Comparative analysis of marine ecosystems: international production modelling workshop.
Understanding the drivers that dictate the productivity of marine ecosystems continues to be a globally important issue. A vast literature identifies three main processes that regulate the production dynamics of such ecosystems: biophysical, exploitative and trophodynamic. Exploring the prominence among this 'triad' of drivers, through a synthetic analysis, is critical for understanding how marine ecosystems function and subsequently produce fisheries resources of interest to humans. To explore this topic further, an international workshop was held on 10-14 May 2010, at the National Academy of Science's Jonsson Center in Woods Hole, MA, USA. The workshop compiled the data required to develop production models at different hierarchical levels (e.g. species, guild, ecosystem) for many of the major Northern Hemisphere marine ecosystems that have supported notable fisheries. Analyses focused on comparable total system biomass production, functionally equivalent species production, or simulation studies for 11 different marine fishery ecosystems. Workshop activities also led to new analytical tools. Preliminary results suggested common patterns driving overall fisheries production in these ecosystems, but also highlighted variation in the relative importance of each among ecosystems.
Link
Jason S
JS
Northeast Fisheries Science Center, Woods Hole, MA 02543, USA. jason.link@noaa.gov
Megrey
Bernard A
BA
Miller
Thomas J
TJ
Essington
Tim
T
Boldt
Jennifer
J
Bundy
Alida
A
Moksness
Erlend
E
Drinkwater
Ken F
KF
Perry
R Ian
RI
D000818:Animals; D018533:Biomass; D017753:Ecosystem; D005398:Fisheries; D008386:Marine Biology; D008954:Models, Biological; D011157:Population Dynamics