0000000000003918
AUTHOR
Susanna Huneide Thorbjørnsen
Time at risk: individual spatial behaviour drives fitness and marine protected area effectiveness
The effectiveness of Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) depends on the mobility of the populations that are the target of protection, with sedentary species likely to spend more time under protection even within small MPAs. However, little is understood about how individual variation in mobility may influence the risk of crossing an MPA border, as well as the fitness costs associated with being exposed to spillover fisheries. Here we investigated the repeatability of spatial behaviour, its role in determining the probability of being at risk (i.e. exposed to the fishery) and the fitness consequences for the individuals. We acoustically tracked the movements and fate of 282 individuals of three f…
Unlocking the potential of deep learning for marine ecology: overview, applications, and outlook
The deep learning revolution is touching all scientific disciplines and corners of our lives as a means of harnessing the power of big data. Marine ecology is no exception. These new methods provide analysis of data from sensors, cameras, and acoustic recorders, even in real time, in ways that are reproducible and rapid. Off-the-shelf algorithms can find, count, and classify species from digital images or video and detect cryptic patterns in noisy data. Using these opportunities requires collaboration across ecological and data science disciplines, which can be challenging to initiate. To facilitate these collaborations and promote the use of deep learning towards ecosystem-based management…
Selection on fish personality differs between a no-take marine reserve and fished areas
9 pages, 2 tables, 3 figures.-- This is an open access article under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License
Inferring individual fate from aquatic acoustic telemetry data
13 pages, 8 figures, 1 table.-- This is an open access article under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits use, distribution and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.
Lobster reserves as a management tool in coastal waters: Two decades of experience in Norway
9 pages, 4 figures.-- Under a Creative Commons license
Coastal Research Seen Through an Early Career Lens—A Perspective on Barriers to Interdisciplinarity in Norway
The value of interdisciplinarity for solving complex coastal problems is widely recognized. Many early career researchers (ECRs) therefore actively seek this type of collaboration through choice or necessity, for professional development or project funding. However, establishing and conducting interdisciplinary research collaborations as an ECR has many challenges. Here, we identify these challenges through the lens of ECRs working in different disciplines on a common ecosystem, the Norwegian Skagerrak coast. The most densely populated coastline in Norway, the Skagerrak coast, is experiencing a multitude of anthropogenic stressors including fishing, aquaculture, eutrophication, climate chan…
Pathways towards a sustainable future envisioned by early-career conservation researchers
Scientists have warned decision-makers about the severe consequences of the global environmental crisis since the 1970s. Yet ecological degradation continues and little has been done to address climate change. We investigated early-career conservation researchers' (ECR) perspectives on, and prioritization of, actions furthering sustainability. We conducted a survey (n = 67) and an interactive workshop (n = 35) for ECR attendees of the 5th European Congress of Conservation Biology (2018). Building on these data and discussions, we identified ongoing and forthcoming advances in conservation science. These include increased transdisciplinarity, science communication, advocacy in conservati…
Replicated marine protected areas (MPAs) support movement of larger, but not more, European lobsters to neighbouring fished areas
The European lobster Homarus gammarus is heavily exploited in the Norwegian fishery, and several management actions have been implemented to protect the species. Three marine protected areas (MPAs) excluding all but hook and line type fishing gear were established along the Skagerrak coast in 2006, effectively banning the trap-based fishery for European lobster. Lobster populations within MPAs and adjacent control areas were studied by capture-mark-recapture and recovery methods every year from prior to MPA establishment to the present. During 2006-2014, a total of 4682 and 3317 lobsters were captured (including recaptures) in the MPAs and control areas, respectively. In all MPAs, protectio…
Restoration of Abundance and Dynamics of Coastal Fish and Lobster Within Northern Marine Protected Areas Across Two Decades
This article reviews a suite of studies conducted in a network of coastal Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) in Skagerrak, Southeast Norway. In 2006, Norway’s first lobster reserves were implemented, with the aim of protecting European lobster (Homarus gammarus) through a ban on fixed gear. A before–after control-impact paired series (BACIPS) monitoring program was initiated to evaluate effects of protection on depleted lobster populations. Experimental trapping and capture-recapture techniques were combined to track demography of populations, also including movement of individuals within and beyond MPAs and adjacent control areas. Further, population genetics and parentage studies were applied,…
Potential of a no‐take marine reserve to protect home ranges of anadromous brown trout (Salmo trutta)
The extent to which no-take marine reserves can benefit anadromous species requires examination. Here, we used acoustic telemetry to investigate the spatial behavior of anadromous brown trout (sea trout, Salmo trutta) in relation to a small marine reserve (similar to 1.5 km(2)) located inside a fjord on the Norwegian Skagerrak coast. On average, sea trout spent 42.3 % (+/- 5.0% SE) of their time in the fjord within the reserve, a proportion similar to the area of the reserve relative to that of the fjord. On average, sea trout tagged inside the reserve received the most protection, although the level of protection decreased marginally with increasing home range size. Furthermore, individual…
Time at risk: Individual spatial behaviour drives effectiveness of marine protected areas and fitness
11 pages, 6 figures, 1 table.-- Under a Creative Commons license
Personality of sea trout and consequences for survival quantified using detailed movement data from a telemetry study in a southern Norwegian fjord
Animal personality may be an important part of the puzzle that is identifying the components affecting survival of an anadromous species in the marine phase. Also of interest is the interplay between individual personality and changing ecological conditions and/or management tools like marine reserves. In the present study, we have monitored more than 100 individuals of sea trout in a southern Norwegian fjord covered by a dense network of acoustic receivers. The resulting dataset provides detailed information on sea trout movement and depth use, in addition to giving information on the sea trout's use of river, fjord and outer fjord and sea habitats. In the present work, I/we will link beha…