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Welcome
All are welcome! The event will not be streamed or recorded. No pre-registration required.
Programme
10.15-10.30. Opening remarks
10.30-11.10. The importance of within-species biodiversity in management of a Skagerrak under change
Pierre de Wit, University of Gothenburg, Department of Marine Science, Tjärnö Marine Laboratory, Sweden
11.10-11.20. Q&A
11.20-12.00. The puzzles of the Atlantic cod continuum and cryptic ecotypes: Implications for sustainable management programmes?
Sissel Jentoft, CEES, Department of Biosciences, University of Oslo, Norway
12.00-12.10. Q&A
12.10-12.55. Break (You are welcome to visit the small Darwin Day exhibition in the Science Library)
12.55-13.05. Announcing the winner of the Darwin Prize
Nils Chr. Stenseth, CEES, Department of Biosciences & The Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences, University of Oslo, Norway
13.05-13.45. 130 years of ecosystem change in Oslofjord and Skagerrak: Can we turn the trends?
Even Moland, Institute of Marine Research/University of Agder, Norway
13.45-13.55. Q&A
13.55-14.35. Oslofjord and Skagerrak: A political ecosystem collapse
Rasmus Hansson, Member of Parliament and biologist, Norway
14.35-14.45. Q&A
14.45-14.50. Closing remarks
Kjetill S. Jakobsen, CEES, Department of Biosciences, University of Oslo, Norway
Abstracts and biographies
Pierre de Wit
University of Gothenburg, Department of Marine Science, Tjärnö Marine Laboratory, Sweden
Lecture title
The importance of within-species biodiversity in management of a Skagerrak under change
Abstract
The global biodiversity crisis has now been internationally recognized to have fundamental consequences for the future of our societies, and recent efforts such as the global biodiversity framework adopted at the COP15 in Montreal in 2022 highlight the gravity of the threat. However, not only biodiversity at the species level is under threat, but also within-species genetic biodiversity which provides the foundation for species’ abilities to adapt to environmental change. The genetic structuring of species into populations, among which genetic exchange is limited, has fundamental consequences for our efforts to manage natural resources, not least in the marine environment. For example, subdivided populations are more sensitive to overharvesting, and may be adapted to local conditions which could make them either more or less sensitive to projected future environmental change. Thus, management efforts should focus on the population- rather than species- level in most cases. In this presentation, I will give an overview of the current state of knowledge of how a wide variety of marine species in the Skagerrak are structured geographically and how they are connected to the rest of the world, and also discuss management implications.
Biography
I am a researcher at the University of Gothenburg, interested in the study of evolution at all levels, from adaptations to local environments and population genetics to how species form, and I work with genomic and transcriptomic methods to study DNA sequences and stress responses of marine organisms. One major goal of my work is to understand where and why barriers to gene flow occur in the marine environment, and their implications for management efforts. Lack of exchange of genetic material among geographic areas might for example result in isolated fish stocks that need to be managed separately, or in locally adapted populations that may respond to future climate change in different ways. My current work focuses mostly on bivalves (mussels and oysters), but I also work with other types of marine invertebrates, seagrasses and algae.
de Wit's profile page at University of Gothenburg
Sissel Jentoft
CEES/Department of Biosciences, University of Oslo, Norway
Lecture title
The puzzles of the Atlantic cod continuum and cryptic ecotypes: Implications for sustainable management programmes
Abstract
The revolutionary advancements within genomic tools and bioinformatics have the past years provided great insight into biological and evolutionary processes. Nevertheless, their implementation in conservation genetics and adaptive management programs – especially within marine ecosystems – has not yet been applied to any large extent. In this presentation I will elaborate on our findings on the iconic and economically important Atlantic cod (Gadus morhua): the population structuring, the cryptic ecotypes, and why I think this information should be taken into consideration when further evaluating the long-term implications of the species’ services at the community and ecosystem level. However, more research is still needed, and I will in my presentation highlight the Skagerrak, Kattegat and Oslofjord initiative: A research collaborative effort where we aim at using an integrative approach combining multiple research disciplines, e.g. genomics, ecological monitoring (behavioral recordings and fitness measurements, eDNA and metabarcoding), oceanography, statistics and ecological modelling – to provide new and profound knowledge which is urgently needed to improve our understanding of the ecological and evolutionary consequences of climatic change for key coastal species such as the Atlantic cod.
Biography
Since I started working at CEES in 2009 my main research interest has been within marine comparative genomics, behavioral and functional genomics as well as population genomics. I use recent advancement in high-throughput sequencing technologies to understand how genomes are influenced by adaptation to changing climates and environments. So far, most of my research have focused on Atlantic cod and some of its close relatives within the order of Gadiformes in relation to their adaptation to different environments; i.e. temperature/depth and salinity as well as biological factors such as behavior (migratory vs. non-migratory) and age and size at maturation. I have over the past years been playing a central role in several research projects at CEES. Here, I would like to emphasize the AquaGenome project – where the overall goal was to follow in the footsteps of the 1000 Genomes Project by sequencing 1000 cod genomes from a variety of locations and from individuals with a wide variety of traits to provide a deep catalog of genetic variation in these species, the CodS project focusing on cataloguing the Atlantic cod stocks inhabiting the Skagerrak, Kattegat and the Oslofjord and the western coast of Sweden as well as the large national initiative The Nansen Legacy (https://arvenetternansen.com), where the overarching goal is to establish a holistic understanding of a changing marine Arctic climate and ecosystem.
Jentoft's profile page at CEES
Even Moland
Institute of Marine Research/University of Agder, Norway
Lecture title
130 years of ecosystem change in Oslofjord and Skagerrak: Can we turn the trends?
Abstract
Marine ecosystems in coastal oceans have undergone dramatic changes in the past century, and the Oslofjord and Skagerrak Sea are no exceptions. Effects of early harvesting, technological development of fisheries and subsequent overfishing predates the onset of modern threats to marine ecosystems commonly associated with densely populated areas and industrialized regions. However, such changes can be difficult to interpret without information from historical data on past abundance, occurrence, and size distributions of marine populations. In Skagerrak, the lack of spatially sensitive fisheries management has resulted in ecosystem decline and serial depletion of once productive local populations with no signs of recovery. However, fisheries conservation science hold promises for restoration of populations and ecosystem function. Brave management actions are urgently needed to scale up conservation and demonstrate the potential of such actions in Skagerrak. Rebuilding marine ecosystems and setting fisheries on a path towards holistic sustainability in Skagerrak is a grand decadal challenge that should be pursued to ensure resilient coping with increasing temperature and environmental variability.
Biography
Moland’s research spans several disciplines in marine science, from evolutionary ecology of aquatic organisms to fisheries conservation science. He is part of an active team that has focused on the contrast between harvesting and protection of marine coastal species, and the consequences for individuals and populations. He is interested in effects of restoring natural age- and size structure in harvested populations on survival, reproduction, and recruitment. Additionally, he is interested in the study of marine animal movement behaviors and habitat selection in relation to life stage and survival, and its bearing on marine reserve design and effectiveness. Recently, he has been actively engaged in science and outreach addressing the depleted ecosystem in Skagerrak and the Oslo fjord. As a scientific diver he promotes SCUBA diving as an essential research tool in marine ecology.
Moland's profile page at Institute of Marine Research
Rasmus Hansson
Member of Parliament and biologist, Norway
Lecture title
Oslofjord and Skagerrak: A political ecosystem collapse
Biography
Rasmus Hansson is a Norwegian biologist, civil servant, environmental activist and a former national spokesperson for the Green Party. He led the Norwegian chapter of World Wide Fund for Nature from 2000 to 2012. In 2013, he was elected to the Parliament of Norway as the first representative for the Green Party. (Source: Wikipedia.)