Detecting changes in the Arctic Ecosystem – Long-Term Benthos Monitoring network for detecting changes in the Arctic benthic ecosystem (LTM-Benthos) 2017-2020

Abstract

<i>Introduction</i>: Main purpose of this group is data exploration. For example, megafaunal community characterization, modeling of variables that influence these communities (environment, stressors, etc.). Scaling of data matters: Depending on the objectives, required resolution of the data and analyses will vary, e.g. for managing trawl closures, fine-scale analyses are required; for understanding ecosystem change, broad-scale analyses are required. Next steps include understanding potential outcomes and the limitations of the data analyses: identifying what management questions we can answer with existing baseline data, and what agencies/groups etc. would be users of our results. Propose analyses and management uses of continued future monitoring, to emphasize value of long-term monitoring.