History of Marine Animal Populations aims to enhance knowledge and understanding of how and why the diversity, distribution and abundance of marine life in the oceans change over the long term

Global Scope of Project HMAP has grown in the past 18 months to encompass the globe. We are about 100 historians, archaeologists, and marine scientists, working on 16 case studies

2007 Scientific Results Bluefin Tuna Used to be Common in Northern European Waters Bluefin Tuna Used to be Common in Northern European Waters Danish bluefin tuna fishery, 1949 © Danmarks Radio Archives Development of bluefin tuna fisheries in northern European waters click here to play movie

2007 Scientific Results Taxonomic Composition of Fish Bones Recovered From Stone Age ( BC) gadids (cod, haddock, pollock, whiting, saithe) were very commongadids (cod, haddock, pollock, whiting, saithe) were very common even though temperatures were 2-3 higher than now even though temperatures were 2-3 higher than now We can have cod in future if exploitation is reducedWe can have cod in future if exploitation is reduced Enghoff, MacKenzie and Niesen, in press Fish. Res.

2007 Scientific Results Early Human Impact on Megamolluscs

Steps Toward Project Synthesis

Steps Toward Realm Synthesis History of Nearshore Program A joint HMAP-NaGISA initiative to identify specific local sites on which historical (pre 1980) records of biodiversity are available and to resample them under the auspices of the NaGISA project, thus including them in NaGISA`s global nearshore database and ongoing monitoring efforts while assessing specific regional trends in biodiversity

Synthesis Outputs Oceans Past, Earthscan (London) 2007 Fisheries Science 2007 Mega-Mollusks, British Archaeological Reports ) 1)historical baselines in as many ecosystems as possible 2) 2)relative exploitation level of as many ecosystems as possible 3) changes in size composition of species in as many ecosystems as possible through historical time 4) Fishing method and fishing effort development around the globe through historical time

Visualization & Communication Pieter Brueghel the Elder, Big Fish Eat Little Fish

Visualization & Communication ”…probably all the great fisheries are inexhaustible; that is to say that nothing we do seriously affects the number of fish”. ”…probably all the great fisheries are inexhaustible; that is to say that nothing we do seriously affects the number of fish”. Thomas Henry Huxley 1883 Thomas Henry Huxley 1883

Jackson, Brave New Ocean, Diversitas conference, Oaxaca 2005

Science Impact Scientific impact We now know that the distribution and abundance of marine animal populations experience dramatic changes over time Changes are attributed to climatic and human forces, and while few marine species have gone extinct, conservationists worry that entire marine ecosystems have been depleted beyond recovery An understanding of historical patterns of resource exploitation is key to identifying what has actually been lost in the habitat and is an essential part of developing and implementing recovery plans for depleted marine ecosystems and ecosystem attributes. The HMAP approach offers a means to obtain a broader theoretical and analytical perspective on marine ecosystems to inform present and future environmental management policies.

Scientific impact Marine environmental history is now recognized as a necessary complement to ecosystem analysis and as a major new contribution to the field of environmental history V. Winiwarter et al., Env. & History 10, (2004) J. R. McNeill, Env. History 10 (2005) J. W. Bolster, Env. History 11, (2006) M. Schrope, Nature 443, (2006)

Societal Impact of Results to Date Societal Impact of Results Potential users of HMAP results will include the scientific community, conservation organisations, and national, international and inter-governmental fisheries and ecosystem management agencies. US-NOAA, Canada DFO, the European Commission, the Helsinki Commission for the Protection of the Baltic Marine Environment (Helcom), the International Council for the Exploration of the Sea (ICES), the International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas (ICCAT), the Mediterranean Science Commission (CIESM), the International Whaling Commission, and UN-FAO

Societal Impact of Results to Date How much is it worth to us?

Project Data Available in OBIS Published in OBISNumberDate published (month, year) a) Datasets8to 09/07 b) Species with location data73 c) Unique locations10462 d) Total species by location records 73 To be published in OBIS NumberAnticipate d date (month, year) a) Datasets202: 11/07 2: 12/07 10: 07/08 6: 01/09 b) Species with location data c. 85 c) Unique locations c d) Total species by location records c. 85

Education & Outreach Courtesy of Danish National Archive, Copenhagen. Photo: Maibritt Bager. Courtesy of lokalarkivet i Skagen

Next Steps develop a broad global perspective of the changes in (exploited) marine animal populations and ecosystem exploitation status over centuries and decades, and across systems and taxa examine the ecological and socio-cultural- political basis for recovery of marine animal populations and ecosystems around the world

Limits to Knowledge Our knowledge of the past relies on interpretations of evidence that has survived the attrition of time and economy Our knowledge of the past relies on interpretations of evidence that has survived the attrition of time and economy Inevitably, therefore, it is partial knowledge Inevitably, therefore, it is partial knowledge Can we overcome the conflict of scientific approaches? Can we overcome the conflict of scientific approaches? History - an ideographic exercise History - an ideographic exercise Sift the evidence to establish (unique) fact Sift the evidence to establish (unique) fact Biology - a nomothetic endeavour Biology - a nomothetic endeavour recognise recurrent patterns that can be generalised into a model recognise recurrent patterns that can be generalised into a model