Modeling advanced primary production scenarios in coastal seas

The key challenge in future projections is that models are often, if not always based on static species tolerance ranges without considering taxa’s ability to adapt. This is mainly a result of computational challenges (historically) and a lack of relevant data from experimental ecology. We adopt a cross-disciplinary approach incorporating evolutionary data to improve models predicting future primary productivity in coastal ecosystems. Given different warming and nutrient scenarios in the Archipelago Sea, we produce the primary production estimates with and without evolutionary adaptation taken into account.

Communicating modeling results to the public remains massively challenging, especially if left to modelers. Concurrently, ocean literacy—the understanding of our relationship with the ocean—is essential for protecting marine health. Ecosystem models, a key for managing ocean health, are often too abstract for the public to grasp. To address this, artists and scientists in MIMOSA collaborate making modeling results more accessible and engaging.