SchuFi

The conservation of biological diversity is an important goal at the national and international level. The meaningful establishment of protected areas is one applicable measurement. It requires in-depth knowledge of biodiversity, the trophic interactions of species, and their spatial and temporal dynamics. In German marine ecosystems such as the North Sea and the Baltic Sea, knowledge of non-commercially exploited fish species and communities is currently insufficient. This knowledge gap is due, among other things, to the high complexity of recording them, as most traditional fishing methods are not suitable for most noncommercial species and overall, these methods do not align with marine conservation. Furthermore, fish have a much richer species spectrum and exhibit more diverse trophic niches, habitat ranges, and habitat uses. SchuFi therefore combines modern methods for minimal and non-invasive sampling of fish communities in the German EEZ in the North Sea and Baltic Sea with modern methods for recording spatial-temporal migration patterns, trophic interactions, and food web modeling.

Objective: SchuFi serves to develop protection concepts and implement measures for the conservation of biological diversity. To this end, the non-commercially exploited fish fauna in the nature reserves of the North Sea and Baltic Sea in the German EEZ is being studied using non-invasive or minimally invasive methods and integrated into food web models so that concrete management solutions can ultimately be developed to ensure the resilience of fish communities in the German EEZ in the future. The university of Rostock aims to establish various non-invasive methods such as imaging techniques and environmental DNA for the non-commercially exploited fish fauna. In addition, the composition of the zooplankton community will also be investigated.

The project involves three partners: Hamburg University, GEOMAR Helmholtz-Zentrum für Ozeanforschung Kiel and the University of Rostock.

Project duration: 15 September, 2025 – 31st December, 2029.

Total project budget is

Project No.

The project is financed by the Federal Agency for Nature Conservation (BfN) through funds of the Bundesministerium für Umwelt, Klimaschutz, Naturschutz und nukleare Sicherheit (BMUKN