How would you describe your project in a few sentences?
We applied for BEAM funding within the category of developing new project proposals. Our application was motivated by the question: How do global scale dynamics (such as climate change or international fish trade) affect the Baltic Sea ecosystem at local or regional scales. We organized an international expert workshop on how such cross-scale dynamics can affect the Baltic Sea ecosystem function and dynamics. Eventually, the scope of the workshop was narrowed down to focus on how interactions between processes at different spatial or temporal scales can affect Baltic Sea fisheries in particular.
What are your most important results, and for whom are they particularly useful?
The interdisciplinary workshop “cross-scale dynamics and Baltic Sea fisheries” was held in Stockholm on October 20-21, and attended by 18 international (Sweden, Finland, Denmark and Germany) experts from the scientific fields of ecology, environmental economy, political science, fisheries science and aquaculture. The workshop participants recognized cross-scale dynamics as an important field of study within the Baltic Sea context and expressed an interest towards a joint project proposal on the topic. Consequently, funding opportunities are currently evaluated and a framework for a project proposal is being prepared. Results of such project would be highly beneficial for Baltic Sea actors and stakeholders, as ignoring cross-scale interactions may result in erroneous estimates of ecosystem response to certain drivers.
How can it assist an ecosystem-based management of the marine environment?
The proposed study would have great value for introducing a new, more holistic, aspect into the ecosystem-based management of the Baltic Sea. For this task we have brought together an interdisciplinary group of Baltic Sea experts, capable of improving the understanding of Baltic Sea ecosystem change in response to events taking place at larger or smaller than the Baltic Sea regional scale, which is the one most commonly studied.
Co-applicant
Max Troell, the Beijer Institute for Ecological Economics and Stockholm Resilience Centre
