AMEMR 2024 Themes
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AMEMR welcomes all submissions that use modelling* approaches to better understand and predict marine ecosystems* and support marine sustainability. The conference will be organized into four over-arching themes: Ecosystems and cycles under change, Model mechanics, The Human Dimension, and Digital Innovation. Submissions that span themes will be both inevitable and welcome and there will be a “maverick” theme for submissions that don’t otherwise have a home. 
(*in the broadest sense)

Cross-cutting all of our themes is a consideration of both the key drivers of our work – climate, sustainable development goals, ocean decade goals and a long list of stakeholders, including Policy makers, Regulators, Indigenous peoples, Artisan users, Industry,  the Public, Academia, Education and not least ourselves as marine modellers.
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​​The following sub-themes are illustrative rather than comprehensive.

Theme 1: Ecosystems and cycles under change
How do our ecosystems and biogeochemical cycles respond to change, in particular climate warming and associated processes.

• Ecosystem response to perturbation (e.g. resilience, plasticity, tipping points…)
• Coastal and Ocean Carbon Cycles (e.g. mechanisms, feedbacks and mitigation, carbon pumps…)
• Other critical cycles in a climate and anthropogenic context (e.g. deoxygenation, acidification, eutrophication….)
• Impacts from climate change and extreme events (e.g. heatwaves, storms, run off)
• Integration of Ocean, Land and Atmospheric processes (e.g.  land – ocean – atmospheric coupling)

Theme 2: The Human Dimension
This theme covers the more direct interactions, needs and impacts of humans on the marine system

This session will include (but is not limited to):

• Socio-ecological interactions (e.g. human and social processes in models)
• Impacts of ocean exploitation (e.g.  windfarms, trawling, mining…)
• Ocean Resources and Ecosystem Services (e.g. fisheries, aquaculture, pollution remediation, blue carbon…)
• Policy support and Marine Spatial Planning (e.g. models for assessment and planning…)
• Communication (e.g. using model derived information to communicate to stakeholders effectively)

Theme 3: Model Mechanics
This theme covers the processes and components that may (or may not) matter.

This session will cover topics such as:

• Accounting for biodiversity, evolution, adaptation, and behavior (e.g. aspects that tend not to be included in traditional models)
• Trophic interactions (zooplankton, mixotrophs, viruses, competition and more…)
• Parameterizing physiology (physiological realism vs. tractable code…)
• Ecological Connectivity and spatio-temporal pattens (physically mediated interactions, lagrangian approaches…)
• Complexity and Simplicity (which processes matter when, learnings from model-data mismatches…)
• ​Are our models theoretically fit for purpose?
  

Theme 4: Digital Innovation
How can we use new technologies effectively and responsibly to better understand and reduce uncertainty?

Suggested topics are:

• Digital twins, decision support tools (aspiration vs pragmatism, examples in practice…)
• Innovative approaches, Artificial Intelligence, Machine Learning, Emulators (capability and limitations…)
• Advances in data assimilation (new products for stakeholders…)
• Hybrid Model and Data Approaches (data – model fusion, autonomy…)
• Evaluation and skill (how do we convince the audience including ourselves)

Theme 5: Mavericks
For mavericks, free thinkers, and work that refuses to be categorized

​In order not to exclude any interesting novel work we are convening a wild card session.

If you cannot see an obvious place for your work within the current themes please submit an abstract under the Maverick theme.