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。具体地说，海洋变暖、除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产量产生了影响，影响了21世纪的粮食安全。我过去和正在进行的研究为了解未来气候变化对海洋生物多样性和渔业的影响奠定了基础。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适应能力，探索人类干预促进海洋系统适应的有效性，并找到可行的解决方案来实施这些人类干预。 以东北太平洋为例，我将探索五个关键假设(H)。我将首先研究被开发的海洋物种和生态系统适应海洋变化的自然能力与其固有的生物学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)不同物种、生态系统和地区的气候适应能力和韧性。我还将评估海洋物种的潜在适应反应对海洋生物多样性和生态系统功能的气候影响减少的程度(H3)。我将确定可增强海洋系统对气候变化的适应能力和复原力的人为干预措施(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地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球空间生物适应特性数据库，以及根据生物学原理和数据的荟萃分析建立数学和经验模型。这项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。 这项研究的结果将大大提高我们对海洋生态系统中自然和人工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海洋资源使用者，如渔业部门和沿海第一民族适应加拿大和全世界的气候变化是必要的。该计划将培训本科生和研究生以及博士后研究员，他们将具备为开发海洋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.