Research

My primary research has in seven years been to examine the ecological role of Cormorants and what impact they have on commercially important fish species. Cormorants re-established in Sweden in the late 1940’s, after brought to extinction around the end of the 19th century. They remained low in numbers until the mid 1980’s when the population size started to increase markedly. The fast increase, and the food consumption of around 0.5 kg fish per day per cormorant, has caused concerns about their ecological impact. The research includes the use of multivariate techniques to relate spatial and temporal differences in cormorant diet to the structure and variations in fish communities.

I am also involved in the research of the spatial distribution of the parasitic seal worm, also called cod worm, in Swedish waters. The parasites life cycle involves the necessity of three hosts, a crustacean, a fish (usually cod) and a seal (most commonly grey seal) which is their definite host where it reproduces. With an increasing seal stock there is concerns of an increase of the infestation rate in fish, especially the commercially important cod. Research involves determining the factors driving the distribution of the parasite.

I have also been working with the behaviour of porpoises around fishing nets, with porpoise click loggers, to determine if they are attracted to the nets (fish in the net) or incidentally get caught in nets.

Research interests

- Animal behaviour

- Behavioural ecology or ethoecology

- Foraging strategies and food web dynamics

- Mitigation techniques in fisheries

- Wildlife ecology and conservation

My working group

Most of my research has been funded by the project seals and fisheries which is a group working to develop methods to reduce the conflict between seals, cormorants and fisheries. We work with the development of fishing gear with the aim to minimize the damage on fisheries catch by seals and to prevent by-catch of marine mammals and non target fish species and sizes. A lot of the studies involve video surveys of seal and fish behaviour in association with fishing gear.

Sälar och Fiske

Publications

Boström, M.K, Lunneryd, S-G., Hanssen, H., Karlsson, L. and Ragnarsson, B. (2012) Diet of the Great Cormorant (Phalacrocorax carbo sinensis) at two areas in the Bay Lövstabukten, South Bothnian Sea, Sweden, based on otolith size-correction factors. Ornis Fennica, 89.

Maria K. Boström, Örjan Östman, Mikaela A.J. Bergenius and Sven-Gunnar Lunneryd (2012) Cormorant diet in relation to temporal changes in fish communities. ICES Journal of Marine Sciences 69(2): 175-183.

Peter Karås, Anders Adill, Maria Boström, Kerstin Mo, Alf Sevastik (2010) Biologiska undersökningar vid Forsmarks kraftverk år 2000–2007, (Environmental control studies around a power plant) Finfo 2010:2.

Maria K. Boström, Sven-Gunnar Lunneryd, Lars Karlsson, Bjarne Ragnarsson (2009) Cormorant impact on trout (Salmo trutta) and salmon (Salmo salar) migrating from the river Dalälven emerging in the Baltic Sea. Fisheries Research 98: 16-21.

Maria Boström. (2007) Havsörnens predation på skarv (Sea Eagle predation on cormorants) Milvus 1: 6-9.

Maria Boström. (2005) Havsörnens predation på skarv; Lövstabukten, sommaren 2005. (Sea eagle predation on cormorants in the bay Lövstabukten, 2005) Fåglar i Uppland 4: 4-8.