Science goals

Four key science questions have been developed under CLIOTOP aimed to directly support the Grand Challenges and Innovative Challenges of IMBER. The questions also support the United Nation’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), particularly those associated with Responsible Consumption and Production (SDG 12), Climate Action (SDG 13) and Life Below Water (SDG 14).

The four science questions are:

1. What are the responses of individuals and populations of marine species to natural climate variability, anthropogenic climate change and other drivers of global change in marine systems, such as fishing?
2. What are the major linkages and interactions of individuals and populations of marine species with marine ecosystems and how are they affected by natural climate variability, anthropogenic climate change and other drivers of global change in marine systems, such as fishing?
3. What are the interactions between human systems, individuals and populations of marine species and how do these interactions influence ecosystem functioning?
4. What are the key human/ecosystem processes and linkages and frameworks required for predicting and projecting future states of species populations in response to natural climate variability, anthropogenic climate change and other drivers of global change in marine systems, such as fishing?

Other related questions also posed by CLIOTOP:

1. Which sensors and tools are needed to support CLIOTOP?
2. What approaches are needed to establish, represent and quantify linkages, interactions and feedbacks between individual species, marine ecosystems and ocean-human systems?
3. How can CLIOTOP science best be translated into feasible and acceptable adaptation, management and governance strategies for sustainable ocean-human systems?
4. What products are needed to continu monitoring and management of species and populations under natural climate variability, anthropogenic climate change and global change?