Impacts of Climate Change and Fishing on Swimming-Length Dependent Biomass Dynamics in Marine Ecosystems

Presenter

Elizabeth Naomi Belezaire

Campus

UMass Amherst

Sponsor

Adrian Jordaan, Department of Environmental Conservation, UMass Amherst

Schedule

Session 1, 10:30 AM - 11:15 AM [Schedule by Time][Poster Grid for Time/Location]

Location

Poster Board A20, Campus Center Auditorium, Row 1 (A1-A20) [Poster Location Map]

Abstract

Ecosystem connectivity is necessary for functioning ecosystems across varying spatial scales. The significance of ecological connectivity has grown in importance over time. As we continue to face challenges of overexploitation and fragmentation, there is a concerning trend of declining biodiversity and biomass. Connectivity potential of species is reliant on factors such as biomass, geographical distribution and movement capacity. Body size links both biological and ecological functioning through facilitating the transfer of energy across boundaries from inland to offshore ecosystems. Examining the following species from the Gulf of Maine: Atlantic Cod (Gadus morhua), Haddock (Melanogrammus aeglefinus), Manhanden (Brevoortia tyrannus), and Atlantic Herring (Clupea harengus), this study aims to explore how fishing and climate induced changes in body length over time can affect the dynamic flow of biomass in marine ecosystems.The study involved developing a dataset of changes in fish body length from the National Marine Fisheries Service Trawl survey data, and adding a fish swimming speed coefficient into the analysis. A swimming speed-length relationship was developed to estimate the changes in biomass flux over time as length changes. The study findings can provide scientists and fisheries managers a better understanding of the underlying mechanisms in mitigating the consequences of connectivity loss on ecosystems. Additionally, better accounting of human-induced activities, specifically overfishing, on the patterns and behaviors of migratory fish can help mitigate the negative impacts of connectivity losses.

Keywords

Marine Ecosystem Connectivity , Dynamic Flow of Biomass, Overfishing , Swim speed-Length Relationship, Climate Change

Research Area

Environment Effects on Ecosystems

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