The effect of network properties on the dynamics of marine social-ecological systems and their response to multiple drivers
Human impacts, such as climate change and fishing, are transforming the species composition and habitats at world's oceans at unprecedented rates. Evidence on individual species' responses to different drivers exist, but the impact of species interactions to ecosystem outcomes has only recently gained recognition in marine resource management. Indirect effects may amplify or modify ecosystem responses to management in unforeseen ways if the combined effect of interacting species and external drivers is not taken into consideration. I use tools of ecological and social network analysis to study how the structure and functioning of marine food webs change when exposed to changes in drivers, and how the change in structure affects the ecosystem responses. A significant focus in my PhD project is to test new network analysis approaches to analyze the patterns of interactions in marine social-ecological systems. My Phd reserarch examines the effect of climate change mainly in the Baltic Sea.
Examining the impacts of large-scale changes in marine ecosystems from the perspective of network science, my research demonstrates that marine resource management needs to account for multiple stressors and their synergestic effects on species interactions in an ecosystem context so that marine resources can support ecosystem services for the future.
I have M.Sc. in physical geography. In addition I have studied economics (BBA) and gained M.Ed. for physical geography and biology.