Ecosystem modelling

Part of: Marine ecosystems management

Area of Expertise:
Services:

In order to assess the effectiveness of management strategies in an ecosystem context, ecosystem models that integrate the combined effects of ecological processes through trophic interactions, environmental change and human pressures have been developed in many regions of the world. These sophisticated models represent the entire ecosystem and are used to explore the important interactions between species and their environment affecting fishery management.

AFBI expertise

AFBI with their extensive fisheries and oceanographic datasets are working to develop these models in the Irish Sea. These models will be used to quantify and build our understanding of the ecological role each major fish species plays in the ecosystem.

They allow us to quantify the sensitivity to a range of fishing pressures, taking account of multi-species effects and changes in reproduction, growth and recruitment and changes in fishing pattern (fleets, gears, operations, and targeting), due to management actions.