MICO: Match-mismatch of trophic levels (completed)

Match-mismatching of trophic levels as a structuring force of ecosystems

About the project

This project studied ecosystem functioning using the match-mismatch hypothesis as a framework and three different marine ecosystems with focus on seabirds as examples. The marine ecosystems chosen - the Southern Ocean, the Barents Sea and the Benguela Upwelling - are highly sensitive to climate variability, and the two latter are important fishing areas and thereby also subject to anthropogenic constraints. The project involves several collaborative national and international projects. Our main goal is to investigate the vulnerability of marine systems to environmental changes, using seabirds, which are among these ecosystems' main top consumers,as indicators. The main tool is statistical modelling of French, South-African and Russian seabird data, using the ecological, oceanographic and statistical modelling expertise assembled. Our project is also particularly timely due to the major role of these oceans in carbon cycling and the global climate, and because their ecosystems are among those with the largest production of fish biomass and seabird biodiversity on our planet.

Financing

This project is funded by the Research Council of Norway

Collaborators

World Wildlife Fund Russia

DEPE/CNRS (France)

IRD, CRH (France)

Marine and Coastal Management (South Africa)

Institute of Marine Research

Murmansk Marine Biological Institute (Russia)

 

Period

Start: 1.1.2008. End: 31.01.2012.

 

Published Apr. 23, 2012 4:45 PM - Last modified Mar. 13, 2024 12:19 PM

Participants

Detailed list of participants