Science Centres: Fisheries

NIWA scientists have begun modelling the Ross Sea shelf and slope ecosystems, with a view to understanding and managing the impacts of fishing on this unique environment.

A team led by marine scientists Drs Stuart Hanchet and Matt Pinkerton has constructed a preliminary food web that shows the feeding relationships among all the Ross Sea organisms, ranging from phytoplankton and bacteria to penguins and whales.

They are now working on assigning carbon flow through each part of the food web to get a better idea of inter-relationships and abundances. The ultimate goal is to provide robust scientific advice on the likely response of the Ross Sea ecosystem to both natural changes and human activities, particularly the toothfish fishery.

The preliminary food-web modelling study funded by MFish is coming to a close, but the work is continuing under a four year FRST-funded project, ending in June 2009. As part of this project, NIWA will analyse the ratio of carbon and nitrogen isotopes in samples of fish collected by industry vessels this season.