Paleoecology and the Anthropocene at the end of the world: Marine food web and population dynamics in Tierra del Fuego

At the intersection between the Atlantic, Pacific and Southern oceans, Tierra del Fuego and the Beagle Channel are physical and biological nexus points that are poised to be highly influenced by climate change. Such changes can alter the function and significance of species within an ecosystem. One way to identify effects of climate and human activity on an ecosystem is by comparing Holocene and historic food webs, by measuring changes in food chain length and fluctuation in species’ niche and population. Graduate student Jonathan Nye aims to address three primary questions: (1) How has the marine ecosystem near Tierra del Fuego  changed  over time, (2) How have  humans  influenced and been  influenced  by  changes  in  this  ecosystem and (3) What are the characteristics and changes in population of Southern Fur seals in the Holocene?