Midway evaluation in Biology - Francesco Golin

Title of thesis: Between the Atlantic and the Arctic: Icelandic groundfish community dynamics across depths and their implications for marine conservation and management.

Student: Francesco Golin

Doctoral committee: 
Dr. Haseeb Randhawa, Professor at the Faculty of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Iceland
Dr. Ingibjörg G. Jónsdóttir, Marine Biologist at the Marine and Freshwater Research Institute, Iceland
Dr. Julian M. Burgos, Marine Biologist at the Marine and Freshwater Research Institute, Iceland
Dr. Martin O. Lindegren, Professor at the National Institute of Aquatic Resources and the Centre for Ocean Life, DTU Aqua, Denmark

Abstract

Marine ecosystems worldwide are threatened by climate change and fisheries overexploitation. Species often respond to these stressors with changes in their occurrence and abundance patterns, which changes the composition of biological communities and the functioning of ecosystems. Shifts in distribution have already been observed in different subarctic regions and at different depths, posing the risk of losses in biodiversity and ecosystem services. This ongoing project investigates how environmental conditions and human activity influence the composition of Icelandic marine demersal and bathydemersal fish communities. We use a joint species distribution (JSDM) model to assess the influence of several natural and anthropogenic drivers on fish species distribution, and trait-based indices to quantify community sensitivity to seawater temperature and fishing pressure. By integrating these two approaches, the project aims to outline priority areas for conservation, now and in the future (2030 and 2050). The results will support informed spatial planning in Icelandic seas and contribute to achieve the 30x30 biodiversity target in a way that will provide long-term positive effects on both marine ecosystems and society.