Geospatial modelling and mapping of seafloor ecosystems

人类对海洋的压力继续增加。增进对海底生物和生境的空间分布的了解，对于实施有效的海洋空间规划和可持续资源管理至关重要。海景生态学是以海洋为中心的景观生态学的新兴领域，它提供了一种在空间框架内研究海洋系统的方法，为这一问题提供了解决方案。由于现代声学(声纳)海底测绘技术的创新，这一研究领域取得了进展，从而能够以高分辨率绘制海底生物和地质特征图。我研究的总体和长期目标是推动这一新兴领域的科学发展，以描述、绘制地图、理解和量化海底动物和栖息地的空间模式。该项目有两个研究主题。主题1将把景观生态学概念应用于海底生态系统的研究。它将探讨生物连通性以及海底生境类型的空间格局在确定生物分布和由此产生的海底生物群落方面所起的作用。它将考虑两种连通模式：1)可移动生物在海底的移动；2)幼虫通过水柱散布在空间上分离的栖息地之间的连通。这项研究还将研究海底的空间复杂性和功能多样性(例如，栖息生物的特征，如摄食策略、身体大小和行为)如何影响有机碳的循环和储存。研究主题2将侧重于新兴海洋测绘技术的测试、评估和应用。技术创新的步伐往往超过有效的数据后处理和分析方法的发展，为这些新的绘图工具的科学应用制造了障碍。因此，基础研究将调查声学信号与海底特性之间的关系，以改进生态系统测绘能力。预期结果将提供对生境之间空间连通性的重要见解，为渔业管理(例如鱼类种群的空间和时间模式以及与海底生态系统的联系)和养护管理(例如海洋保护区网络连通性设计)提供直接益处。对海底生态系统功能多样性的有机碳循环和空间模式的洞察将改善对海底碳收支的空间估计，以便为区域和全球海洋生物地球化学模型提供投入。对新的海底遥感工具的应用研究将支持加拿大海洋技术部门的持续经济增长。在接下来的5年里，这项研究将利用最新的地理空间分析方法和工具，为研究生和本科生提供前沿研究方面的高级教育和培训。

Human pressures on the ocean continue to increase. Improved understanding of the spatial distribution of seabed organisms and habitats is of paramount importance for implementing effective marine spatial planning and sustainable resource management. The emerging field of seascape ecology, the ocean-centric equivalent of landscape ecology, offers a solution to this problem by providing a way to study marine systems within a spatial framework. This field of research has advanced due to innovations in modern acoustic (sonar) seafloor mapping technologies, allowing seafloor biological and geological characteristics to be mapped at high resolution. The overarching, long-term goal of my research is to advance the science in this emerging field to describe, map, understand and quantify the spatial patterns of marine fauna and habitats at the ocean floor. The program has two research themes. Theme 1 will apply landscape ecology concepts in the study of seafloor ecosystems. It will explore biological connectivity and the role that spatial patterns in seafloor habitat types play in determining distribution of organisms and resulting seafloor biological communities. It will consider two modes of connectivity: 1) movement of mobile organisms across the seafloor; 2) connectivity between spatially separated habitats by larval dispersal through the water column. The research will also study how the spatial complexity of seafloor combined with the functional diversity (e.g. characteristics of the residing organisms such as feeding strategies, body size and behavior) affects the cycling and storage of organic carbon. Research theme 2 will focus on the testing, evaluation, and application of emerging ocean mapping technologies. The pace of technology innovation often outpaces the development of effective data postprocessing and analysis methods, creating barriers to scientific applications of these new mapping tools. Fundamental research will therefore investigate the relationships between acoustic signal and seafloor properties for improved ecosystem mapping capabilities. Anticipated outcomes will offer critical insights into spatial connectivity between habitats, providing direct benefits for fisheries management (e.g. spatial and temporal patterns in fish stocks and links with seafloor ecosystem) and conservation management (e.g. Marine Protected Area network connectivity design). Insights into organic carbon cycling and spatial patterns in the functional diversity of seafloor ecosystems will improve spatial estimates of seafloor carbon budgets for input into regional and global ocean biogeochemical models. Applied research into the application of new seafloor remote sensing tools will support continued economic growth in the Canadian ocean technology sector. Over the next 5 years, this research will provide advanced education and training to graduate and undergraduate students in cutting-edge research using the latest geospatial analysis methods and tools.