Project Grant 2220565

This $399,710 project grant from the National Science Foundation's Office of Integrative Activities, under the Geosciences program (CFDA 47.050), supports research examining the impacts of rapid Arctic change on fisheries and fishing communities in the western North Atlantic. The Trustees of Columbia University will lead an interdisciplinary team to develop coupled atmosphere-ice-ocean-ecosystem models and bio-economic models to evaluate how changes in the Arctic cryosphere and ocean circulation affect ecosystem and fishery productivity in the lower latitudes of the northwest Atlantic. Key activities include validating model outputs with field data, producing improved predictive models and forecasts of lobster population distribution under climate scenarios, and assessing climate vulnerability and economic reliance of the lobster fishing industry and coastal communities. The project aims to broaden understanding of physical, biological and socio-economic conditions to inform decision-making about the iconic American lobster fishery as Arctic changes are projected to impact stock distribution and abundance.