S1: Science
Board Symposium (¾
day)
Mechanisms of climate and human impacts on ecosystems
in marginal seas and shelf regions
Co-Convenors: Kuh Kim (SB), Michael J. Dagg (BIO), Yukimasa Ishida
(FIS), John E. Stein (MEQ), Michael G. Foreman (POC), Igor I. Shevchenko
(TCODE), Phillip R. Mundy (MONITOR), and Harold P. Batchelder and
Suam Kim (CCCC)
There are many examples of statistical correlations
that demonstrate relations between climate or human impacts and
ecosystems. While retrospection may be informative in revealing
patterns, it rarely leads to mechanistic understanding required
for eventual prediction. This session, instead, will focus on physical
and biological mechanisms in the marginal seas and shelf regions.
Many coastal species have life histories/cycles that rely on specific
geographic features and they may be particularly vulnerable to the
effects of human activities and climate variability. In order to
predict the impacts of climate and human activities, we need to
understand the mechanisms responsible for shifts in ecosystem structure
and function. We will consider “wind to whales” in this
session. This theme will provide opportunities to address questions
such as: How widespread is bottom-up control of fluxes? At what
spatial and temporal scales are: 1) trophodynamic demands and food
supply in balance?, 2) signals amplified in food webs?, and 3) physical
processes most important in impacting marine populations? The human
impacts that could be considered include fishing and fisheries enhancement,
changes in biodiversity, petroleum development, eutrophication,
mariculture, non-point source pollution, and others.