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The Phantom Fish: Untangling the long co-evolution of herring and people along the Pacific Rim using ancient DNA and marine historical ecology

Project description

Unravelling Pacific herring decline and resilience

Herring has long been a crucial resource for Northern Hemisphere communities and ecosystems for centuries. Significant declines in 20th- and 21st-century populations led to fishery closures in the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans. The causes remain debated, with climate change and overfishing both implicated. Supported by the Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions programme, the PHANTOM project will study Pacific herring (Clupea pallasii) population declines in relation to climate change and human activity. It will integrate ancient DNA and genomic analyses with Indigenous knowledge from Alaska and Japan to assess impacts and inform policy recommendations. Ultimately, the goal is to support sustainable management and future resilience of this key species.

Objective

Herring have been a crucial resource for human communities across the northern hemisphere for time immemorial. In addition to
providing cultural and nutritional benefits, these forage fish are a keystone species in their environments, providing myriad
ecosystem services including acting as prey for many predators (bears, salmon, seabirds, fish, whales, pinnipeds, etc). In the 20th and 21st centuries, herring populations suffered commercial collapses, culminating in a wave of fisheries closures across the Atlantic and Pacific. The drivers behind these collapses are still debated, with some researchers arguing climate change is to blame and others concluding overfishing caused the population declines. PHANTOM will bring together an interdisciplinary research team to address the question of historical and recent population declines in Pacific herring (Clupea pallasii) in relation to climatic and anthropogenic forcing. To do this, PHANTOM will employ ancient DNA and genomic analysis in conjunction with local traditional knowledge from Indigenous communities in Alaska and Japan. Demographic modeling will be compared to changing climate and management regimes to assess their impacts on this keystone species. PHANTOM will train early-career researcher Lane Atmore in Indigenous- centered research and the development of genetic tools for monitoring and fisheries management to complement her existing expertise in historical ecology and genomic analysis. PHANTOM will culminate with the development of genetic tools and policy advice for Pacific herring management that integrates ancient DNA and local traditional knowledge. The Atlantic and Pacific fishing industries are currently facing challenges due to overfishing and rapid ecosystem change; creating more sustainable management regimes is our best defense against climate change and ensuring food security and economic stability for communities that rely on the sea.

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HORIZON-TMA-MSCA-PF-GF - HORIZON TMA MSCA Postdoctoral Fellowships - Global Fellowships

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Call for proposal

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(opens in new window) HORIZON-MSCA-2024-PF-01

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Coordinator

DANMARKS TEKNISKE UNIVERSITET
Net EU contribution

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€ 368 638,08
Address
ANKER ENGELUNDS VEJ 101
2800 KONGENS LYNGBY
Denmark

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Region
Danmark Hovedstaden Københavns omegn
Activity type
Higher or Secondary Education Establishments
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Total cost

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