Distribution Modelling Of Benthic communities On The Continental Shelf Of The Bay Of Biscay And The Celtic Sea And Predictions Of The Effects Of Fishing And Climate (TRIDENT project)

 

Postdoctoral position of Benjamin Folliot (2020-2021)

 

Where are benthic species distributed in the NE Atlantic continental shelf? How will benthic community structure change under future climate change scenarios?

 

Our ability to understand and predict the effects of environmental and anthropogenic changes on marine biodiversity is limited due to lack of long-term observations and a poor understanding of ecological processes underpinning ecological resilience. This project aims at better understanding and predicting the effects of climate change and fishing on NE Atlantic circalittoral benthic communities.

Using Artificial Intelligence techniques applied to a combination of ecological, environmental and fishing pressure data available across the Bay of Biscay and the Celtic Sea, this project aims at: characterising the biogeographical ranges of major benthic megafauna species; identifying Regions of Common ecological Profile as well as species-specific functional traits that mediates vulnerability to bottom trawling. Model predictions will also provide some insights on the long- term consequences of future climate change and fishing scenarios on benthic community composition. The project will also contribute some new indicators towards integrated assessment of poorly-known circalitoral marine ecosystems.

 

Supervisors:
Martin Marzloff (LEBCO), Mickael Vasquez (LEBCO), Pascal Laffargue (EMH)

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