Team 1 • 2 • 3 • 4 • 5 • 6 • 7 • 8 • 9 • 10 • 11

The International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis (IIASA) is a non-governmental, non-profit research organization conducting interdisciplinary scientific studies on environmental, economic, technological, and social issues in the context of human dimensions of global change. The institute has about 200 employees and research associates. Sponsored by 17 National Member Organizations in Africa, Asia, Europe, and North America, IIASA researchers have a long tradition of generating methods and tools useful to both decision makers and the scientific community. Their work is based on original state-of-the-art methodology and analytical approaches, linking a variety of natural and social science disciplines. IIASA’s independent non-governmental status allows it to provide non-political and unbiased scientific insight, resulting in a degree of neutrality and impartiality that is particularly valued by those who utilize the institute’s research findings. Since its inception in 1972, IIASA has been a hub of successful international scientific collaboration, and has built a distinguished track record of research on the sustainable management of natural resources.

The Evolution and Ecology Program (EEP) at IIASA is driving the development of adaptive dynamics theory, perhaps the most versatile tool currently available for linking the ecological and evolutionary consequences of environmental change. EEP has also achieved distinction in other target areas of modelling complex adaptive systems – including the theory of cooperation, speciation research, and simplifying spatial complexity – and, in the course of the past years, has become the European hub for modern research into fisheries-induced adaptive change. In the wake of initiating and hosting an international workshop on this subject, funded by the European Science Foundation, EEP has prepared, in close collaboration with Team 2, the first textbook covering this burgeoning field, to be published by Cambridge University Press in 2004.

Research at IMR is directed towards encouraging the sustainable development of the natural resources of oceanic and coastal areas in terms of food sources, as well as for industrial and recreational activities. The objectives of the institute are (1) studying and monitoring life cycles and interactions of different organisms in oceanic and coastal marine environments, (2) continuously updating and presenting knowledge of marine resources of importance to the fishing and aquaculture industries, (3) developing a biological basis and a technology for future-oriented fishing and aquaculture industries, (4) giving the fisheries authorities and industry advice on the management of our marine environment and resources, and (5) informing about research results in a manner that promotes the interests of the fishing and aquaculture industries and of society in general.

The Netherlands Institute for Fisheries Research (RIVO), a subsidiary of the Animal Sciences Group of Wageningen University and Research Centre, has a long tradition in applied fisheries research, carried out by about 120 employees (40% scientific) in four departments: Biology & Ecology, Shellfish Research, Environment & Food safety, and Food technology & Aquaculture. The research of the Biology & Ecology department is focused on the dynamics of exploited fish stocks and their fisheries through intensive sampling programs of the commercial landings and research vessel survey. Long-term studies have been conducted to investigate changes in growth and reproduction in relation to population dynamics, environmental variability, and fisheries-induced change, as well as ecosystem changes in relation to fishing. A modern computer system and a central database allow an efficient analysis of the available data. Aquaculture research is focused on sole and is being conducted in collaboration with Solea BV, a spin-off enterprise of RIVO. Excellent facilities are thus available for large-scale and long-term tank experiments. RIVO is engaged in strong collaborations on population biological research with the Centre of Ecological and Evolutionary Studies (CEES: University of Groningen) and the Netherlands Institute for Sea Research (NIOZ).

As flatfish have been an important target for Dutch fisheries, biological research of plaice and sole has been conducted since the Second World War and standardized sampling programs have been operating since 1957. A wealth of knowledge on developments in the population biology of flatfish stocks in the 20th century has been accumulated at RIVO. The laboratory has an extended archive of otolith samples collected monthly since 1958, which is available for backcalculation of individual growth trajectories, as well as a state of the art otolith laboratory ran by experienced laboratory personnel. RIVO harbours extensive expertise on all aspects of flatfish biology and fishery, including population biology, stock assessment, development of management models, migration studies, growth, reproduction, feeding, egg and larval studies.

The University of York has one of the best Biology Departments in the U.K. for graduate and postdoctoral study, with an excellent reputation for both research and teaching. The department covers the whole spectrum of modern biological disciplines, from field ecology to protein structure, and has a strongly collaborative ethos with no artificial internal divisions. The department occupies a single set of purpose-built teaching and research laboratories; new laboratories, funded by a £21.6M JIF award from BBSRC, opened in July 2003, and include the innovative Technology Facility, which gives easy access to the latest equipment and expert advice. The Biology Department at York obtained a 5 grading in the 2001 Research Assessment Exercise, declaring over 90% of eligible staff. This, combined with a perfect 24/24 score in Subject Review, confirms the department’s ranking as one of the leading full-spectrum Biology Departments in the U.K.. Jointly with the Mathematics and Environment Departments, advanced graduate courses are provided in ecology, dynamical systems, and stochastic processes in the living environment, which will be available to young researchers in the network.

The research team at York has extensive expertise in research on fish population dynamics, spatial aspects of evolution, evolutionary ecology, quantitative genetics as applied to fisheries, experiments on evolution of yields, modelling the evolution of fish stocks, evolutionary aspects of fisheries management, stochastic processes, and spatial modelling. All members of the team are active researchers in aspects of ecology, evolution, and applied mathematics, and are experienced in the supervision of early-stage researchers. Together the team has been responsible for the supervision of approximately 25 researchers, with several of these in the specific research area covered by this proposal. Office space and computing facilities are available for visiting postdoctoral researchers. All members of the team will be available for discussion and mentoring of visiting doctoral and postdoctoral researchers.

The French Research Institute for Exploitation of the Sea (Ifremer) is an industrial and commercial public company responsible, among others, for the management of marine living resources. Founded in 1984, it is the only French organisation exclusively devoted to maritime interests. It operates under the joint auspices of the National Ministry of Education, Research, and Technology; the Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries; the Ministry of Environment and Sustainable Development; and the Ministry of Equipment, Transport, and Housing. Being involved in all marine science and technology fields, the Institute consists of five operational divisions: the Coastal Environment Division, the Living Resources Division, the Marine Technology and Information Systems Division, the Ocean Research Division, and the Ocean Research Vessels and Underwater Intervention Division. This breadth of expertise and facilities gives Ifremer the capability of solving different problems through an integrated approach. Ifremer has presently about 1700 employees distributed over 72 laboratories or research departments, located in 24 stations along the entire coastline of France and in the French Overseas Territories. Ifremer is operating seven ocean-going research vessels, two manned submersibles, and one remotely-operated vehicle for deep sea explorations.

The Marine Fisheries Laboratory (MFL) is one of the 12 laboratories constituting the Fishery Resources Department, itself attached to the Living Resources Division. The Ifremer-MFL team combines expertise in stock assessment and management with knowledge in quantitative/population genetics, population dynamics, and life-history evolution. More generally, the laboratory contributes to the scientific assessment of fisheries and human activities within the Basse-Normandie region’s coastal zone, and more globally in the Eastern Channel (ICES Area VIId). The laboratory represents the main local scientific partner for the administration and professional organisations involved in fisheries management, and ensures, within the framework of its institutional mission, the transfer of knowledge towards a broad audience. MFL is the national scientific coordinator of the collection of fishery data in support of the EC’s Common Fisheries Policy and is participating in the ICES Planning Group on Commercial Catch, Discards, and Biological Sampling (PGCCDBS). MFL is also charged with evaluating stocks and fisheries subject to European Community management: in particular, the laboratory is responsible for the assessment of the sole and plaice stocks in ICES Area VIId. Additional tasks include assessments in relation with regional fisheries not subject to quotas (wild molluscs, large crustaceans, cephalopods etc.) and participation in the ICES Working Group on the Assessment of Demersal Stocks in the North Sea and Skagerrak (WGNSSK).

The Genetics and Pathology Laboratory (GPL) is part of the large French Research Institute for the Exploitation of the Sea, characterized in some detail in the preceding description of Team 5.

The Ifremer-GPL team is part of Ifremer’s Living Resources Division and is located at the La Tremblade research station. Located at one of the most important oyster production sites in Europe, the Marennes-Oléron Bay, GPL is internationally recognised for its work on the genetics, pathology, and aquaculture of marine bivalves in general and of oysters in particular. In genetics, the work covers evolutionary, quantitative, population, and molecular genetics as well as cytogenetics. In pathology and epidemiology, different studies are carried out on protozoan and viral diseases affecting oysters. In aquaculture, the work includes studies of the interaction between stocks and the environment, stock assessment, spatio-temporal variation of growth and survival performance, and ecophysiology. Geographic information systems and automated environmental monitoring systems are in use for studies in the Marennes-Oléron bay. Of crucial importance for the FishACE research agenda, Ifremer-GPL holds data collections on life-history traits, stock biomass, and hydrological parameters of the Pacific oyster, reaching back to its introduction in the Marennes-Oléron bay.

Lund University, with seven faculties and a number of research centres and specialized institutes, is the largest unit for research and higher education in Sweden. At present, more than 38 000 students are enrolled and altogether some 6000 people are employed.

The Lund team covers a wide-ranging field of expertise, including several levels of biological organization, from gene network dynamics and evolution, to ecological communities. The team has a particularly strong track record of work on population and community processes in stochastic environments and has contributed strongly to the theories of stochastic population and community dynamics, also addressing the question how corresponding data can be reliably gathered and evaluated. Strong links have been forged between such theoretical and empirical research and the related management problems. The group’s publication record therefore ranges from contributions in the journals Nature and Science to the North American Journal of Fisheries Management. The young scientists emerging from the team have been able to compete for postdoctoral positions all over the world, and have successfully acquired research grants from highly competitive national and international research councils. They have also been recruited to management agencies and institutions, showing that the training provided by the team has been of high scientific standard and is useful for immediate practical applications. The Lund team provides a rich and stimulating intellectual environment, both within its own auspices and together with the rest of the Ecology Building at Lund University. It provides office space and full access to all electronic communication channels, including one of the nation’s largest electronic libraries of the biological sciences. Full computer access and support is an obvious and important component of the infrastructure.

The National Board of Fisheries (NBF) is the central government authority for fisheries conservation and fisheries in Sweden. It promotes the responsible use of fish resources, and is charged with furthering biological diversity and maintaining sustainable yields.

NBF’s Department of Research and Development (DRD) carries out applied and basic research on the ecology of marine resources and fisheries management, conducts routine annual monitoring, and provides scientific advise concerning the management of fish stocks in the North Sea and Baltic Sea. The expertise of the NBF-DRD team thus includes such diverse subjects as stock assessment, biological interactions between fisheries and the marine environment, population dynamic modelling, biodiversity and community dynamics, recruitment dynamics, genetic analyses of population structure, gear selectivity and geostatistical applications to fisheries data and histological analysis of fish maturity. The department consists of three collaborating Research Institutes (Institute of Coastal Research, ICR, Institute of Marine Research, IMR, and Institute of Freshwater Research, IFR), and also includes several smaller research stations and research vessels. The NBF-DRD team is based at ICR (coordinating) and IMR, and its expertise makes it a natural choice for leading FishACE’s Baltic Sea Community task and for contributing to the Food Web Modelling task. NBF-DRD can supply knowledge on large-scale aquatic ecosystems, has extensive experience with ecological data and model analysis, and can bridge between current fish stock assessment practices and innovations from evolutionary ecology. The team provides an intellectual stimulating environment through the mix of scientists with a broad range of backgrounds and experience, technical personnel from laboratories and vessels, and fisheries managers. The national and international networks in which NBF-DRD participates also allow the team to provide input on diverse scientific and managerial topics. The NBF-DRD team offers an excellent research infrastructure, including access to electronic journals and data-bases, as well as to modern computing and laboratories, and is assisted by dedicated support staff. The wide range of research topics pursued in DRD in combination with monitoring and stock assessments offer an exceptional learning environment, enabling the development of innovative science in immediate contact with improving the management of renewable resources.

The Marine Research Institute (MRI) in Iceland was established in 1965, with its roots going back to a fisheries laboratory set up by the Icelandic Fisheries Association in 1931, later managed by the University of Iceland. MRI is government-owned under the auspices of the Icelandic Ministry of Fisheries and is financed through the national budget. It is charged with assessing the abundance of exploitable stocks in the Icelandic Sea and ensures the maintenance of sustainable yield. In addition, MRI has a long tradition in ecological studies, involving physical, chemical, and biological oceanography. The Institute employs 120 staff at the Reykjavík headquarters and in five branch laboratories. On top of that, about 35 employees work on three MRI research vessels. The Institute also runs an Experimental Marine Fish farm, developing rearing techniques for several species. In 1991 the Marine Research Institute and the Institute of Freshwater Fisheries established a joint laboratory, the Division of Population Genetics, situated at MRI.

The MRI and the University of Iceland have joined forces through a collaborate agreement regarding research facilities. New research laboratories and teaching facilities are presently being established at the University, and the Department of Biology will move to a new building in December 2003. Other research facilities include The Sandgerdi Marine Centre, which has been granted the status of a Transnational Access to Research Facilities under the Improving Human Potential Programme of the European Community. The Centre is equipped with modern apparatus. Competent staff offers excellent facilities for taxonomical, morphological, and ecological studies. Many undergraduate and graduate courses in Marine Biology and Fishery Science are offered at the University of Iceland.

Scientist at MRI have conducted research on cod in Icelandic waters since before the middle of the 20th century. Thousands of samples are collected every year, both from landed catch and through annual surveys conducted during spring and fall (150,000+ cod measured and 20,000+ cod aged). Intensive research on the reproduction of cod has been conducted since 1993, resulting in extensive knowledge about the reproductive properties and geographic distribution of spawning cod.

Established in 1882, Hólar University College (HUC) is a research, development, and educational institution run by the Icelandic Ministry of Agriculture. HUC’s Department of Aquaculture and Fish Biology is a leading research center, designated as the center for Arctic charr research in Iceland since 1993. HUC offers classrooms, offices, a computer laboratory, and a library, in addition to a fish farm with access to geothermal water. The college is particularly well equipped for research and instruction in the field of aquaculture. About 40% of the annual budget of the college comes from national and international research funds; currently the college participates in several European as well as North American projects.

The HUC team has more than 15 years of experience in fish biology research, and has received support by the Icelandic government as well as by national and international funds, including support by the EC. A number of postgraduate students have completed their projects at HUC in collaboration with the University of Iceland and several foreign universities. There has been a long tradition in research on the ecology and evolution of fish morphs and populations in the Department of Aquaculture and Fish Biology, whose program has received wide-spread recognition in the scientific world. In particular, the college has been the centre for the study of arctic charr ecology, evolution, management, and culture, including the creation of a comprehensive database on this species. Over the next two years, HUC will be involved in the organization and hosting of two international meetings related to this field research, the Ecological and Evolutionary Ethology of Fishes in 2004 and The International Charr Symposium in 2005.

The International Council for the Exploration of the Sea (ICES) is an international application-oriented scientific organization, established a hundred years ago to provide a forum for cooperative studies of marine ecosystems and their management, particularly the fisheries. ICES coordinates and promotes marine research in the North Atlantic, including adjacent seas such as the Baltic Sea and North Sea, and acts as a meeting point for a community of more than 1600 marine scientists from the 19 countries around the North Atlantic that fund and support ICES. Scientific information is developed into unbiased, non-political advice, which is used by the 19 member countries to help them manage the North Atlantic Ocean and adjacent seas. ICES plans and coordinates marine research through a system of committees, more than 100 working groups, symposia, and an Annual Science Conference. ICES hosts many working group meetings throughout the year and is therefore ideally placed to act as a node for bringing together management-related work by the various FishACE teams. 

The ICES team has very extensive experience at the interface between science and application. The participating scientists have published extensively on fish stock assessment, population dynamics, biological advice regarding resource management, multi-species models, stock-recruitment-environment models, sampling commercial catch data, fish stock surveys with research vessels, climate changes, and fisheries management. They have trained young scientists in their capacity of university lecturers, scientists in national marine biology institutes, advisors for students taking master’s and Ph.D. degrees in Denmark, England, Finland, Germany, Scotland, and Sweden, and through running courses around the world in various issues related to marine biology and fish stocks assessment. The ICES team will support FishACE researchers in establishing salient contacts with other international experts participating in the wide range of ICES working groups convened, about 500 of whom meet at ICES’s headquarters in Copenhagen each year.

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Last updated: 09 Nov 2006