Theme session S
Basin scale dynamics at lower trophic levels in the North Atlantic
Conveners: Astthor Gislason (Iceland), Claudia Castellani (UK), Peter Wiebe (USA)
22 September 17:00 – 18:30 and 23 September 08:30- 13:00
Hovedbanen, DGI-Byen
Using the Euro-Basin project (2011-2014) as an example, the conveners of theme session S wanted to attract contributors presenting their results and experiences from other pan-Atlantic initiatives. This session will encourage collaboration between North American and European scientists and provide an opportunity for them to present and discuss findings on basin-scale dynamics of lower tropic levels, and inform the community at-large of the advances in understanding that have occurred in the region.
The session will be broadly divided between presentations on phytoplankton/zooplankton and living marine resources, both with modelling components and will have ample time for discussions after both parts.
Theme session S has quite a wide scope and links to several ICES steering groups, strategic initiatives, and expert groups.
Links to ICES steering groups
Theme session S is closley connected to the work of the ICES Steering Group on Ecosystem Processes and Dynamics (EPDSG).
Links to ICES strategic initiatives
Theme session S is also related to ICES-PICES Strategic Initiative on Climate Change Impacts on Marine Ecosystems, set up by ICES and PICES to coordinate northern hemisphere efforts to understand, estimate, and predict the impacts of climate change on marine ecosystems. The session will highlight how climate change may be impacting the ecosystems of the North Atlantic, realizing that they are influenced at basin scale by a common atmospheric forcing. Participants will present findings from a large area, some with a comparative view from both sides of the North Atlantic.
Links to ICES expert groups
As the theme session focusses on ecosystem dynamics at lower trophic levels (e.g. microbial loop players, mesoplankton) but also includes marine resources (e.g. planktivorous fish) there are connections with several ICES expert groups, both the ones doing the basic science and the more applied ones. To name but a few EGs that are relevant here:
Links to other ASC 2015 theme sessions
Theme session C Ecosystem monitoring in practice (Co-sponsored by PICES)
Theme session E Beyond ocean connectivity: embracing advances on early life stages and adult connectivity to assessment and management challenges
Theme session G Managing marine ecosystem services in a changing climate (Co-sponsored by PICES)