Oceanographic environmental information is critical to understanding the interaction between marine fish, which are an important ocean resource, and their environments across multiple life-history stages. The concept of environment must be understood very broadly in this regard. It includes not only the other components of the trophic network in which fish are found, but also all the surrounding components of inanimate nature. The future of interactions between living but also non-living parts of the environment depends on changes in the oceans. The provision of routine oceanographic information needed for decision-making purposes is dependent on sustained research and development, from observation collection to delivery mechanisms.
The current context of ocean variability such as climate change and regime shifts affect the stability, resilience, and diversity of the ecosystems. Unfortunately, these changes are not just a steady, slow process. They are fed with sudden and sometimes unprecedented in their magnitude in the history of measurement phenomena such as heat waves, salinity anomalies, and the changes in frequency of cyclical events. To incorporate the environmental information in the advice process is becoming more relevant than ever. Therefore, it is necessary not only to observe but also to take up the challenge of analyzing, understanding and predicting the consequences of changes that create a new reality for existing marine ecosystems.
This theme session invites presentations and posters to demonstrate successful integration from physics to "fish" (or other ecosystem components), as well as examples of good practice. A key focus is to provide dialogue, networking, and information sharing opportunities for scientists across ICES community.
