Bernard Megrey: pioneer of Comparative Marine Ecosystem analyses

Abstract

The MEPS Theme Section on ‘Comparative Analysis of Marine Fisheries Production’ is dedicated to Dr. Bernard Megrey. Dr. Megrey was well known for comparative studies of ecosystems, but his contributions to science were far broader. His pioneering of comparative marine ecosystem studies began long before they achieved a high profile in the field. He played a leading role in a number of international projects comparing marine ecosystems in northern hemisphere countries, and championed the use of simple but robust models for this purpose. He was central in organizing a successful trilateral workshop that modeled stock production in the USA, Canada and Norway. This was followed up by the Surplus Production Modelling Workshop in Woods Hole in 2011, which encompassed a broader range of modeling approaches, as well as additional countries and their associated marine ecosystems. The resulting manuscripts are presented in this Theme Section. Dr. Megrey’s flair for bringing together scientists with diverse perspectives led to a cohesiveness among such disparate scientists, resulting in the successful completion of this and related workshops and ultimately the works in this Theme Section.