Author Archives: Abigail McQuatters-Gollop
Funded PhD research studentship!
Come do a PhD with me! Funded PhD research studentship – Accelerating sea temperature growth and intensified poleward heat transfer: global and regional risk implications Apply now. PhD opportunity beginning on 1 January 2019 Project description The studentship will research … Continue reading
Plankton as ‘prevailing conditions’
Plankton make useful indicators for large scale environmental change in our oceans. Firstly, they are very sensitive and responsive to changes in their environment, so changes in plankton ‘reflect’ wider climatic and oceanographic processes. Secondly, as the base of the … Continue reading
IMCC Symposium session: From science to evidence – innovative uses of biodiversity indicators for effective marine policy and conservation
The International Marine Conservation Congress will be held in June 2018 in Kuching, Malaysia. My colleagues Ian Mitchell (JNCC), Saskia Otto (University of Hamburg), and I will be co-convening the below session. If you are interested in speaking, please send … Continue reading
Posted in biodiversity, Indicators, Knowledge Exchange, Marine Conservation, MSFD, OSPAR, Plankton, Policy
Tagged biodiversity, conservation, Indicators, knowledge exchange, marine policy, policy
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What makes a good pelagic habitat?
The Convention on Biological Diversity (1992) and the more recent EU Marine Strategy Framework Directive (2008) require the conservation, maintenance, sustainable use, and/or improvement of biodiversity. However, little scientific research has been done into how to characterise and manage pelagic … Continue reading
Posted in biodiversity, Marine Conservation, MSFD, Plankton, Policy
Tagged biodiversity, Blog, conservation, knowledge exchange, Marine Conservation, marine policy, MSFD, Plankton, policy, policy makers
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Priorities for the marine environment after Brexit – a biodiversity perspective
Marine biodiversity has gotten lost in the talk about what Brexit means for the UK. While some attention has been paid to commercial fisheries, including a recently-launched Parliamentary inquiry, the post-Brexit future of UK marine habitats and species has received … Continue reading
Posted in biodiversity, Brexit, Fisheries, Indicators, Knowledge Exchange, Marine Conservation, MSFD, OSPAR, Plankton, Policy, Uncategorized
Tagged biodiversity, Brexit, conservation, knowledge exchange, Marine Conservation, marine policy, MSFD, OSPAR, Plankton, policy, policy makers
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Decreasing primary productivity linked to decreased fishery production – an opportunity for management?
As the ocean’s major primary producers, phytoplankton are the base of the marine food web, with changes to their abundance, biomass, and community composition resonating upwards through zooplankton to fish, seabirds, and cetaceans. Our understanding of the direct relationships between … Continue reading
Posted in biodiversity, Fisheries, Marine Conservation, MSFD, OSPAR, Plankton, Policy
Tagged biodiversity, conservation, Fisheries, knowledge exchange, Marine Conservation, marine policy, MSFD, Plankton, policy, policy makers
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A ‘strong and stable’ marine ecosystem?
Long-term monitoring time-series are most important during times of political uncertainty such as Brexit, but it is these times they are most at risk. The UK marine environment faces an uncertain future. Cumulative pressures from human activities are being placed … Continue reading
Posted in Brexit, Knowledge Exchange, Marine Conservation, MSFD, Plankton, Policy, students
Tagged biodiversity, Blog, Brexit, conservation, knowledge exchange, marine policy, policy
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OSPAR Intermediate Assessment 2017 – Launched!
After seven long years of work, today marks the day that OSPAR’s Intermediate Assessment 2017 is launched! IA2017, covering both status and trends across the North-East Atlantic, presents a picture of this important marine area and includes consideration of eutrophication, … Continue reading
Posted in biodiversity, Indicators, Marine Conservation, MSFD, OSPAR, Plankton, Policy
Tagged biodiversity, conservation, Indicators, knowledge exchange, Marine Conservation, marine policy, MSFD, OSPAR, policy, policy makers
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Why do policy makers need plankton taxonomy?
It might not seem intuitive, but plankton taxonomy is critically important to informing marine policy and conservation. At its most basic level, biodiversity is an inventory of the organisms present in an ecosystem. The recognition and identification of these organisms … Continue reading
Implementing the MSFD in Europe – an OSPAR COBAM workshop
In May I attended the OSPAR Intersessional Correspondence Group for Coordinated Biodiversity and Monitoring (COBAM) workshop in Marseille, France. OSPAR COBAM is responsible for leading development and operationalisation of indicators for marine pelagic biodiversity in Europe. The workshop focused on … Continue reading
Plankton and Policy 