Functional traits inform ecosystem processes in marine systems

性状是通过影响生长、繁殖和/或生存来影响个体适应性的特征。重要的是，性状的改变都是由生态进化梯度和人为的影响，改变可以改变物种的功能作用独立于丰度或地理分布的变化。这些特征需要基于特征的分析，以获得人口和生态系统动态的指标，并在从地方到全球的尺度上测试其潜在机制。该研究项目的一个独特之处在于，它将当代经验性状变异应用于参数化和挑战已建立的生态系统模型，这些模型未能捕捉到经济和文化上重要的西北大西洋生态系统的最新动态。 该研究计划的长期目标是开发，参数化和测试功能，基于特征的模型，以了解和预测海洋生态系统对开发和气候变化的反应。我将通过结合群落大小结构、营养生态位和能量通量的分析来实现这一目标，重点是四个互补的目标：（1）模拟低捕食者-猎物质量比（PPMR）对恢复多物种海洋大小谱的影响;（2）量化恢复生态系统中个体发育生态位的季节变化;（3）测试海底和中上层能量耦合路径对底栖鱼类恢复的重要性;（4）计算气候驱动的入侵海洋物种的能量通量后果。 这些分析将为基础科学和应用科学提供新的方法和成果。从根本上说，这项研究将测试是否可以解释观察到的海洋群落大小结构的空间变化的差异，在一个关键性状（PPMR）和其理论上的影响，食物链长度和最大身体大小。它还将重新提出一个最近的假设，解释大型底栖鱼类在温带和亚北极沃茨中基于特征的优势，以询问目前缺乏底栖-中上层耦合是否阻碍了种群恢复。最后，它将为气候变化驱动的海洋鱼类重新分布的全球相关能量影响提供解决方案。作为一项实用贡献，所有组成部分都将为渔业生态和评估的生态系统方法提供适用的成果。这种方法是长期要求的，但在加拿大和全球海洋生物资源评估中基本上没有。 一名博士生，三名硕士生，两名本科生将被招募到这个研究计划作出贡献。每个人都将接受生态和进化理论，数据融合和可视化，统计分析，编码和科学交流的培训。因此，该方案将扩大加拿大在应用生态系统生态学领域的高素质人才。

Traits are characteristics that influence individuals' fitness via impacts on growth, reproduction and/or survival. Importantly, traits are altered both by eco-evolutionary gradients and anthropogenic impacts, alterations that can change species' functional roles independently of changes in abundance or geographic distribution. These features necessitate trait-based analyses to both derive indicators of population and ecosystem dynamics and to test their underlying mechanisms at scales ranging from local to global. A unique feature of this research program is its application of contemporary empirical trait variation to parameterize and challenge established ecosystem models that have failed to capture the recent dynamics of economically and culturally important Northwest Atlantic ecosystems. The long-range goal of this research program is to develop, parameterize, and test functional, trait-based models to understand and forecast the responses of marine ecosystems to exploitation and climate change. I will achieve this by linking analyses of community size structure, trophic niche, and energy flux, with a focus on four complementary objectives: (1) modeling the implications of low predator-prey mass ratios (PPMR) for the recovery of multispecies marine size spectra; (2) quantifying seasonal variation in ontogenetic niche within recovering ecosystems; (3) testing the importance of coupled benthic and pelagic energy pathways to the recovery of demeral fishes, and; (4) calculating the energy flux consequences of a climate-driven invasive marine species. These analyses will contribute new methodologies and results applicable to fundamental and applied sciences. Fundamentally, this research will test whether observed spatial variation in marine community size structure can be explained by differences in a key trait (PPMR) and its theorized effects on food chain length and maximum body sizes. It will also re-cast a recent hypothesis explaining the trait-based dominance of large-bodied demersal fishes in temperate and sub-Arctic waters to ask whether a lack of benthic-pelagic coupling currently thwarts population recovery. Finally, it will provide solution to the globally relevant energetic impacts of marine fish redistributions driven by climate change. As an applied contribution, all components will contribute results applicable to ecosystem approaches to fisheries ecology and assessment. Such approaches are perennially requested but have been largely absent in the assessment of living marine resources within Canada and globally. One PhD student, three MSc students, and two undergraduate trainees will be recruited to contribute to this research program. Each will receive training in ecological and evolutionary theory, data amalgamation and visualization, statistical analyses, coding, and scientific communications. This program will thereby expand Canada's highly qualified personnel in the field of applied ecosystems ecology.