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Publication Highlights

Seasonal phytoplankton blooms in the North Atlantic linked to the overwintering strategies of copepods

“Seasonal phytoplankton blooms in the North Atlantic linked to the overwintering strategies of copepods,” co-authored by Nereus Fellow Rebecca Asch (Princeton University), was recently published in Elementa: Science of the Anthropocene. The paper looks at when and how long phytoplankton blooms occur in the North Atlantic. The authors found a correlation between spring bloom start days and the duration of the bloom, with early blooms lasting longer.

Interactions between global biodiversity conservation treaties

Richard Caddell, Nereus Fellow at Utrecht, has contributed a chapter entitled “‘Only connect’? Regime interaction and global biodiversity conservation” to the Research Handbook on Biodiversity and Law, to be published June 2016. The chapter looks at a number of different treaties that deal with biodiversity — international agreements that address the conservation of particular species and ecosystems.

Impacts of climate change on marine fisheries, aquaculture, coastal tourism, and human health: an update

The Fifth Assessment Report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), released in 2013 and 2014, highlighted the vulnerability, impacts and adaptation of marine systems to climate change and ocean acidification. As this field of research is constantly building and evolving, “Observed and projected impacts of climate change on marine fisheries, aquaculture, coastal tourism, and human health: an update” was recently published as an update of findings since the release of the report.

Temperature-based targeting in a multispecies fishery under climate change

The paper “Temperature-based targeting in a multispecies fishery under climate change” was recently published in Fisheries Oceanography by Nereus Program Fellow Daniel Dunn (Duke University) and Principal Investigator Patrick Halpin (Duke University). The study looked at whether the bottom temperature of the water, in spring and fall, affected the distribution of Atlantic cod in the USA Northeast compared to other species of fish.

Investigating ideal fishing conditions for tuna and swordfish in the U.S. northwest Atlantic ocean

Recently published in Fisheries Oceanography by Nereus Alumnus Andre Boustany (Duke University) and Principal Investigator Patrick Halpin (Duke University) was the study “Tuna and swordfish catch in the U.S. northwest Atlantic longline fishery in relation to mesoscale eddies”. This research looks at the effects of different variables on the catch of tuna and swordfish — including mesoscale eddies, which are a type of ocean current, sea surface temperature and fishing gear used.

Climate change could cut First Nations fisheries’ catch in half

First Nations fisheries’ catch could decline by nearly 50 per cent by 2050, according to a new study examining the threat of climate change to the food and economic security of indigenous communities along coastal British Columbia, Canada.

“Climate change is likely to lead to declines in herring and salmon, which are among the most important species commercially, culturally, and nutritionally for First Nations,” said Lauren Weatherdon, who conducted the study when she was a UBC graduate student. “This could have large implications for communities who have been harvesting these fish and shellfish for millennia.”