Research themes within the research area Marine Populations and Ecosystem Dynamics.
Fishes’ black box: How can the chronological information stored in fish otoliths be used to infer knowledge on fish growth, habitat use and movement?
We want to understand how physical and chemical properties of the environment interact with biological processes to regulate otolith biomineralization and chemical composition. This knowledge allows conclusions on vital rates such as growth, but also behaviour in relation to temperature and hypoxia as well as migrations.
Contact: Professor Karin Hüssy
Species interactions and resulting population dynamics: How important are predator and prey behaviors?
Group behavior results in predator-prey spatial overlap and encounter rates. We investigate how individuality develops and if interaction strength on the population scale is determined by evolutionary optimized behavioral strategies in a variable environment. We use lab experiments as well as data storage tags, trawl data, acoustics data and stomach data.
Contact: Senior Researcher Stefan Neuenfeldt
Operational ecology: How well can we forecast fish population dynamics?
Climate change, climate variability and climatic events, such as marine heat waves, shape ecosystems in an increasing extent. We develop and apply ecological forecasting products that aid decision makers for both tactical and strategic management of resources.
Contact: Professor Ken Haste Andersen and Senior Researcher Stefan Neuenfeldt
Marine macroecology: How can we explain statistical patterns of abundance, distribution and diversity at large spatial scales?
Fish population ecology processes and dynamics are subjected to effects of climate change, exploitation and eutrophication. We investigate the macro-scale consequences of these effects, often using historic data, or applying a comparative approach on arctic, temperate and tropic ecosystems.
Contact: Professor Brian MacKenzie and Senior Researcher Martin Lindegren
Life in the ocean: How will fish respond to environmental change?
With our increasing awareness and concern for human impact on the marine environment and its role in regulating global climate, the need for predicting the future of life in the ocean becomes pressing. We develop theoretical marine ecology and use trait-based approaches to predict consequences of global change. Examples include the importance of bentho-pelagic coupling processes for the structure of marine fish communities and energy flow, analyzing global data of fish growth and fisheries catches, evolutionary consequences of fisheries as well as food-web dynamics in a changing world.
Contact: Professor Ken Haste Andersen
Ecology and evolution of a notorious invader: Is invasion success influenced by rapid adaptation to global change?
Marine invasive species have globally increasing biological and economic impacts. However, evolutionary and genetic mechanisms favoring range expansion and invasiveness remain poorly understood. We investigate the environmental envelope of the invasive comb jelly Mnemiopsis leidyi and conduct adaptive evolution experiments. The key question is if Mnemiopsis leidyi might be able to adapt to current physiological constraints which limit its distribution range.
Contact: Senior Researcher Cornelia Jaspers