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Workshop on Size-structured Population Models
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EvoFish postdoc David Boukal takes an active role in the organization of the Workshop on Size-structured
Population Models, to be held on 17-19 October 2007 in Umeå, Sweden.
The workshop will bring together nearly 30 scientists from Europe as well as USA.
During three days, they will cover a broad range of topics in the rapidly expanding
and evolving field of size-structured population models. The emphasis of the workshop
will be on various modelling techniques, the interface of ecological and evolutionary
models, and the impact of harvesting on size-structured populations.
The whole program is available at
http://www.math.umu.se/Aktuellt/WorkshopInfo071017.pdf
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| [09.10.2007] |
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Evolution and Marine Protected Areas
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EvoFish postdoc Erin S. Dunlop will give a presentation
at the European Symposium on Marine Protected Areas in
Murcia, Spain, 25-28 September. The presentation will focus on research examining the propensity of
marine protected areas to reduce the amount of fisheries-induced evolution in species with separate
spawning and feeding grounds. The work is done in collaboration with EvoFish group leader
Mikko Heino, with Marissa L. Baskett of the National Center for
Ecological Analysis and Synthesis, and with Ulf Dieckmann of the International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis.
Can marine protected areas alter the evolutionary impacts of fishing in a migratory species?
By Erin S. Dunlop, Marissa L. Baskett,
Mikko Heino, and Ulf Dieckmann.
Abstract: Several recent theoretical and empirical studies have provided evidence that fishing is
capable of inducing evolutionary changes in key life history traits. These evolutionary changes can have
unwanted consequences, such as reduced body sizes in the catch, which might lead to a deterioration of the
quality of the fishery. Therefore, managers need viable options for slowing, stopping, or reversing the
evolutionary consequences of fishing. In this study, we explore one potential management strategy by
developing and analyzing an eco-genetic model aimed at studying the effects of marine reserves on
fishing-induced evolution. Our model advances previous theoretical approaches by including relevant
genetic detail, evolution of multiple life history traits (i.e., maturation age and size, growth capacity,
and reproductive investment), phenotypic plasticity, and density-dependent growth. We parameterize our model
for a population of cod that undergoes an annual migration from feeding grounds to spawning grounds. Using
our model, we explore the consequences of marine reserve location (either in the feeding grounds or in the
spawning grounds), proportion of area protected, and rates of movement on the speed, direction, and
magnitude of evolutionary responses. The results of our model underscore the importance of having an
evolutionary perspective when implementing management strategies aimed at protecting commercially important
fish stocks.
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| [20.09.2007] |
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A FinE Kick-Off in Bergen
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The European Research Network FinE on fisheries-induced evolution launches its
activities with a kick-off meeting 24-28 September at Fjordslottet in Fotlandsvåg
at Osterøy just oustide Bergen. The meeting is hosted and organized by Mikko
Heino. Almost 40 researchers, working with statistics, molecular biology, theoretical
modeling and experiments, will gather for intensive research planning.
FinE includes partners from Austria, Belgium, Canada, Denmark, Finland, France,
Germany, Iceland, Ireland, Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, Spain, and Sweden.
Their objective is ambitious:
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'Phenotypic case studies will document trends in life-history traits,
including maturation, reproductive effort, and growth, relevant for the
demography and productivity of exploited fish populations. Genetic analyses
will elucidate the genetic basis of fisheries-induced evolutionary changes
suggested by phenotypic analysis. Eco-genetic models will be designed for
evaluating alternative hypotheses explaining the observed data; for assessing
the ecological consequences of fisheries-induced evolution for the yield,
stability, and recovery potential of exploited stocks; and for developing and
comparing practical management options.'
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You can read more about the project on
http://www.iiasa.ac.at/Research/EEP/FinE/
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| [18.09.2007] |
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EvoFish presentations at the ICES Annual Science Conference
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Members of EvoFish will give three presentations during the ICES Annual Science
Conference this week in Helsinki:
Wed 19.09 08:30: Mikko Heino and Sondre Aanes:
Local spatial heterogeneity in blue whiting length structure
Thu 20.09 11:45: Mikko Heino and Ulf Dieckmann:
Fisheries-induced selection as a driver of biodiversity change in exploited populations
Thu 20.09 12:15: Katja Enberg and Mikko Heino:
Fisheries-induced life history changes in herring
In addition, Mikko Heino is coauthoring the following presentation which, will be given
by Dorothy Dankel at the Institue of Marine Research in Bergen, Norway:
Thu 20.09 16:50: Dorothy J. Dankel, Ulf Dieckmann, and Mikko Heino:
Success in fishery management using harvest control rules derived from reconciling
stakeholder objectives
Read more about the conference at http://www.ices.dk/iceswork/asc/2007/index.asp
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| [16.09.2007] |
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Can Fisheries-Induced Evolution Disrupt Mating Systems?
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In a forthcoming article in Bulletin of Marine Science, our former Masters
Student Shahaama A. Sattar and co-workers present a model that predicts that the
benefits of being hermaphrodite disappears under heavy fishing, potentially leading to
the evolution of separate sexes.
Briefly, the shortened life expectancy removes the benefit of being the large male
that is superior in competition for matings with females. Because most males would
die much before reaching that stage, the evolutionary outcome predicted by their model
is that half the individuals skip the initial period as female, and rather start their
reproductive life directly as males. Read the preprint version of the manuscript for more
details.
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S.A. Sattar,
C. Jørgensen, and
Ø. Fiksen.
In press.
Fisheries-induced evolution of energy- and sex-allocation
Bulletin of Marine Science
[ preprint ] |
Shahaama now works in the Maldivian government with management of marine living resources, including groupers.
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| [15.09.2007] |
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Theme Section on Fisheries-Induced Evolution in MEPS
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The April issue of Marine Ecology Progress Series presented a theme section discussing
probabilistic maturation reaction norms and their application in fisheries science.
Among other things, it featured a review by Ulf Dieckmann and Mikko Heino:
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U. Dieckmann and M. Heino.
2007.
Probabilistic maturation reaction norms: their history, strengths, and limitations
Marine Ecology-Progress Series 335: 253-269.
[ pdf ]
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Other contributors to the theme section, in addition to the editors C.T. Marshall
and H.I. Browman, are: M.A. Fukawaka, S.B.M. Kraak, R. Law, B.J. McAdam, K. Morita, J.E.Thorpe,
and P.J. Wright.
The whole Theme Section can be downloaded for free by following this link:
http://www.int-res.com/articles/theme/m335_TS.pdf
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| [10.09.2007] |
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Back to Evofish web pages
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Johanna Myrseth
