Effects of aggregate dredging on marine food web structure and function
- Reference:
- 08/P37
- Organisation:
- Cefas
- Amount Funded:
- £150,000
- Status:
- Current
We know very little how disturbance from aggregate dredging may
affect high trophic levels (fish, mammals, sea birds), and the
structure and functioning of wider food web.
This project uses ecosystem modelling to improve understanding
of the effects of dredging on food web structure and functioning
and develop hypotheses on the significance of impacts and risks for
upper trophic levels.
Three main research questions will be addressed:
- What is the structure and function of the food web and how
might this change as a result of dredging?
- How large does the scale of dredging need to be before
noticeable impacts might occur in the wider ecosystem?
- What are the risks for food web function to be affected by
dredging and how do they relate to other risks due climate change
and overfishing?
The main objectives are to analyse food web data in the Eastern
English Channel using a dynamic spatio-temporal modelling approach
and formulate hypotheses about the causal links between dredging
and ecosystem functioning as well as other factors (climate,
fishing).
Project kicked off in September 2008 and since now work has
started on the review of available literature, data, and models. A
data review workshop was planned and scheduled for November
2008.