Background
Marine ecology is in rapid change: in all its sub-disciplines there is a fast development of new concepts and technologies. This development leads in turn to a further specialisation in even narrower sub-disciplines. However, facing climate change, loss in biodiversity and other anthropogenic effects, the overall challenge for environmental science is to integrate knowledge from all sub-disciplines.Over the past few years, mathematical modelling has therefore become a necessary tool to counteract this fragmentation, and to allow knowledge from a range of sub-disciplines to be combined within a single framework. Yet, while marine ecological modelling is a sub-discipline in itself, with its own developing concepts and methodologies, it should not be pursued in isolation. Rather, modelling, field investigations and laboratory studies should be performed in parallel, as these three approaches each represent unique possibilities to enhance our understanding of Nature. Laboratory investigations can be used to study details of effects of single factors, but cannot reveal the effect of each factor in a complex ecosystem. Field studies can measure this complexity, but only as local snapshots and with only circumstantial evidence of the underlying forces. These forces, as well as spatial and temporal coverage, can be studied by ecological modelling, but only by simplifications in representations of processes and actors. Progress in our understanding of the marine environment therefore requires continuous exchange of ideas and results between these three research approaches. This division of labour is the basic philosophy of the research group in marine ecology at the University of Bergen (UoB), where ecological modelling is the umbrella that embraces and links closely related environmental and ecological sub-disciplines.
The Bergen Advanced Training Site in Marine Ecology (BATMARE) consists of closely interrelated research units working together to offer interdisciplinary education and training in marine environmental and ecological science through research. BATMARE will offer doctoral training in studies of marine processes, ecosystems and interactions, covering the range from microbial ecology to macroplankton and fish, and from physical and organismal processes to ecosystem dynamics. This wide perspective is needed to improve our understanding of the interactions of ecological processes in marine ecosystems. And this wide perspective can be integrated by ecological modelling, which is the core rationale in BATMARE. The research area of BATMARE is highly relevant for the EESD programme, especially for RTD priorities 3.1.1 and 3.1.3.
UoB hosts the oldest, largest and most broad-based marine research institutions among the universities in Norway, and Bergen (with UoB, Institute of Marine Research and Nansen Environmental and Remote Sensing Centre) is by far the most important city for marine research and education in Norway. The strength of the training site is that UoB scientists in physical and chemical oceanography, taxonomy, genetics, physiology, animal behaviour, microbiology, marine biology and ecological modelling work together, and that the BATMARE research approach covers the full range from single-factor laboratory experiments through mesoscale and field studies to ecological modelling.
BATMARE has long traditions in interdisciplinary studies in marine environment and ecology. The cooperation is most evident in the interdisciplinary postgraduate and doctoral study in marine ecological modelling, which includes teachers and courses from four UoB departments. Further examples are research projects on coupled hydrodynamical-biological simulation models, geophysical-biological investigations in effects of freshwater discharge to fjords, geophysical and biological studies of impact of turbulence upon phytoplankton and zooplankton feeding, microbiological and plankton-ecological investigations of algal blooms, and statistical and biological aspects of experimental design. Finally, several of our research facilities are designed for interdisciplinarity, the research vessels are equipped for the full range from physical oceanography to fish ecology, and the Marine Biology Station is equipped for mesocosm experiments in physical oceanography, microbiology and plankton ecology.
General scientific and environmental advantages
The University of Bergen is situated ideally for marine sciences. The wealth of different marine biotopes, including areas with low anthropogenic influence, within exceptional short geographical distances facilitates comparative studies and provides a high diversity of marine organisms, for experimental studies. In addition, the rich choice of experimental environments from highly controlled lab conditions, medium controlled mesocosms, land locked and open fjords, to the open sea, makes Bergen a highly valuable site for marine environmental PhD studies.
Therefore, UoB has naturally focussed on marine sciences. Marine microbiology, marine biology, marine ecology and physical oceanography have long (and separate) roots at UoB. In later years, we have learned to value each other, both in interdisciplinary research and by utilisation of facilities and expensive equipment. With the development of ecological modelling, the cooperation has become even more integrated.
BATMARE has wide experience in managing international and
interdisciplinary research exchange programmes. UoB hosts the Bergen Marine Food Chain
Research Infrastructure (www.uib.no/bergenmarine).
BATMARE and Bergen Marine complement each other: Bergen Marine can host also experienced
researchers, while BATMARE allows PhD students to stay for longer periods without
competing with senior scientists, and to take courses and obtain credits for them.
Tenancies at Bergen Marine are from 1 to 3 months and at
BATMARE from 3 months to 1 year.
