Seminar 1st November 2010 5 p.m. 34/3001
Responses of marine biodiversity and ecosystems to climate change: combining long term observations, experiments and modelling to enable better prediction
Professor Steven Hawkins
Dean of the Faculty of Natural and Environmental Science, University of Southampton
- Web page
- http://www.southampton.ac.uk/biosci/news/seminars/2010/11/hawkins_seminar.page?
- Categories
- Climate, Complex Systems, Ecology, Environmental hazards, Oceanography
- Submitter
- Richard Edwards
Prof Steve Hawkins
The talk will begin with a brief overview of Professor Hawkins' research interests before focussing on the responses to climate change of coastal and nearshore biodiversity and the consequences for ecosystem functioning. Much of the offshore data were collected by staff at the Marine Biological Association of the UK (where Professor Hawkins was Director between 1999 - 2007) from the 1880s onwards. These time series ceased in the 1980s at a time of severe constraints on public expenditure and were restarted and re-analysed between 1997 and 2002 by Professor Hawkins and team. The work on rocky shores stretches back over 60 years with Professor Hawkins having personal data sets of 30 year duration on species sensitive to fluctuations in climate. Experimental studies have explored the underlying mechanisms involved in these responses and the consequences for community structure and ecosystem functioning. Modelling approaches have explored the impacts of future emissions scenarios on UK rocky shores. Some final comments are made on how marine systems need to be managed for society to adapt to climate change.
Refreshments will be served after the seminar in Room 3019.