The overall scope of WGIAB
is to produce science that promotes adaptive and holistic marine management
strategies in the Baltic Sea.
In the group we develop tools for an integrated
ecosystem assessment and management, applied to the biological preconditions of
the Baltic Sea but transferable to parallel situations in the other regional
seas. Core activities of our group include assessing long-term trends in the
ecosystem (Integrated Trend Analyses, ITA) and developing models for
scenario-based management strategy evaluation, as part of an adaptive and
integrated ecosystem management cycle. Our work builds on case studies to
enhance understanding of the Baltic Sea ecosystem, particularly concerning
food-web dynamics, management trade-offs,
and ecosystem interactions over different temporal and spatial scales, and to
identify key species and processes for sustainability.
The WGIAB is a joint HELCOM/ICES group and serves as
an ecosystem level counterpart to related ICES advisory groups and HELCOM
projects. The group provides support to the development of integrated advice
for fisheries management (by interaction with the Baltic Fisheries Assessment
Working Group, WGBFAS), regional ecosystem overviews, and multi-sectorial
advice for marine management. The WGIAB has been meeting annually since 2007,
and has representatives from all countries in the Baltic Sea region.
