine food web models. This approach enhances both our ability to interpret empirical findings and the quality of models that can be used for policy exploration and the design of effective management strategies.
Human activities are transforming marine ecosystems at an unprecedented pace, making it critical to understand how these systems function and withstand disturbances. This research focuses on ecosystem resilience, emphasizing the marine food web's role in stabilizing or amplifying these changes. This project aims to unite empirical data acquisition and marine food web models, in order to broaden our mechanistic understanding of human impacts, in particular on ecosystem stability and resilience. Traditional methods based on historical data struggle to predict future changes due to the novel pressures we now observe. Instead, this research uses mechanistic food web models to connect specific human activities to ecosystem responses. The project strengthens both the models as well as the ability to interpret the output from empirical findings. This strategic approach ensures both the models and empirical studies not only address immediate questions but also become robust tools for future conservation and policy planning.
Key Initiatives
1. North Sea Food Web: By analyzing decades of data, researchers aim to understand resilience patterns in relation to ecosystem states and processes.
2. Polar Ecosystems: In the Arctic, innovative tools like environmental DNA will map predator-prey relationships and assess resilience to stressors like pollution and climate change.
3. Pollution and Food Web Dynamics: A new framework will explore how pollutants impact marine species, from individual fitness to population resilience.
4. Fish Migration Insights: Chemical analysis of fish otoliths (ear bones) will trace life histories, shedding light on habitat use and food web roles.
5. Predator Diet Studies: AI and molecular tools will efficiently analyze predator diets, revealing their regulatory roles within ecosystems.
Through these efforts, the project aims to provide actionable insights for marine conservation and sustainable resource use, ensuring healthier oceans for the future.