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Dr Julia Blanchard

Dr Julia Blanchard

Institute:

University of Sheffield


julia.blanchard@NoSpamsheffield.ac.uk

I am a quantitative marine ecologist with expertise in developing ecological models and empirical indicators to support an ecosystem approach to fisheries management. My recent research has been focussed on understanding and predicting the relative impacts of climate change and fishing on large marine ecosystems and fisheries around the world. Previously based at the University of Sheffield, I have taken up an Associate Professor in Ecology & Fisheries position at the Institute of Marine and Antarctic Studies at the University of Tasmania in Hobart where I will be primarily based whilst working on the project.  I am deputy leader of Module 4 with Paul Blackwell and am an associated researcher at both the University of Sheffield and Imperial College London.

One of my current research interests is developing and testing marine ecosystem model ensembles, which I believe is needed to assess the uncertainty associated with model predictions. In addition to MERP model ensemble my ongoing global and regional scale modelling work is contributing to international multi-model comparisons (Inter-Sectoral Impact Model Intercomparison Project and IndiSEAS). These collaborations and a new Centre for Marine Socioecology at IMAS-CSIRO in Hobart will strengthen the international links within the project. I also have strong links with the Centre for Environment, Fisheries and Aquaculture Science CEFAS, Lowestoft, UK where I was a Senior Research Scientist and where I began my research on marine ecosystem dynamics and fisheries in 2001.

I was the coordinator of the ESF-funded 4 year research network SIZEMIC “Body Size and Ecosystem Dynamics: Integrating pure and applied approaches from terrestrial and aquatic ecology to support an ecosystems approach”, am a member of International Council for the Exploration of the Seas and NCEAS working groups, have lead research several European Union and UK Defra projects, and I am a contributor to the Marine Climate Change Impacts Partnership (MCCIP).


Selected Publications

For the full list see Google Scholar

Blanchard J.L., Andersen K.H., Scott F., Hintzen N., Piet G., Jennings S. 2014. Evaluating targets and trade-offs among fisheries and conservation objectives using a multispecies size spectrum model. Journal of Applied Ecology. 51 (3), 612-622

Scott, F., Blanchard, J.L. & Andersen K.H. 2014. mizer: an R package for multispecies, trait-based and community size spectrum ecological modelling. Methods in Ecology and Evolution. 5 (10), 1121-1125

Barange M, Merino G., Blanchard J.L., Scholtens J., Harle J., Allison E.H., Allen J.I., Holt J., Jennings S. 2014. Impacts of climate change on marine ecosystem production in fisheries-dependent societies. Nature Climate Change. 4,211–216

Rogers, A. Blanchard J.L. & Mumby P. 2014. Vulnerability of coral reef fisheries to a loss of habitat complexity. Current Biology. 24 (9), 1000-1005

Woodworth-Jefcoats, P., Polovina, J., Dunne, J., &  Blanchard, J.L. 2013. Ecosystem size structure response to 21st century climate projection: large fish abundance decreases in the central North Pacific and increases in the California Current. Global Change Biology. 19(3): 724-733. DOI: 10.1111/gcb.12076

Blanchard, J.L., Jennings, S., Holmes, R., Harle, J., Merino, G., Allen, I., Holt, J, Dulvy N.K., & Barange, M. 2012. Potential consequences of climate change for primary production and fish production in large marine ecosystems. Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society of London: Biological Sciences, 367, 2979-2989.


Useful links

NERC Planet Earth Online Article - Size matters for fish in a changing climate