Research interests

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My research interests span population dynamics and the interface between biology and physics, and I appreciate a nice time-series. For example the development of stock sizes affected by anthropogenic actions is a larger story than recent fishing history. A historical perspective on fisheries gives fishery research better knowledge on how well modeling tools work, but also a deeper understanding of population fluctuations. I have worked on 135 years of lobster catch data and found some fabulous fluctuations. It contains periodic fluctuations, increased variability in catches and decreased landings, all components of a great resource drama. I have developed Individual-based models (IBM) for lobster, a long lived and very stationary species. Lobster reproduction involves a pelagic larval stage of approximately 2-3 weeks. In developing the IBM I focused on adult lobster and management actions affecting stock size and yield. Larval dispersal was simplified to a number of assumptions on stock-recruitment relationships and survival. Lobster seem to be an emerging model species for a size based harvest regime with selective gear, as well as a species that can suggest management options for other decapods but also other species that needs size selective harvesting to become sustainable. Lobster is also a species open for debate about protected areas. The IBMs have been productive in promoting new theoretical evidence on how MPAs may function. I have spent some time on understanding processes forming biological and physical connectivity. The effect of behavior of larvae on dispersal distance and direction is widely accepted, but the empirical and theoretical underpinning is still weak. The biophysical interplay is inherently complex, and the modeling tools of hydrodynamics are seldom predictive at any longer timeframes. Hind-casting of dispersal has been my focus when dealing with larval dispersal, looking for mechanisms greatly affecting dispersal.

Current research

Waking the Deads - modeling long term temporal and spatial variations of historically targeted species from the eastern North Sea and the Baltic Sea using long time-series data Participation in ICES advisory processes SGHIST – Study Group on the History of Fish and Fisheries WGIPEM – Working Group on Integrative, Physical-biological, and Ecosystem Modelling Publications