Quantifying heterogeneous responses of fish community size structure using novel combined statistical techniques.

ABSTRACT: To understand changes in ecosystems, the appropriate scale at which to study them must be determined. Large marine ecosystems (LMEs) cover thousands of square kilometres and are a useful classification scheme for ecosystem monitoring and assessment. However, averaging across LMEs may obscure intricate dynamics within. The purpose of this study is to mathematically determine local and regional patterns of ecological change within an LME using empirical orthogonal functions (EOFs). After using EOFs to define regions with distinct patterns of change, a statistical model originating from control theory is applied (Nonlinear AutoRegressive Moving Average with eXogenous input - NARMAX) to assess potential drivers of change within these regions. We have selected spatial data sets (0.5° latitude ×

SUBMITTER: Marshall AM 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4991301 | biostudies-literature | 2016 May

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature