Using size spectrum ecosystem models to investigate the impact of climate change on marine systems and global fisheries

Image credit: John Moeses Bauan

Climate change is expected to lead to the decline of phytoplankton production in the ocean, and thus a decline in fisheries in the future. However, our recent work on better-resolving zooplankton in ecosystem models using ZooMSS (Zooplankton Model of Size Spectra) has challenged this idea. This work suggests that changes in zooplankton in response might mitigate future impacts on fisheries. This work will explore the impact of climate change on marine ecosystems and ultimately how fisheries globally will be affected. We are looking for a motivated student with a strong background in mathematics and coding to work on this project.

Anthony J. Richardson
Anthony J. Richardson
Professor, Head of Mathematical Marine Ecology Lab