FA1004 - Conservation Physiology of Marine Fishes

Marine fish are important resources in Europe but human pressures severely threaten their biodiversity and abundance.  There is an urgent need to improve the knowledge-base underlying their sustainable management.  Physiological research reveals how marine fish are adapted to their environment, and causal mechanisms underlying their distribution and abundance.  Thus, the emerging field of conservation physiology can provide improved predictions on the impacts of environmental challenges, and refine conservation strategies.   There are over 50 institutions in Europe performing research in marine fish physiology, behaviour, ecology, and in modelling impacts of environmental challenges.  This COST Action pioneers the coordination and integration of these multidisciplinary research activities across Europe.

The COST action will:

Coordinate marine fish conservation physiology research, to collate existing knowledge, reduce overlap, identify critical gaps in knowledge, and devise common approaches.

Coordinate interactions among physiologists, community ecologists and forecast modellers, to integrate physiology into models, improve their predictive power, and identify conservation priorities.

Coordinate interactions among researchers and policy makers/stakeholders, to promote integration of research outcomes into strategies and policy decisions, for sustainable management of biodiversity and resources.

This will be achieved through workshops, dedicated publications, conferences, targeted scientific exchanges, and common funding applications.