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Time-dynamic food web modeling to explore environmental drivers of ecosystem change on the Kerguelen Plateau
Citation
Subramaniam, RC and Melbourne-Thomas, J and Corney, SP and Alexander, K and Peron, C and Ziegler, P and Swadling, KM, Time-dynamic food web modeling to explore environmental drivers of ecosystem change on the Kerguelen Plateau, Frontiers in Marine Science, 7 Article 641. ISSN 2296-7745 (2020) [Refereed Article]
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Copyright Statement
Copyright 2020 Subramaniam, Melbourne-Thomas, Corney, Alexander, Pιron, Ziegler and Swadling. Licensed under Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0) https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
DOI: doi:10.3389/fmars.2020.00641
Abstract
Understanding the impacts of climate and fishing on marine systems is important for ecosystem-based management in the Southern Ocean, but can be difficult to evaluate due to patchy data in space and time. We developed the first time-dynamic food web model for the Kerguelen Plateau using Ecopath with Ecosim to explore likely drivers of change in this relatively data-poor region. The Kerguelen Plateau is located at the centre of intersecting frontal systems and is inhabited by one of the largest populations of the commercially important Patagonian toothfish. We used this model to evaluate the environmental and human drivers of food web dynamics in the region by calibrating it with French and Australian fisheries data from 19972018 and biomass data for the period 19862018. Fishing was not identified as a driver of food web dynamics within this model, which could indicate that current management strategies are sustainable. A correlation analysis with environmental parameters likely to drive food web dynamics (sea surface temperature, zonal wind, Southern Annular Mode and chlorophyll a concentration) highlighted cool sea surface temperature, higher zonal wind speeds and negative phases of the Southern Annular Mode as important drivers of change, particularly during the summer. As the Southern Ocean is predicted to warm and winds are expected to intensify under future climate change, our study illustrates the importance of considering environmental change in ecosystem management.
Item Details
| Item Type: | Refereed Article |
|---|---|
| Keywords: | Ecosim, environmental drivers, ecosystem change, Kerguelen Plateau, Patagonian toothfish fishery |
| Research Division: | Biological Sciences |
| Research Group: | Ecology |
| Research Field: | Marine and estuarine ecology (incl. marine ichthyology) |
| Objective Division: | Animal Production and Animal Primary Products |
| Objective Group: | Fisheries - wild caught |
| Objective Field: | Wild caught fin fish (excl. tuna) |
| UTAS Author: | Subramaniam, RC (Miss Roshni Subramaniam) |
| UTAS Author: | Melbourne-Thomas, J (Dr Jessica Melbourne-Thomas) |
| UTAS Author: | Corney, SP (Dr Stuart Corney) |
| UTAS Author: | Alexander, K (Dr Karen Alexander) |
| UTAS Author: | Swadling, KM (Associate Professor Kerrie Swadling) |
| ID Code: | 140875 |
| Year Published: | 2020 |
| Web of Science® Times Cited: | 3 |
| Deposited By: | Sustainable Marine Research Collaboration |
| Deposited On: | 2020-09-14 |
| Last Modified: | 2022-04-11 |
| Downloads: | 13 View Download Statistics |
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