Process-based understanding of changes in fish distributions, including especially in order to distinguish and quantify the role of natural drivers and anthropogenic impacts, is still an increasingly challenging research topic with high relevance to resource management. The overall objective of the project is to advance the knowledge base and develop quantitative measures to evaluate consequences of spatial and temporal heterogeneity in the Baltic Sea for an ecosystem-based management of the major fishery resources. The overarching tasks are to: 1) increase knowledge on the habitat requirements of different life stages of cod, herring, sprat and flounder, and identify conditions under which the connectivity between different life stages? habitats is at risk, 2) account for processes shaping spatial and temporal heterogeneity of habitats and distributions of fish in an ecosystem-based management. The methods used will be a combination of dedicated field studies by involving fishermen, and process studies by means of multidisciplinary approaches, results of which will feed into fish stock assessment and ecosystem models made spatially explicit for the first time in the Baltic Sea. In addition to multidisciplinary science and high management relevance, the project also includes an extensive outreach component to ensure a wide dissemination of the results. Importantly, stakeholder involvement starts already at the data generation phase and continues till the end of the project. Tavoitteet 1. To quantify processes generating heterogeneity in spatial distributions of cod, herring, sprat and flounder. This means to quantify habitat associations of the focal species at different life stages. 2. To quantify and map potential hazards to the connectivity between identified key habitats, and assess the impact of anthropogenic and climatic environmental changes on habitat connectivity. 3. To quantify the population dynamics and interactions of the focal species in a spatially explicit context. 4. To develop spatially explicit advice for ecosystem-based fisheries management of Baltic cod, herring, sprat and flounder, accounting for the spatial heterogeneity in fish distributions. Tulokset INSPIRE proposes pilot ecosystem field surveys that helps resolving the habitat requirements of different life-stages of the focal species by combined use of traditional methods and application of modern advanced analysis/modelling techniques, for example otolith microchemistry and biochemical techniques. The surveys are conducted in close collaboration with local fishers. Their inclusion will strengthen then participatory spirit in the implementation of INSPRE results into ecosystem- based fisheries management, and improve the data collection.
INSPIRE research is conducted in a matrix approach with four species specific case (cod, herring, sprat and flounder) and five research work-packages. The work packages deal with (i) habitat requirements and survival probability for different life stages, (ii) connectivity between habitat occupied in successive life stages, (iii) spatial scaling from local events to regional population dynamics, (iv) spatially explicit analytical stock assessments (including a comprehensive flatfish programme), and (v) ecosystem-based management and Marine Strategy Framework Directive indicators.
Moving beyond existing knowledge, INSPIRE will for the major Baltic fish species take the leap from homogeneous to heterogeneous population dynamics, by accounting for spatial heterogeneity in population models and ecosystem-based fisheries management. Spatial heterogeneity, defined as changes in the abundance of fish over space, which are not explainable by simple random (Poissonian) variability, can have different causes. The overall approach of INSPIRE is mechanistic in the sense that we aim to understand these causes and the underlying processes generating spatial heterogeneity, but also estimate its magnitude. Vaikuttavuus INSPIRE will generate new data and operational models that allow making projections on spatial distributions of Baltic key commercial fish species on different spatial and temporal scales, and their integration in analytical assessments and ecosystem-based fisheries management. Moreover, as the main providers of management advice on Baltic fish stocks, INSPIRE partners are also able to translate these model outputs into urgently needed advice on how best to move beyond spatially homogeneous approach of current fishery and ecosystem assessments, and adopt spatially explicit ecosystem-oriented management. The INSPIRE project is thus addressing major research objectives set forth by the revised Common Fisheries Policy, the Marine Strategy Directive (2008/56/EC), the EU Marine and Maritime Research Strategy, the HELCOM Baltic Sea Action Plan, and the BONUS research agenda. Vastaava tutkija Kallasvuo Meri, Finnish Game and Fisheries Research Institute Yhteistyötahot UT-EMI Estonia, DTU Aqua Denmark, MIR-PIB Poland, BIOR Latvia, TI-OF Germany, UHAM Germany, GEOMAR Germany, SU Sweden, SLU Sweden, LU Sweden, ARSGOTU Sweden Hankkeen kesto 2014 - 2017 Hankkeen vaihe: päättynyt
In English
|