Project

The proposed project assesses the risk of decreased marine ecosystem productivity as a turning point for the ecological, economic and social systems that are interconnected under the Humboldt Upwelling System (HUS). The system's climate-related productivity is highly variable and affects local livelihoods and global markets.

The project focuses on two marine systems; on the one hand the high seas pelagic system that supplies the Peruvian industrial anchovy fishery with attention to its regional and global impacts through exports to international markets. On the other hand there are the coastal (Independence Bay and Sechura Bay) and insular (Galapagos) systems where artisanal fisheries, aquaculture and ecotourism are key maritime activities for livelihood provision.

With a consortium of biogeochemists, fisheries ecologists, ocean and ecaosystem modellers, economists, social scientists and local communities from both Germany and Peru, we will work to understand the relationships between ecological, social and economic dynamics in the HUS.

More information about the project of the Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF) and the Project Management Agency (DLR) in Germany can be found here: 

https://www.dlr.de/pt/en/desktopdefault.aspx/tabid-11212/16307_read-47496/

Overview Work Packages

Humboldt-Tipping is performed in eight work packages (WPs) each of which has two to four Tasks. Activities within various WPs are highly interlinked. The system is separated into three Case Studies (pelagic, off-shore system, coastal bays and islands) based on differences in living marine resources and socioeconomics such as ecotourism, commercial and artisanal fisheries and aquaculture.

Overview of the WP's with responsible PI:

(By clicking on the title you will be directed to the page of the respective work package)

WP 1: 
Biogeochemical/ecological tipping points of the HUS 
(PI: Ulf Riebesell, GEOMAR Helmholtz Centre for Ocean Research Kiel)

WP 2: 
Pressure-state relationships and fish production in the HUS 
(PI: Myron Peck and Saskia Otto, University of Hamburg, UHH)

WP 3: 
End-to-end ecosystem modelling of ecological tipping points in the HUS
(PI: Ivy Frenger and Andreas Oschlies, GEOMAR Helmholtz Centre for Ocean Research Kiel)

WP 4: 
Regional and global economic consequences of regime shifts in fish production 

(PI: Julia Bronnmann, University of Kiel, CAU)

WP 5: 
Social-ecological network modelling of coastal benthic habitats and their users 

(PI: Achim Schlüter, Leibniz Centre for Tropical Marine Research Bremen, ZMT)

WP 6: 
Participatory ecosystem-based management strategies for shifts among pelagic resources in the HUS 
(PI: Matthias Wolff, Leibniz Centre for Tropical Marine Research Bremen, ZMT)

WP 7: 
Stakeholder Engagement and Governance Strategies 
(PI: Michael Flitner, University of Bremen)

WP 8: 
Project Management 
(PI: Jörn Schmidt, University of Kiel, CAU)

Advisory board

The project is consulted by a scientific advisory board. The following institutions form the board:  

MBARI, USA
Prof. Dr. Francisco Chavéz

CSIRO, Australia
Dr. Beth Fulton

IRD, France
Dr. Yunne Shin

UC Berkeley, USA
Prof. Dr. Frank Asche

GIZ, Peru
Dr. Philine Oft