Impact of Climate-driven habitat LOss in Norwegian fjords on ecosystem STructure and functional ecology of cartilaginous fishes (LOST)
Informations
- Funding country
Norway- Acronym
- -
- URL
- -
- Start date
- 1/1/2021
- End date
- 12/31/2026
- Budget
- 1,475,385 EUR
Fundings
| Name | Role | Start | End | Amount |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Marine Resources and the Environment (MARINFORSK) - call 2016 | Grant | - | - | 1,475,385 EUR |
Abstract
Norwegian fjords are sites of cultural heritage and economic importance where tourism, recreational fishing, and aquaculture all coexist. The Endangered spiny dogfish is a controversial but charismatic shark in Norwegian fjords; the species is protected but often in conflict with aquaculture and as bycatch in fisheries. Simultaneously, the fjord habitat used by these sharks is rapidly changing at the surface - which is getting warmer - and at depths, where oxygen levels are declining. In this project, we investigate the fjord ecology of the spiny dogfish to understand how this shark is responding to the rapid changes. Population surveys will be conducted and compared to historical baselines in the Osterfjord system of western Norway and genetic samples will help unravel the population structure and answer whether there are specific dogfish stock complexes within fjord systems. Dogfish will be captured in the Bergen Telemetry Network, an array of acoustic listening stations covering the fjord, estuary, and coastal areas from the Osterfjord and outwards towards the city of Bergen to track the daily and seasonal movements. Tags will be instrumented with depth sensors to determine how the sharks move vertically relative to the warm surface waters and increasingly low oxygen bottom layers and reveal how changes to their environment may be increasing conflicts with fisheries and aquaculture by pushing them towards the surface. Activity sensors in the tags will also help reveal how activity budgets are spent and how different zones around the coast are used by the sharks. The project will have a role in training the next generation of ecologists in Norway while delivering urgently needed data to Norwegian management agencies tasked with protecting these species and managing user conflicts. In addition to scientific publications, the project will produce a film about the Norwegian fjord sharks to submit to the Bergen International Film Festival (BIFF).