Thünen: Marine living resources

Institute of

SF Sea Fisheries

Ongoing projects - Marine living resources

A new knowledge base for the management of fisheries in the Arctic (SciCAO)

As the central Arctic has become significantly more accessible in recent years, there is a risk of unregulated use of the biological resources available there. In 2021, the Central Arctic Ocean Fisheries Agreement was therefore concluded, which provides for a ban on commercial fishing until 2037. At the same time, a joint program was set up to research and record the fisheries resources there. German and Swedish expeditions have recently been able to provide important data for assessing the available resources. However, there are still large gaps in knowledge that this project aims to close.

Analyses of fishery effort in German fishing fleets

The project aims at a better understanding of the relationship between fisheries and population dynamics of fish stocks in order to better predict and justify the necessity of fleet capacity adjustment measures

Assessment of pelagic fish stocks in the North Sea and North Atlantic

Data on population parameters of pelagic fish stocks (herring, mackerel, horse mackerel, blue whiting and sprat) in the North Sea and North Atlantic are combined with catch records and landings statistics and provide input for the fish stock assessments of ICES. The results of these calculations serve as a basis for sustainable fisheries management.

Becoming and being a professor in Bremerhaven - Subproject: "Cooperation professorship at Bremerhaven University of Applied Sciences with the Thünen Institute"

In order to improve the recruitment and development of professorial staff, Bremerhaven University of Applied Sciences has initiated the BeProf@BHV project. Building on the BeProf@BHV concept, the scientific objective of this sub-project is to test new structures, development opportunities and career paths for professorial staff.

Ecology of redfish on the East Greenland shelf

This project focusses on the distribution and ecology of the two commercially exploited redfish species on the East Greenland Shelf: Golden redfish (Sebastes norvegicus) and Beaked redfish (S. mentella).

Enhancement of multi-species assessment models

This research activity will enhance multi-species models (improved diet selection models and recruitment models) to enable best possible projections of stocks developments. This will contribute to a sustainable harvest of fish stocks inside an ecosystem approach. Not only fisheries influence fish stocks but also predation and other environmental factors.

Exclusion of mobile bottom-fishing in the German Natura 2000 areas (MGF Nordsee)

What happens to habitats and communities when commercial fishing stops? This important but largely unanswered question is the focus of this research project.

Fish & fisheries in numbers - the Data Collection Framework

The Data Collection Framework (DCF), co-funded by the EU, allows Member States to collect fisheries data relevant for the sustainable management of fish stocks.

Risk assessment in fisheries management

Why does fisheries managment sometimes fail? Conduction of risk analyses on various aspects of fisheries management can help to answer this question.

Sampling and assessment of benthic species and seabed in the German EEZ (MOBEEZ)

The project will supplement the ongoing monitoring in the German Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) of the North Sea, as required by Section 6 of the Federal Nature Conservation Act (BNatSchG), with a temporally and spatially extended sampling and analysis of benthic communities in the German EEZ of the southern North Sea, incorporating alternative, minimally invasive methods.

Scientific advice in support of the common fisheries policy

In implementing the EU's Common Fisheries Policy (CFP), the EU Commission obtains scientific advice and awards individual specific contracts (studies). For this purpose, the EU Commission has concluded a framework contract with two large project consortia, covering topics for the Baltic and North Sea and the North Atlantic (SANoBA), but also other EU waters in the North-East Atlantic and outer regions such as Madeira or the Azores (SAF EU).

Shaping Ecosystem Based Fisheries Management (SEAwise)

The wish for an ecosystem based fisheries managment is omnipresent. However, potential approaches still lack implementation in Europe. In the project SEAwise we want to change this.

Studies on fish eggs and larvae

Knowledge on the strength of the recruiting year class of a fish stock is of tremendous importance for sustainable mangement. Successful reproduction and foraging of fry are of essential importance for the further development of the stock.

Sufficient offspring for brown shrimp?

Brown shrimp fishery is from the economic point of view the most important fishery in Germany. Our research aims to develop a sustainable and ecologically sound fishery.

Sustainable exploitation of North Sea and North Atlantic fish stocks

As contracting party of the International Council for the Exploration of the Sea (ICES) and EU Member State, Germany is obliged to submit national data to the scientific fish stock assessment working groups of ICES and other European organisations.

The demography of fishes

Age composition data for fish stocks are essential input parameters for stock assessment. It is therefore necessary to permanently develop age determination methodology further.

Youngfish in German coastal waters

The shallow waters of the German Bight and Wadden Sea serve as nursery grounds for several commercially important fish species. Annual abundance and growth assessments of youngfish allow for a first indication of the level of incoming catches in future years.

Completed projects - Marine living resources

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Automated fish age reading and analysis of growth patterns using deep learning

In recent years, the use of artificial intelligence has increased massively in various disciplines. Can this technology also be applied in fisheries science? This question is to be clarified in a PhD project.

Establishment of a trilateral UFO network of mobile, portable and stationary units for an automatic, continuous, non-invasive monitoring of fish stocks in the Bay of Kiel (UFOTriNet)

In UFOTriNet, an intelligent underwater test network of innovative stationary and mobile UFO units is being developed with the aim of automatically and continuously monitoring the diversity and abundance of fish populations and their environment.

Food webs in coastal waters of Schleswig-Holstein with a focus on fish (FishNet)

Fish are an integral part of the ecosystem and it transfers energy via "top-down" and/or "bottom-up" processes through the food web. Fundamental knowledge about essential processes and the functioning of food webs is still missing and hampers the implementation of effective protection measures for fish.

Hightech for fisheries research

The objective of the joint AutoMAt project is to either replace, complement or modernize part of the conventional data collection and analysis procedures in the fields of fisheries biology and ecology through inventing and implementing alternative, automated systems.

Implications of climatic changes on fish stocks and fisheries off East Greenland (CLIMA)

The East Greenland ecosystem has been influenced by warming in the North Atlantic in recent years. As a consequence, there were distinct changes in the distribution and composition of the fish fauna in this area. The aim of this project is to investigate the functional relationships of climatic and biological changes and to estimate their impact on the fish stocks, fishing and fisheries management.

Interactions between fisheries, biodiversity and food webs (BioWeb)

Climate change, declining fishing pressure, and reduced nutrient inputs are shifting structure and functions in the ecosystem of the southern North Sea. In BioWeb, we explore the links between these environmental and land-use changes and trends in biodiversity.

Knowledge for sustainable management of Crangon fisheries in the coastal North Sea (MaKramee)

This project will synthesize exisiting scientific knowledge as baisis for better management of the brown shrimp fishery in the North Sea.

Making regional cooperation more efficient (FishPi)

All neighbouring European Member States along the North Sea and North Atlantic are collecting biological data in the fisheries sector. In order to strengthen cooperation in fisheries sampling, we develop scenarios for sensible planning and conduction of biological data collection within these regions, based on case studies.

Management of bycatch stocks in mixed fisheries (Probyfish)

A lot of effort is put each year into the management of commercially important target stocks. The focus in Probyfish, however, is on bycatch stocks which also have to be managed sustainably.

Maximising yield of fisheries while balancing ecosystem, economical and social concerns (MYFISH)

One main goal of the European fisheries policy is to harvest all fish stocks with a fishing mortality in accordance with the MSY concept (Fmsy) in 2015 at latest. However, because of predator-prey interactions and bycatch in mixed fisheries, Fmsy as defined in the current single species context cannot be achieved for all species simultaneously. MYFISH will define MSY in accordance with the ecosystem approach and helps to develope multi-species management plans. These plans will ensure a sustainable exploitation but also take into account economic and social aspects.

Optimised brown shrimp fishery (CRANNET)

Optimsation of the selectivity and reduction of by-catches are in the focus of this project.

Paradigm for novel dynamic oceanic resource assessments

Blue Growth is a buzz word known to many people. But how can blue growth be achieved for european fisheries in a sustainable way? The Project Pandora tries to find answers.

Practical recommendations for regional sampling plans (FishPi2)

Redfish with a label

How organic residues on ear stones help us to discriminate between different redfish stocks.

Self-management in the brown shrimp fishery (CRANMAN)

The German brown shrimp fishery got a sustainability certificate (MSC ecolabel) since 2017. Unlike other fisheries that are subject to a management plan of the European Union, the prerequisite for the MSC ecolabel is an internal self-management of the shrimp fishery. The CranMan project aims at creating the scientific basis to accompany and improve the self-management of the shrimp fishery.

Stock discrimination in Atlantic herring in the North Sea

The Atlantic herring is one of the commercially most important species – also in the North Sea fishery. Fisheries management must lead to sustainable utilization of the stock, to protect it for succeeding generations.

Study on approaches to management for data-poor stocks in mixed fisheries

Data for a full analytical assessment are not available for all stocks. We try to answer the question how a sustainable exploitation can be guaranteed in these cases as well.

Study on stomach content of fish

The aim of the project is to improve the data basis for multi species and ecosystem models. Predator-prey relationships are an important driver of fish population dynamics.

Towards a Joint Monitoring Programme for the North Sea and Celtic Sea (JMP NS/CS)

The main aim of this project is to build a constructive network between all institutions that are responsible for monitoring in the North and Celtic Seas, concerning both fisheries and environmental monitoring.

UFOs in the North Sea ... (AutoMAt)

Vectors of Change in Oceans and Seas Marine Life, Impact on Economic Sectors (VECTORS)

The European seas undergo significant changes. These are caused by multiple vectors of change. Within the VECTORS project, we seek to identify the causal mechanisms and consequences of those changes in our marine ecosystems.

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