Boosting adaptation of marine ecosystems to meet climate change challenges

海洋生态系统和渔业正受到全球海洋变化的挑战。具体而言，海洋变暖、脱氧和酸化正在造成海洋生物多样性和生产力的大规模变化。这些变化对潜在的渔业渔获量产生影响，影响到世纪的粮食安全。我过去和正在进行的研究为了解气候变化对海洋生物多样性和渔业的未来影响奠定了基础。世界现在需要有效的解决方案来应对这些挑战，以确保海洋的可持续性。** 拟议的研究计划旨在了解海洋生物多样性和渔业对气候变化的适应能力和恢复力，探索人类干预措施对促进海洋系统适应的有效性，并确定实施这些人类干预措施的合理解决方案。以东北太平洋为例，我将探讨五个关键假设（H）。我将首先研究被开发海洋物种和生态系统适应海洋变化的自然能力与其内在生物特性和特征之间的关系（H1）。然后，我将预测和比较东太平洋（H2）物种，生态系统和区域的气候适应能力和恢复力。我还将评估由于海洋物种的潜在适应反应而减少对海洋生物多样性和生态系统功能的气候影响的程度（H3）。我将确定可能提高海洋系统对气候变化的适应能力和复原力的人类干预措施（H4）。最后，我将测试基于自然/生态系统的人类干预是否比基于工程的方法更有效，以提高海洋生态系统的适应能力（H5）。拟议的研究将涉及开发海洋地理空间生物适应特性数据库，以及根据生物学原理和数据元分析建立数学和经验模型。该研究还将对人类干预对海洋物种和生态系统的适应和影响进行计算机模拟。** 本研究的结果将大大提高我们对海洋生态系统中自然和人类辅助适应范围的理解。这些信息对于设计有效的海洋管理和养护工作以及帮助加拿大和全世界渔业部门和沿海第一民族等海洋资源使用者适应气候变化都是必要的。该计划将培训本科生和研究生以及博士后研究员，他们将具备为海洋开发气候解决方案所需的知识和技能。

Marine ecosystems and fisheries are being challenged by global ocean changes. Specifically, ocean warming, deoxygenation and acidification are causing large-scale changes in marine biodiversity and productivity. These changes have consequences for the potential fisheries catches, impacting food security in the 21st century. My past and on-going research has formed the foundation for understanding future impacts of climate change on marine biodiversity and fisheries. The world is now demanding effective solutions to tackle these challenges to ensure ocean sustainability. ******The proposed research program aims to understand the adaptive capacity and resilience of marine biodiversity and fisheries to climate change, explore the effectiveness of human interventions to boost adaptation of marine systems, and identify plausible solutions to implement these human interventions.******Using the Northeast Pacific Ocean as a case study, I will explore five key hypotheses (H). I will firstly examine the relationship between the natural capacity of exploited marine species and ecosystems to adapt to ocean changes and their intrinsic biological traits and characteristics (H1). I will then predict and compare climate adaptive capacity and resilience across species, ecosystems and regions in the eastern Pacific Ocean (H2). I will also assess the degree of climate-impacts reduction on marine biodiversity and ecosystem functions as a result of potential adaptation responses of marine species (H3). I will identify human interventions that may enhance the adaptive capacity and resilience of marine systems to climate change (H4). Finally, I will test whether nature/ecosystem-based human interventions are more effective then engineering-based methods to boost adaptive capacity of marine ecosystems (H5). The proposed research will involve development of marine geo-spatial biological adaptation trait databases, and mathematical and empirical models from biological principles and meta-analysis of data. The research will also conduct computer simulations of adaptation and effects of human interventions on marine species and ecosystems. ******Findings from this study will substantially improve our understanding on the scope for natural and human-assisted adaptation in marine ecosystems. Such information is necessary for designing effective ocean management and conservation efforts as well as for helping marine resource users such as fishing sectors and coastal First Nations to adapt to climate change, in Canada, and worldwide. The program will train students at undergraduate and graduate levels as well as postdoctoral fellows who will be equipped with the knowledge and skills required to contribute to developing climate solutions for the oceans.