Objectif Problems to be solvedMarine fish resources are in a crisis world wide today, probably mainly due to overexploitation of fish stocks. Simultaneously, it is well-known that fish stocks, especially in regions with harsh natural conditions, e.g. the polar oceans, experience large natural variations depending on natural environmental parameters, such as feeding conditions, sea water temperature, ice coverage and radiation conditions. In today's fishery management, only few of these parameters are considered for fish stock size estimation, which is the basis for determining fishing quota. A more comprehensive understanding of the causal chains of natural impact parameters is essential for a more sustainable exploitation of wild fish stocks in the future. This will be even more relevant, if global change (enhanced greenhouse effect, ozone depletion) and its impact on marine ecosystems will come true as expected by the scientific community.Scientific objectives and approachThe main objective of UVAC is to investigate the impact of solar ultra-violet radiation (UVR) on the Northeast Arctic cod stock. This relation will be investigated as part of a more comprehensive impact system, including both other geophysical factors such as climate, and biological species which are important for the cod stock (zooplankton, phytoplankton). The UVR impact will be investigated both statistically using long-term biological and geophysical data records, and in-depth in dedicated field and laboratory experiments. A second major objective is to develop modelling tools, which will be used to estimate cod stock size based on geophysical information available from remote-sensing and ground-based monitoring, thus providing a more reliable basis for a sustainable management of marine resources. The project will be performed using three sets of biological and geophysical data, covering different time scales and having different levels of information. Data over a 100-year period, consisting of annual cod landing records and C. finmarchicus annual biomass estimates on the biological side, and records of local climate conditions, regional climate indices and total ozone/UVR records on the geophysical side, will be used to determine long-term correlations, and, if possible, to separate the impact of climate from that of UVR. Data with a significantly enhanced degree of detail over a 14-year period (1985-1998) will then be used to investigate the impact of UVR on the species involved in more detail. To this purpose, high-resolution maps of relevant UVR parameters, based on remote-sensing data of total ozone and cloud coverage and calculated with state-of-the art radiative transfer models, will be constructed for the cod spawning area. These investigations will be supported by field and laboratory experiments/studies, which will cover the whole scope of biological and geophysical parameters assumed to play a role in the UVR - cod interaction. The combined results of the above work will be used to develop modelling tools (short-term process modelling and long-term modelling) which can reproduce past (observed) cod stock variations and predict variability in the future.Expected impactsThe project will hopefully enlighten the influence of a potentially very important natural parameter on marine ecosystems. Integration of UVR impact processes into fish stock size modelling tools have the potential to improve these tools considerably, both in terms of uncertainty reduction and long-term applicability of such tools, which is of great importance for a future sustainable fishery management. Champ scientifique agricultural sciencesagriculture, forestry, and fisheriesfisheriesnatural sciencesearth and related environmental sciencesenvironmental sciencesozone depletionnatural sciencesbiological sciencesecologyecosystemsagricultural sciencesagricultural biotechnologybiomass Programme(s) FP5-EESD - Programme for research, technological development and demonstration on "Energy, environment and sustainable development, 1998-2002" Thème(s) 1.1.4.-3. - Key action Sustainable Marine Ecosystems Appel à propositions Data not available Régime de financement CSC - Cost-sharing contracts Coordinateur NORWEGIAN INSTITUTE FOR AIR RESEARCH Contribution de l’UE Aucune donnée Adresse 15,Hjalmar Johansensgatan 14 9296 TROMSOE Norvège Voir sur la carte Coût total Aucune donnée Participants (6) Trier par ordre alphabétique Trier par contribution de l’UE Tout développer Tout réduire AZTI FUNDAZIOA Espagne Contribution de l’UE Aucune donnée Adresse Avda. Satrustegui 8 20008 SAN SEBASTIAN Voir sur la carte Coût total Aucune donnée BODO REGIONAL UNIVERSITY Norvège Contribution de l’UE Aucune donnée Adresse Morkvedtrakket 30 8002 BODE Voir sur la carte Coût total Aucune donnée COMMISSION OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES Italie Contribution de l’UE Aucune donnée Adresse Via E. Fermi 21020 BARASSO Voir sur la carte Coût total Aucune donnée CONSEJO SUPERIOR DE INVESTIGACIONES CIENTIFICAS Espagne Contribution de l’UE Aucune donnée Adresse 6,Eduardo Cabello 6 36208 VIGO Voir sur la carte Coût total Aucune donnée GERMAN AEROSPACE CENTRE Allemagne Contribution de l’UE Aucune donnée Adresse Muenchener Strasse 20, Oberpfaffernhofen 82234 WESSLING Voir sur la carte Coût total Aucune donnée UNIVERSITY OF TROMSOE Norvège Contribution de l’UE Aucune donnée Adresse 201 B,Breivika 9037 TROMSOE Voir sur la carte Coût total Aucune donnée