The Living Ocean

The coasts and oceans are home to highly diverse ecosystems. Nevertheless, we increasingly rely on these ecosystems, especially the highly productive coastal environments, for resources including food and energy. Balancing ecosystem health with regulated exploitation of the biomass, and the habitats supporting these ecosystems, is critical for a sustainable future.

This theme focuses on the organisms that live in the oceans and the health of the ecosystems to which they belong. We explore the interactions between human activities and the biota, with an emphasis on understanding and mitigating impacts, as well as promoting novel, sustainable solutions for the oceans’ future. Our research covers a broad range of topics, from fisheries exploitation, seafood trade, species distribution modelling, to the monitoring of biodiversity and ecosystem functions in response to pollution and climate change. We examine responses of these systems from the molecular to the ecosystem levels.  

Key themes include: 

  • Spatio-temporal change in communities driven by anthropogenic challenges 
  • Long-term environmental change and its impact on ecosystem health
  • Assessment and monitoring of ecosystems

Back to: Liverpool Institute for Sustainable Coasts and Oceans