Upload
aileen-miles
View
215
Download
0
Embed Size (px)
DESCRIPTION
Nutrients-Phytoplankton- Zooplankton Experimental system with rotifers and algae. Can set of differential equations explain observed changes in “ecosystem”? Despite simplicity and knowledge, difficult to recreate ecosystem dynamics.
Citation preview
Ecosystem Modeling and Related Work at the SEFSC
Summarized byJosh Sladek Nowlis
30 August 2007
Multispecies Virtual Population Analysis
• Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission-based effort
• Can the recovery of predators (bluefish, striped bass, weakfish) explain menhaden decline?
Nutrients-Phytoplankton-Zooplankton
• Experimental system with rotifers and algae.
• Can set of differential equations explain observed changes in “ecosystem”?
• Despite simplicity and knowledge, difficult to recreate ecosystem dynamics.
Habitat and Stock Assessments
• Stephens and MacCall (2004) technique adopted.
• Uses species assemblages when standardizing fishery-dependent catch rates.
• Assumption is that assemblages indicate the habitat or habitats fished.
Estuarine Habitat
• Productivity of crustaceans (brown shrimp, white shrimp, blue crab) in TX, LA marsh habitat explained and valued by understanding performance related to physical features and habitat quality.
• Pink shrimp in FL Bay…growth and survival as a function of salinity and temperature.
• Similar multispecies effort focused on understanding effects of freshwater flows.
• Significant (p<0.01) effect of inundation and map type
Map typeSolid
Coarse FineOpen
# su
b-ad
ult e
xpor
ts(th
ousa
nds) 300
400500600700800900
InundationLA/LA
LA/TXTX/LA
TX/TX
yz
x
w
Map locationLouisiana Texas
300400500600700800900
x xyy
z
x x
Production and Marsh Habitat
Survival
Growth
Simulated potential harvest
Pink Shrimp Performance
Pelagic and Benthic Habitat
• Oceanographic conditions used to predict abundance and distribution of marine mammals and fish.
• Benthic habitat categories used in Seaflower Biosphere Reserve, Colombia to develop enormous marine protected area network zoned representatively.
The goal is to develop spatially explicit predictionsof animal density and abundance
8 10 12 14 16 18 20 22 24SST
-35
-30
-25
-20
-15
-10
-5
Dep
th
0.0010
0.0020
0.0030 0.0040
0.0050 0.0060
0.00
70
Sightings fromSurveys
Empirical models of the species-environmentrelationship Project these into space
as a density surface
Marine Mammal Habitat Approach
Habitats And Fish• Fish assemblages also corresponded well to a priori
habitat definitions.
-0.5
0.0
0.5
1.0
1.5
2.0
2.5
-0.5 0.0 0.5 1.0 1.5 2.0 2.5 3.0
5GR
Seagrass
4WF
6WF5WF
3WF
1WF2WF
5LG
3WC2WC
1WC
2LP
1LP
6LP
3LP
4LP
3WM
5LP3LS
4LS6LS
5LS 2LS1LS
Mangroves
Forereef
Gorgonian
Crest
Leeward slope
Patch reefs
Ecopath with Ecosim
• Examining effects of apex predator depletion in the Gulf of Mexico.
• Studying potential ecological effects of marine reserve establishment in Puerto Rico.
Complementary Increases
Council EwE Efforts
• Both Gulf of Mexico and South Atlantic Fishery Management Councils are leading EwE efforts.
• In both cases, lead outside scientists check in with Science Center staff on occasion; however, much information conveyed directly to Council staff.
• Potential for problems. Better if the Center would/could take the lead.
Relevant Empirical Data
• Studying snapper-grouper assemblage structure and its spatial distribution in the US South Atlantic.
• Using differential fishing pressure to perform preliminary assessments of large assemblage of Hawaiian shallow water coral reef fishes.
Fishing, Ecology, and Stock Status
Maximum length
Trophic level
Consumption pressure
ln(Stock status) Mobility
Ornamental pressure
-6
-4
-2
0
2
4
6
8
-6 -4 -2 0 2 4 6 8 10
PCA 1
PCA
2
Summary
• Data limitations pose problems, present opportunities.
• Lack of formal Center-wide program is setting up some potential challenges.
• Nonetheless, individual initiative means that the Center does a moderate amount of ecosystem-based work.