| 1. |
|
|
| 2. |
- Behrens, Jane W, et al.
(author)
-
Correlations between hemoglobin type and temperature preference of juvenile Atlantic cod Gadus morhua
- 2012
-
In: Journal of Experimental Marine Biology and Ecology. - 0022-0981. ; 413, s. 71-77
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Atlantic cod (Gadus morhua L.) exhibits polymorphic hemoglobin variants with the HbI locus showing a strong North-South geographic cline in frequency distribution of three main types (1/1, 1/2 and 2/2). This may indicate selective advantages of the different HbI types under various temperature regimes. Despite this only one study has directly examined the temperature preference of the two homozygous types, HbI- 1/1 and HbI-2/2, whereas the preference of the heterozygote (HbI-1/2) has never previously been addressed. By exposing fish to a 4–19 °C temperature gradient in an annular preference chamber we recorded the preferred temperature of wild juvenile G. morhua of all three main Hbl types originating from an area where they co-exist. HbI-2/2 G. morhua preferred significantly cooler water (8.9±0.2 °C) compared to the HbI-1/1 group (11±0.6 °C), this difference, however, not being as distinct as previously reported. There was pronounced inter-individual variation in the temperature preference of the HbI-1/2 G. morhua ranging between 6.7 and 13.8 °C, and their overall preference (10.5±0.9 °C) did not differ significantly from either of the homozygous HbI types. Notably, the mean range of utilized temperature (temperature span between 1st and 3rd quartile) was very similar between all 3 Hbl types with 3.2–3.5 °C. Considering the complexity of a trait like temperature preference, there are clearly many other factors besides HbI type that influence the thermal biology of cod, and therefore we also investigated possible associations between genotype and temperature preference for 12 variable candidate gene single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) a priori expected to be related to growth and reproduction. There were, however, no significant correlations between temperature preference and any of the candidate gene SNPs indicating that none of these polymorphisms strongly associates with thermal behavior. Considering however the high-throughput genotyping methods becoming increasingly accessible there is great potential for association studies involving many more genetic markers to identify additional genetic polymorphisms that are important for temperature preference in G. morhua. In conclusion, we support the notion of a ‘warm’ (HbI-2/2) and a ‘cold’ (HbI-1/1) Hb type, although we suggest the difference to be more subtle than previously reported. Furthermore HbI-1/2 G. morhua shows rather inconsistent thermoregulatory behavior. To obtain a more definitive picture of the extent to which thermal niches are realized under natural conditions field observations in areas where the 3 HbI types co-exist should be performed.
|
|
| 3. |
- Bergström, Lena, et al.
(author)
-
Report of the ICES/HELCOM Working Group on Integrated Assessments of the Baltic Sea (WGIAB)
- 2015
-
Reports (other academic/artistic)abstract
- The ICES/HELCOM Working Group on Integrated Assessments of the Baltic Sea(WGIAB) was established in 2007 as a forum for developing and combining ecosystembasedmanagement efforts for the Baltic Sea. The group intends to serve as a scientificcounterpart and support for the ICES Baltic Fisheries Assessment Working Group(WGBFAS) as well as for efforts and projects related to Integrated Ecosystem Assessments(IEA) within ICES and HELCOM. The group works in cooperation with similargroups within the ACOM/SCICOM Steering Group on Integrated Ecosystem Assessments(SSGIEA).The 2015 WGIAB meeting was held in Cádiz, Spain, from 9–13 March, back-to-backwith the meeting of its counterpart in the Working Group on Ecosystem Assessmentof Western European Shelf Seas (WGEAWESS). The meetings had joint sessions as wellas WG specific work, and some participants effectively participated in both meetings.The WGIAB meeting was attended by 27 participants from nine countries. The meetingwas chaired by Christian Möllmann, Germany, Laura Uusitalo, Finland and Lena Bergström,Sweden.This was the last year of the ongoing three-year Terms of Reference (ToR) for WGIAB.The main working activities in 2015 were to i) conduct studies on Baltic Sea ecosystemfunctioning with the goal to publish case studies from different parts of the Baltic Seain peer-reviewed journals, ii) work on the demonstration exercise to develop ecosystem-based assessment and advice for Baltic fish stocks focusing on cod (DEMO) withmultiple approaches, iii) plan further how to integrate the social and economic aspectsmore tightly in the WGIAB work, and iv) discuss the future focus and format of theWGIAB work.The Baltic ecosystem functioning activity focused on identifying and exploring keytrends and linkages in the Baltic Sea foodweb. This was pursued by presentation andfurther discussion of ongoing intersessional work on foodweb modelling and integratedanalyses, and by exercises to develop conceptual models Baltic Sea foodwebsand the links to ecosystem function. Long-term monitoring datasets on the abiotic andbiotic parts of the Baltic Sea Proper ecosystem were updated for use in the continuedwork to develop environmental indicators for fisheries and marine management.The focus of the DEMO 3 (DEMOnstration exercise for Integrated Ecosystem Assessmentand Advice of Baltic Sea cod) was on finding a way to use the results from theDEMO1 and DEMO2 workshops in short and midterm projections/scenarios of Balticcod dynamics based on different types of modelling, as well as designing methodologyand modelling data for practical implementation of Integrated Advice for Baltic cod.The WGIAB was positively inclined towards including social and economic aspectsinto the integrated assessment. Openings to this path were provided by presentationon ongoing project work, and discussing their linkages to ecological aspects. It wasseen as crucial that experts on social and economic analysis should be included andtake an active part in the future work of the group.The group concluded that its upcoming work should focus more closely on functionaldiversity, which was identified as a recurring issue in the Baltic Sea. This approach wasalso identified as a useful connection point between scientific and management aspectsin order for the group to continue serving as a forum for developing ecosystem-basedmanagement efforts in the Baltic Sea. A focus on functional diversity was also seen as2 | ICES WGIAB REPORT 2015a potentially feasible way of bringing together management aspects for different sectors,by linking to ecosystem services concepts.The group proposed Saskia Otto, Germany and Martin Lindegren, Denmark as newincoming Chairs, together with Lena Bergström, Sweden and Laura Uusitalo, Finland.Having four Chairs is justified due to the wide scope of the group's work, as well asthe increased work load due to the planned new foci.
|
|
| 4. |
- Gårdmark, Anna, et al.
(author)
-
Biological ensemble modeling to evaluate potential futures of living marine resources
- 2013
-
In: Ecological Applications. - : Wiley. - 1051-0761 .- 1939-5582. ; 23:4, s. 742-754
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Natural resource management requires approaches to understand and handle sources of uncertainty in future responses of complex systems to human activities. Here we present one such approach, the biological ensemble modeling approach,'' using the Eastern Baltic cod (Gadus morhua callarias) as an example. The core of the approach is to expose an ensemble of models with different ecological assumptions to climate forcing, using multiple realizations of each climate scenario. We simulated the long-term response of cod to future fishing and climate change in seven ecological models ranging from single-species to food web models. These models were analyzed using the biological ensemble modeling approach'' by which we (1) identified a key ecological mechanism explaining the differences in simulated cod responses between models, (2) disentangled the uncertainty caused by differences in ecological model assumptions from the statistical uncertainty of future climate, and (3) identified results common for the whole model ensemble. Species interactions greatly influenced the simulated response of cod to fishing and climate, as well as the degree to which the statistical uncertainty of climate trajectories carried through to uncertainty of cod responses. Models ignoring the feedback from prey on cod showed large interannual fluctuations in cod dynamics and were more sensitive to the underlying uncertainty of climate forcing than models accounting for such stabilizing predator-prey feedbacks. Yet in all models, intense fishing prevented recovery, and climate change further decreased the cod population. Our study demonstrates how the biological ensemble modeling approach makes it possible to evaluate the relative importance of different sources of uncertainty in future species responses, as well as to seek scientific conclusions and sustainable management solutions robust to uncertainty of food web processes in the face of climate change.
|
|
| 5. |
- Hinrichsen, Hans-Harald, et al.
(author)
-
Report of the Workshop on DEveloping Integrated AdviCE for Baltic Sea ecosystem-based fisheries management (WKDEICE) : 18-21 April 2016 Helsinki, Finland
- 2016
-
Reports (other academic/artistic)abstract
- The first ICES Workshop on DEveloping Integrated AdviCE for Baltic Sea ecosystem-based fisheries management (WKDEICE) had the aim to start identifying and devel-oping ways to include environmental and economic considerations into ICES advice on Baltic Sea fish stocks. The WKDEICE meeting was held in Helsinki, Finland, on18–21 April 2016, with 12 participants from three countries and was chaired by Chris-tian Möllmann (Germany), Rudi Voss (Germany), and Maciej T. Tomczak (Sweden). Focusing on Eastern Baltic cod (subdivisions 25-32), WKDEICE addressed five main topics:1)developing a strategy for integrating environmental and economic infor-mation in fish stock advice;2)conducting an integrated environmental assessment;3)conducting a socio-economic assessment;4)conducting short-term projections informed by environmental and economic conditions; and5)communicating the approach and the results.Eastern Baltic cod has been selected as a case study. The exercise will likely be ex-tended to the baltic clupeid stocks of herring and sprat.A central point of the meeting was to discuss and design a concept of operationalized Integrated Ecosystem Assessment (IEA) including short-term predictions, to be used in advice on the main Baltic Sea fish stocks. The group developed an operational strategy, and started to quantify potentially useful environmental indicators, focusing on hydrographic conditions influencing cod recruitment. Economic short-term fore-casts were established to include the human dimension, and to provide additional quantitative information on fishing options. The suggested integrated advice frame-work will be further developed using simulation modelling during a next meeting in 2017. This meeting will be coordinated with the ICES/HELCOM Working Group on Integrated Assessments of the Baltic Sea (WGIAB) and the Baltic Fisheries Assess-ment Working Group (WGBFAS) to test concepts, apply Management Strategy Eval-uation (MSE) models, and have direct feedback for relevant ICES bodies.
|
|
| 6. |
|
|
| 7. |
- Kininmonth, Stuart, et al.
(author)
-
Is Diversity the Missing Link in Coastal Fisheries Management?
- 2022
-
In: Diversity. - : MDPI AG. - 1424-2818. ; 14:2
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Fisheries management has historically focused on the population elasticity of target fish based primarily on demographic modeling, with the key assumptions of stability in environmental conditions and static trophic relationships. The predictive capacity of this fisheries framework is poor, especially in closed systems where the benthic diversity and boundary effects are important and the stock levels are low. Here, we present a probabilistic model that couples key fish populations with a complex suite of trophic, environmental, and geomorphological factors. Using 41 years of observations we model the changes in eastern Baltic cod (Gadus morhua), herring (Clupea harengus), and Baltic sprat (Sprattus sprattus balticus) for the Baltic Sea within a Bayesian network. The model predictions are spatially explicit and show the changes of the central Baltic Sea from cod- to sprat-dominated ecology over the 41 years. This also highlights how the years 2004 to 2014 deviate in terms of the typical cod–environment relationship, with environmental factors such as salinity being less influential on cod population abundance than in previous periods. The role of macrozoobenthos abundance, biotopic rugosity, and flatfish biomass showed an increased influence in predicting cod biomass in the last decade of the study. Fisheries management that is able to accommodate shifting ecological and environmental conditions relevant to biotopic information will be more effective and realistic. Non-stationary modelling for all of the homogeneous biotope regions, while acknowledging that each has a specific ecology relevant to understanding the fish population dynamics, is essential for fisheries science and sustainable management of fish stocks.
|
|
| 8. |
- Korpinen, Samuli, et al.
(author)
-
Food web assessments in the Baltic Sea : Models bridging the gap between indicators and policy needs
- 2022
-
In: Ambio. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 0044-7447 .- 1654-7209. ; 51:7, s. 1687-1697
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Ecosystem-based management requires understanding of food webs. Consequently, assessment of food web status is mandatory according to the European Union’s Marine Strategy Framework Directive (MSFD) for EU Member States. However, how to best monitor and assess food webs in practise has proven a challenging question. Here, we review and assess the current status of food web indicators and food web models, and discuss whether the models can help addressing current shortcomings of indicator-based food web assessments, using the Baltic Sea as an example region. We show that although the MSFD food web assessment was designed to use food web indicators alone, they are currently poorly fit for the purpose, because they lack interconnectivity of trophic guilds. We then argue that the multiple food web models published for this region have a high potential to provide additional coherence to the definition of good environmental status, the evaluation of uncertainties, and estimates for unsampled indicator values, but we also identify current limitations that stand in the way of more formal implementation of this approach. We close with a discussion of which current models have the best capacity for this purpose in the Baltic Sea, and of the way forward towards the combination of measurable indicators and modelling approaches in food web assessments.
|
|
| 9. |
- MacKenzie, Brian R., et al.
(author)
-
Impact of Climate Change on Fish Population Dynamics in the Baltic Sea : A Dynamical Downscaling Investigation
- 2012
-
In: Ambio. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 0044-7447 .- 1654-7209. ; 41:6, s. 626-636
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Understanding how climate change, exploitation and eutrophication will affect populations and ecosystems of the Baltic Sea can be facilitated with models which realistically combine these forcings into common frameworks. Here, we evaluate sensitivity of fish recruitment and population dynamics to past and future environmental forcings provided by three ocean-biogeochemical models of the Baltic Sea. Modeled temperature explained nearly as much variability in reproductive success of sprat (Sprattus sprattus; Clupeidae) as measured temperatures during 1973-2005, and both the spawner biomass and the temperature have influenced recruitment for at least 50 years. The three Baltic Sea models estimate relatively similar developments (increases) in biomass and fishery yield during twenty-first century climate change (ca. 28 % range among models). However, this uncertainty is exceeded by the one associated with the fish population model, and by the source of global climate data used by regional models. Knowledge of processes and biases could reduce these uncertainties.
|
|
| 10. |
- Moellmann, Christian, et al.
(author)
-
Implementing ecosystem-based fisheries management : from single-species to integrated ecosystem assessment and advice for Baltic Sea fish stocks
- 2014
-
In: ICES Journal of Marine Science. - : Oxford University Press (OUP). - 1054-3139 .- 1095-9289. ; 71:5, s. 1187-1197
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Theory behind ecosystem-based management (EBM) and ecosystem-based fisheries management (EBFM) is now well developed. However, the implementation of EBFM exemplified by fisheries management in Europe is still largely based on single-species assessments and ignores the wider ecosystem context and impact. The reason for the lack or slow implementation of EBM and specifically EBFM is a lack of a coherent strategy. Such a strategy is offered by recently developed integrated ecosystem assessments (IEAs), a formal synthesis tool to quantitatively analyse information on relevant natural and socio-economic factors, in relation to specified management objectives. Here, we focus on implementing the IEA approach for Baltic Sea fish stocks. We combine both tactical and strategic management aspects into a single strategy that supports the present Baltic Sea fish stock advice, conducted by the International Council for the Exploration of the Sea (ICES). We first review the state of the art in the development of IEA within the current management framework. We then outline and discuss an approach that integrates fish stock advice and IEAs for the Baltic Sea. We intentionally focus on the central Baltic Sea and its three major fish stocks cod (Gadus morhua), herring (Clupea harengus), and sprat (Sprattus sprattus), but emphasize that our approach may be applied to other parts and stocks of the Baltic, as well as other ocean areas.
|
|
| 11. |
- Neuenfeldt, Stefan, et al.
(author)
-
Feeding and growth of Atlantic cod (Gadus morhua L.) in the eastern Baltic Sea under environmental change
- 2020
-
In: ICES Journal of Marine Science. - : Oxford University Press (OUP). - 1054-3139 .- 1095-9289. ; 77:2, s. 624-632
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Five decades of stomach content data allowed insight into the development of consumption, diet composition, and resulting somatic growth of Gadus morhua (Atlantic cod) in the eastern Baltic Sea. We show a recent reversal in feeding level over body length. Present feeding levels of small cod indicate severe growth limitation and increased starvation-related mortality. For young cod, the low growth rate and the high mortality rate are manifested through a reduction in size-at-age. The low feeding levels are likely the result of a decrease in benthic prey abundance due to increased hypoxic areas, while decreasing abundances of pelagic species in the area of cod distribution have prevented a compensatory shift in diet. Our study emphasizes that environmental forcing and the decline in pelagic prey caused changes in consumption and growth rates of small cod. The food reduction is amplified by stunted growth leading to high densities of cod of smaller size competing for the scarce resources. The average growth rate is negative, and only individuals with feeding levels well above average will survive, though growing slowly. These results suggest that the relation between consumption rate, somatic growth and predatorprey population densities is strongly environmentally mediated.
|
|
| 12. |
- Neuenfeldt, Stefan, et al.
(author)
-
Review of trophic models for the Baltic Sea
- 2020
-
Reports (other academic/artistic)abstract
- This review aims to be a representative overview over the available types of trophic models in order to investigate, if their output can be used to quantify existing food-web indicators for the EU Marine Strategy Framework Directive (MSFD) . The goal is to obtain a comprehensive picture of the applicability of various model approaches to contribute to achieving MSFD objectives. The work will feed into XWEBS Task 3.3 on ’ Evaluation of the model application potential’. In total we have identified 27 food-web related models with different application areas in the Baltic Sea. We highlight the specific purpose for which each model was designed and the key assumptions underlying each model.The assessment of model applicability here is focused on strengths and gaps of the models to realistically depict size and dynamics of functional groups in the Baltic Sea food web. Based on the latter, we illustrate existing gaps in the models, and assess the extent to which the models can be applied to represent status and dynamics of the Baltic Sea food webs. For the future, we recommend to use an ensemble approach where possible to determine guild biomasses as indicators for food web status. Spatial heterogeneity should be accounted for. This issue should be initiated by collecting all relevant processes in the Baltic Sea, such as source-sinks or coastal-offshore connectivity. The spatial and temporal scale of ecosystem models and potential food web indicators should be aligned as far as possible, and following functional criteria, such as topographic differences and known separated community structures. This way, one can avoid erroneous conclusions that are based on limited data projected over the whole Baltic.
|
|
| 13. |
|
|
| 14. |
- Orio, Alessandro, et al.
(author)
-
Report of the Baltic Fisheries Assessment Working Group (WGBFAS) : 19-26 April 2017, Copenhagen, Denmark
- 2017
-
Reports (other academic/artistic)abstract
- The ICES Baltic Fisheries Assessment Working Group (WGBFAS) met 19-26 April 2017(Chair: Tomas Gröhsler, Germany and Co-chair: Michele Casini, Sweden), with 41 participants and 9 countries represented. The objective of WGBFAS was to assess the status of the following stocks: Sole in Division 3.a, SDs 20–24; Cod in Kattegat, Cod in SDs 22–24, Cod in SDs 25–32; Herring in SDs 25–27, 28.2, 29 and 32, Herring in SD 28.1 (Gulf of Riga), Herring in SDs 30-31 (Gulf of Bothnia); Sprat in SDs 22–32; Plaice in SDs 21–23, Plaice in SDs 24–25; Flounder in SDs 22–23, in SDs 24–25, in SDs 26+28 and SDs 27+29–32; Brill in SDs 22–32, Dab in SDs 22–32 and Turbot in SDs 22–32. WGBFAS also identified the data needed for next year’s data call with some suggestions for improvements in the data call, and stock-specific research needs.The report contains an introduction with the summary of other WGs relevant for the WGBFAS, the methods used, and ecosystem considerations. The results of the analytical stock assessment or survey trends for the species listed above are then presented with all the stocks with the same species in the same sections. The report ends with references, recommendations, links to Stock Annexes and list of Working Documents.The principle analytical models used for the stock assessments were XSA and SAM. For most flatfishes and cod in SDs 25–32 (data limited stocks), CPUE trends from bottomtrawl surveys were used in the assessment (except plaice in SDs 24–25 for which relative SSB from SAM was used). For the data limited stocks, reference points based on length-based indicators were estimated (except cod in SDs 25-32 for which relative reference points were estimated using the SPiCT model). For cod in SDs 25–32, intersessional work was planned to hopefully allow returning to an analytical stock assessment in the near future. Ecosystem changes have been analytically considered in the following stock assessments: Herring in SD 25–27, 28.2, 29 and 32, and Sprat in SD 22–32, in form of cod predation mortality.
|
|
| 15. |
|
|
| 16. |
- van Deurs, Mikael, et al.
(author)
-
Marine ecosystem connectivity mediated by migrant-resident interactions and the concomitant cross-system flux of lipids
- 2016
-
In: Ecology and Evolution. - : John Wiley & Sons. - 2045-7758. ; 6:12, s. 4076-4087
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Accumulating research argues that migrants influence the functioning and productivity of local habitats and ecosystems along migration routes and potentially drive cross-system energy fluxes of considerable magnitude, yet empirical documentation of local ecological effects and descriptions of the underlying mechanisms are surprisingly rare. In this study, we discovered migrant-resident interactions and substantial cross-system lipid transportation in the transition zone between the Baltic Sea and the North Sea where a resident cod population (predators) was found to interact with a herring population (prey) on a seasonal basis. We traced the lipids, using fatty acid trophic markers (FATM), from the herring feeding grounds in the North Sea to the cod livers in the Western Baltic Sea. Time series analysis of population dynamics indicated that population-level production of cod is positively affected by the herring subsidies. However, the underlying mechanisms were more complicated than anticipated. During the herring season, large cod received most of its dietary lipids from the herring, whereas smaller cod were prevented from accessing the lipid pool due to a mismatch in predator-prey size ratio. Furthermore, while the herring were extremely rich in bulk energy, they were surprisingly poor in a specific functional fatty acid. Hence, our study was the first to illustrate how the magnitude cross-system fluxes of subsidies in migrant-resident systems are potentially constrained by the size structure of the resident predator population and the nutritional quality of the migrants.
|
|
